North Alabama, Northeast Loop | Jackson | Best Seasons: Fall | Spring | Winter
North Sauty Creek (Site #39, Northeast Loop) has an excellent display of waterfowl and wading birds that occupy the area. Park on the roadside and scan the creek for waterfowl, shorebirds, and wading birds, especially during migration or in the winter. A small heron rookery is located on one of the small islands. However, exercise extreme caution when viewing from the road shoulder since US Highway 72 can be very busy.
Just across the highway is Sauta Cave National Wildlife Refuge. Sauta Cave has the largest concentration of endangered Gray Bats in the world, and during the summer, dusk emergences can total a quarter million bats. This is the largest emergence of bats east of the Mississippi River, a spectacular sight that you must see to believe. Visitors who bird for songbirds on this small 264-acre refuge might find summer residents like Summer Tanagers and Prothonotary Warblers.
GPS: N 34.6190, W 86.1312
Fee: Free
Access Information: For Sauta Cave NWR contact info see Site 16
Amenities: Canoeing, Fishing, Parking
Contact Info:
North Sauty Creek WMA
ADCNR: Area Biologist
234 County Road 141
Hollywood, AL 35752
From the intersection of US Highway 72 and AL Highway 279 in southern Scottsboro, travel west on Highway 72 5.9 miles. For Sauta Cave NWR access, park adjacent to the metal gate at the small highway pull off on the south side of Highway 72 and walk the road 300 yards to the cave. Continuing west on Highway 72 for another 0.7 mile is a separate off-highway parking area for North Sauty Creek WMA with birding trail interpretation and a short walking trail to the west side of North Sauty Creek.
Amenities Available:
Nearby Sites
ACES-Graham Farm & Nature Center
Fantastic birding opportunities abound at the 491 acre Nature Center. Sightings of Cerulean Warblers, American Redstarts, and Worm-eating Warblers have all been reported. Flycatchers are typically seen during summer months. Loggerhead Shrikes can be …
Goose Pond Colony
Goose Pond Colony (Site # 38, Northeast Loop) is a public recreational development built on a peninsula on the northern side of Guntersville Lake south of Scottsboro. This location makes for some excellent birding, especially during the winter. Stop …
Gorham’s Bluff / Coon Gulf
Gorham’s Bluff (Site #45, Northeast Loop), a planned community, rises on the southern side of Raccoon Creek, a very scenic arm of Guntersville Reservoir. The Bluff provides an incredible vista of the creek and the surrounding area, as well as exempl …
Mud Creek Wildlife Management Area
Mud Creek Wildlife Management Area (Site #42, Northeast Loop) has numerous impoundments that are likely to turn up a great variety of species. Access roads leading into the area also make Mud Creek easy to bird. Check the ponds in fall and winter for …
Roy B. Whitaker Paint Rock River Preserve
The Roy B. Whitaker Paint Rock River Preserve (Site # 40, Northeast Loop) was a working farm until Mr. Whitaker, wishing that future generations be able to enjoy the farm he loved so much, sold it to The Nature Conservancy who now manages it for cons …
Russell Cave National Monument
Russell Cave National Monument has been home to wildlife and man for thousands of years. This peaceful setting combines food, water, and shelter with tranquility and beauty. Following the elevated boardwalks and nature trails can lead to eastern wood …