Hickory Cove Nature Preserve will open June 3, the 10th preserve under the care of the Land Trust of North Alabama.
Hickory Cove spans 146 acres on the southeast side of Chapman Mountain in Huntsville. It primarily is hardwoods, with limestone formations and two short trails. The property still is under examination for historical information, flora and fauna, and possibilities for new routes.
The official opening and guided hikes is 9 a.m. Saturday, which is National Trails Day. Melanie Manson with the Land Trust of North Alabama said parking is available in an area that provides access to the city’s Trailhead Greenway. That’ a paved loop that circles the Trailhead neighborhood off U.S. 72 east of downtown Huntsville.
“To access trails on Hickory Cove Nature Preserve, visitors will walk down the greenway a short distance and the trail entrance is on the right,” she said. “We are currently working on installation of signage to ensure the trail and trail entrance are clearly marked.”
Hickory Cove Trails
Two short trails are currently available for use. Legacy Loop is about two miles and considered moderate in difficulty. The Trailhead Greenway Stroll is less than two miles and considered to be easy. Manson said Land Trust officials are surveying the property for historical information.
“At the very beginning of Legacy Loop there is a water trough and the remains of a spring house,” she said. “We believe both were constructed in the mid-1800s. The history we have indicates the area was the site of a plantation owned by Dr. David Moore. We are just beginning to collect historical documentation about the property.”
Hickory Cove Nature Preserve does not connect with the Monte Sano Nature Preserve, also a Land Trust property, or Monte Sano State Park. Manson said private property exists between the Hickory Cove preserve and those two public lands.
The Land Trust has protected more than 10,000 acres. Its tracts have more than 75 miles of trails of forests, scenery and differing degrees of difficulty for walkers, hikers, runners and others.
