Six trails covering a total of 2.3 miles explore rural land in the community of Harvest.
There are nearly 9 million acres of farmland in Alabama, and agriculture contributes about $70 billion to the state’s economy each year. The Harvest Square Nature Preserve celebrates Alabama’s farming heritage with trails that explore 69 acres of rural land in the small community of Harvest, which is about 12 miles northwest of Huntsville.
As the Harvest Square Shopping Center was being built in 2009, the developers donated a portion of the adjacent land to the Land Trust of North Alabama. In 2011, the Land Trust opened the Harvest Square Nature Preserve, which includes six trails covering a total of 2.3 miles. These trails explore 36 acres of land still used for farming and 33 acres of lowland woods. Most of the trails are level, and some have a gravel surface, making this a good destination for people of all ability levels to walk, run and ride bikes.
If you enjoy viewing wildlife, there’s plenty to see in the preserve. The farm fields, the neighboring forest, and a creek that flows through the preserve provide habitat for deer, foxes and beavers, as well as many species of birds (including turkeys), amphibians and reptiles. When the shopping center was built, two borrow pits were created, and these have been transformed into two ponds that are now home to a variety of fish and draw several species of migratory birds.
The Harvest Square Nature Preserve is also a good place to introduce kids to the outdoors. The gravel paths and dirt forest trails make for easy walking. If you want to teach a youngster to fish, you can follow the Eagle Trail to the easily accessible Terry Pond, which is naturally stocked. For kids who want to explore the woods, the Dry Creek Trail has interpretive signs that identify trees and provide information about the surrounding forest and farmland. During your outing with the kids, you can take a break and enjoy a picnic meal at the Dale W. Strong Community Pavilion near the parking area.
Whether you’re looking for a place to take young ones or just want a mellow place to enjoy nature and get some exercise, you’ll find what you’re seeking among the fields and woodlands of Harvest Square.
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