The Hays Nature Preserve has more than 10 miles of trails that explore bottomlands and wetland areas.
In 1999, Annie Hays and the Hays family donated 538 acres of land in Hampton Cove to the city of Huntsville to create a nature preserve. Since the Hays Nature Preserve was established, it has served as an environmental education center and a place for people to enjoy the outdoors.
While many natural trails in Huntsville and Madison explore mountainous terrain, the paths in the Hays Nature Preserve pass through bottomlands and wetland areas, including a tupelo swamp. Big Cove Creek and the Flint River also converge in the southern edge of the preserve. The abundance of water and lush forest makes this an excellent place for viewing wildlife, and it’s an important part of the North Alabama Birding Trail.
Another interesting aspect of this preserve is that it neighbors two greenways, allowing visitors to access paved paths as well as natural trails. It’s common for families to combine a greenway bike ride with a trip to the preserve, which is popular with kids. The top-notch playground in the preserve encourages open-ended play in a natural setting. Among its cool features are a wooden fort, a rock-climbing wall, a swinging bridge and a music station. Kids can also participate in environmental education programs hosted by the preserve.
For hikers, the preserve offers more than 10 miles of trails. If you’re walking with kids, check out the western side of the preserve, where the Animal Track ID path runs along the south side of Bar Lake. Along the path, there are wooden boxes with etchings of animal prints. After kids try to guess what animal matches the prints, they can slide open the box to find the answer. If you’d like to take your kids fishing, Bar Lake is a great choice, as it’s stocked with several species, and no license is required.
On the eastern side of the preserve, hikers will find several interesting natural features. On the Flint Trail, you can walk along the bank of the Flint River, where you might see great blue herons and green herons. The Flint Trail intersects with the Beaver Dam Run, a trail that visits massive trees and explores a wetland area created by beaver dams. The Beaver Dam Run also leads to one of the most fascinating spots in the preserve, a tupelo swamp that looks like something from a
Louisiana bayou. In some parts of the preserve, you’ll glimpse a neighboring golf course. But there will be other moments when you totally forget that you’re anywhere near a bustling metro area.
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