Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge protects the largest remaining stand of Longleaf Pines north of the state's coastal plain. The land formerly belonged to Anniston's Fort McClellan, which was closed by the U.S. Army in 1999. Established as the Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge in 2003, the ecological importance of the refuge is clearly related to its geographical location on a southern outlier of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Southern Appalachian region is believed to support the most biologically rich temperate forest in the world. This narrow southerly extension of the Blue Ridge is sandwiched between the Ridge and Valley to the west and the Piedmont to the east.

While the juncture of three physiographic provinces can be expected to provide varied avenues for complex plant and animal associations, a second and somewhat poorly understood environmental condition also exists. Longleaf Pine, a forest community of the Coastal Plain, extends through the Piedmont, and deeply into the mountains of the Blue Ridge. The diversity of herbaceous plants in the ground cover makes Longleaf Pine forests among the most species-rich plant communities outside the Tropics. This forest community introduces decidedly southern species deep into the Appalachian Region.

The 9,000 acre refuge is a fine place to view Brown-headed Nuthatches and Bachman's Sparrows in the pine woods ' listen for the sparrows' plaintive 'here-kitty-kitty-kitty' call from late March through mid June. Black-throated Green Warblers, Ovenbirds, and Scarlet Tanagers are all found at the higher elevations from spring to fall. You'll also see Blue-headed Vireos and Sharp-shinned Hawks. Summer Tanagers, Hooded Warblers and Worm-eating Warblers are found throughout the refuge.

If you follow Bains Gap Road to the crest of the ridge, Military Road crosses it and runs north and south along the ridge. It is a twisting, one-lane gravel road that provides terrific views of the valley below, particularly in winter when the hardwoods are bare.

Follow Bains Gap Road to the lower elevations and hardwoods predominate in the bottomlands. There is a creek on the north side of the road, with significant early second-growth acreage.

Contact Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge

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• Ecotourism