Moss Rock Preserve is a 349 acre nature preserve owned by the City of Hoover. The preserve includes gigantic boulders, waterfalls, rare plant glades and about 10 miles of trails. Over 140 species of birds have been recorded in the preserve.

Habitat is dominated by pine-hardwood forest currently including an abundance of Mountain Longleaf Pine. More limited open habitats are associated with the sandstone glades, power line right of ways and a prairie restoration area. Nonmigratory woodland birds including Brown Headed Nuthatches, Hairy Woodpeckers, Pine Warblers, Red Shouldered Hawks and Barred Owls can be found along woodland trails any time of year. Winter brings Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers, Winter Wrens, Hermit Thrushes and sometimes Brown Creepers and Red Breasted Nuthatches. Some Neotropical migrants such as Broadwinged Hawks, Red Eyed Vireos and Indigo Buntings join resident breeding birds in Summer. However, the birding is best in Spring and Fall migration when a variety of colorful warblers, vireos, thrushes and other migrants can be seen passing through.

Sometimes Sora Rails can be found on the sandstone glades in Fall. If you visit the glades please avoid stepping on the islands of plant which contain rare and sensitive species such as Nutall's Rayless Goldenrod, Menge's Fame Flower, Harper's Dodder, Elf Orpine, Boynton's and Georgia Oaks. An approximately 30 acre area at the northeast end of Moss Rock was disturbed by a terminated development prior to being added to the preserve, but that area is now being restored to natural habitats and includes a wet meadow and prairie. These habitats support breeding Field Sparrows, Blue Grosbeaks, Yellow Breasted chats, American Woodcocks and sometimes House Wrens.

While not the most scenic trail, the Poweline Trail is flat and easily accessible from the Sulphur Springs Road Parking lot and offers clear forest edge views of warblers and other species in Spring and Fall migration. The scrubby habitat on the edge of the power line right away is good for sparrows in winter and Indigo Buntings in summer as well. The adjacent Blue Trail can be used to make a loop back to the parking area through fully forested habitat that includes some glades, boulders and cascades.

The White and Orange trails offer the most scenic birding experiences with landscapes that includes large boulders, clear streams, waterfalls and even the small wetland known as Frog Pond. The Red Trail offers a woodland birding experience through mature hardwood forests in the southwest corner of the park. The year round 'birdiest' habitat can be found in the restoration area located behind an iron gate on Chapel Road. There is no parking lot in this area, but parking on the wide road shoulder of Chapel Road and the adjacent and less busy Vendure Lane is permissible so long as you do not block the gate or park out in the road. Walk up the hill on the gravel road behind the gate and when you are at the base of a grassy flat top hill (aka the prairie restoration) and you should see and hear breeding Field Sparrows, Yellow Breasted Chats as well as Red Tailed Hawks. If standing at the base of the grassy hill you should go left on the mowed trails which will lead you to the wet meadow that is a breeding ground for American Woodcocks. The woodcocks can be seen doing their courtship flights at dawn and dusk during the late Winter and early Spring.

REMINDER: This listing is a free service of LandCAN.
Moss Rock Preserve is not employed by or affiliated with the Land Conservation Assistance Network, and the Network does not certify or guarantee their services. The reader must perform their own due diligence and use their own judgment in the selection of any professional.

Listed in:

• Ecotourism