Discover Northern Alabama’s National Wildlife Refuges

Northern Alabama is home to four distinctive National Wildlife Refuges: Wheeler, Sauta Cave, Fern Cave, and Key Cave. The refuges conserve Alabama’s natural resources and protect vital habitat for wildlife. Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge is the largest of the cluster. the opposite three are administered as satellites of Wheeler.

Wheeler Refuge encompasses 35,000 acres of land along the Tennessee River between Huntsville and Decatur, Alabama. The Visitor Center is located off Highway 67 southeast of Decatur. Wheeler Refuge contains forest and wetlands that offer feeding and nesting sites for a spread of birds. Wheeler is considered to be the easternmost refuge within the Mississippi flyway. The refuge provides winter habitat for migratory birds, notably Canada geese. it is additionally home to the state’s largest population of ducks. Winter guests may additionally  see populations of sandhill cranes and generally whooping cranes.

The Visitor Center contains interpretive wildlife displays, and a glass enclosed wildlife viewing building provides a wonderful place for waterfowl viewing. A .5 mile nature trail with a boardwalk takes guests through an area of cypress swamp. there is additionally a picnic area at the ability. The Visitor Center is open daily from October-February from 9am-5pm. From March-September the Visitor Center is open Tuesday-Saturday from 9am-4pm.

Key Cave National Wildlife Refuge is located five miles southwest of Florence in northwest Alabama. The cave provides vital habitat for the only known population of the endangered Alabama cavefish, one among the rarest freshwater fish. Key Cave is also a maternity cave for endangered grey bats. Located on the northern shore of Pickwick Lake, Key Cave Refuge consists hardwood forest, grassland, and croplands. although the refuge is open to the public, Key Cave isn't open attributable to the potential disturbance of the endangered species. Activities that may be done at the refuge embody hiking, hunting, and wildlife observation.

Sauta Cave National Wildlife Refuge (formerly known as Blowing Wind Cave) is located seven miles west of Scottsboro on Highway 72. it is located higher than Sauty Creek on Guntersville Lake. The refuge protects both grey and Indiana bats and their habitat. In winter the bats hibernate within the cave and in summer the cave is the breeding site for 200,000-300,000 grey bats. The cave itself is closed to the public, but from June through August bats could also be viewed emerging from the cave entrance at dusk. the most effective viewing point is located a hundred yards within the park entrance. other in style activities at the refuge embody hiking, photography, and wildlife observation.

Fern Cave National Wildlife Refuge is located on County Road five hundred, off Highway 72 near Paint Rock, Alabama. Access to the refuge is tough and needs hiking in along the Paint Rock River. The cave, which is closed to the public, houses the most important winter colony of grey bats within the US, also as an outsized colony of Indiana bats. The terrain is rugged, and viewings here are tough. The refuge is open year round throughout sunlight hours.

A visit to any of these refuges in northern Alabama provides a wonderful chance to watch wildlife. Wheeler Refuge by so much has the easiest access and the best facilities. However, a visit to any of the others at dusk provides the distinctive chance for guests to watch many bats emerging from their caves to feed.