North Alabama, Northwest Loop | Colbert | Best Seasons: Fall | Spring | Summer | Winter
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Reservation (Site #8, Northwest Loop) hosts a number of walking trails that meander through woodlands, fields, and along the Tennessee River. The Tennessee Valley Authority Reservation is one of the few reliable areas in northern Alabama for Swainson’s Warblers, which nest near the end of the 2.6-mile bicycle/jogging trail. Other species to look and listen for in summer include Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Acadian Flycatchers, and Wood Thrushes. Follow the trail to the reservoir, and in the winter, look for Pied-billed and Horned grebes, along with Buffleheads and Common Goldeneyes.
GPS: N 34.7803, W 87.6546
Fee: Free
Amenities: Parking, Restrooms, Handicap Access, Hiking, Biking, Picnic Area
Contact Info:
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
TVA, SB 1H, PO Box 1010
Muscle Shoals, AL 35662-1010
(256) 386-2543
From the Wilson Dam Visitors Center (see directions Site 6), take Reservation Road west for 2.2 miles. Turn right (north) at the Tennessee Valley Authority Nature Trails sign.
Amenities Available:
Nearby Sites
Freedom Hills Wildlife Management Area Walking Trail
The walking trail at Freedom Hills Wildlife Management Area (Site #13, Northwest Loop) is one of numerous gravel and dirt hunter access roads on the 34,500 acre WMA, which leads visitors into a variety of productive habitats ranging from old fields t …
Leighton Ponds
The Leighton ponds (Site #5, Northwest Loop) sites are a series of sinkholes and semi-flooded agricultural fields that are excellent for waders and shorebirds. Scan the muddier areas for resident Killdeer alongside migrants such as Semipalmated Plove …
Natchez Trace Parkway – Colbert Ferry
Colbert Ferry (Site #12, Northwest Loop) provides access to a number of wooded habitats, including a beaver pond with lots of standing dead timber. Check this area for Red-headed and other woodpeckers. Closer to the shore, search the trees for White …
Town Creek Marsh
Town Creek Marsh (Site #4, Northwest Loop) is a small marsh in the bend of Fosters Mill Road overlooking Town Creek. It is an excellent place to see rails feeding on the mudflats during appropriate times of year. The marsh also supports a variety of …
Wilson Dam Visitor Center
Wilson Dam and Visitor Center (Site #6, Northwest Loop) is where the Tennessee Vally Authority’s hydroelectric dam impounds the 15,500-acre Wilson Reservoir. This was the first dam constructed on the Tennessee River in Alabama. Construction began on …