Volunteering at Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve

August 10, 2025

On Friday (August 8), Bruce and I left the house around 8:15 AM to get to the Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve by 9:00 AM. We enjoyed the drive through the small mountains on winding roads to get to the preserve. The last bit of the drive was a one-lane gravel driveway with potholes.

Wow! What a gorgeous place to visit! The 693 acres of the Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve were donated by Jim and Faye Lacefield to the Land Trust of North Alabama in 2023. It is open to the public on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Trail access is limited after 3:00 PM. Sign-in is required at the visitor station.

From their website: “Cane Creek Canyon’s rolling topography and dramatic falls provide an incredibly diverse ecological area supporting significant biodiversity, cultural history as well as recreational and educational opportunities. Protection of the property prevents degradation of these rich biological resources and aquatic corridors providing habitats for a wide variety of plants and wildlife.”

There are 25.7 miles of trails through Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve. From their website: “Expect hikes of varying degrees with significant elevation change from the trailhead down into the canyon. A picnic area is located just off the trailhead and is easily accessed. From there, trails transition down into the canyon and can be difficult for those with knee, back, or stamina issues.”

We signed in at the visitor’s station and met two employees, Will and Cat. Cat said we would be working with her on trail maintenance by adding some stone steps to one of the trails. Cat went over the equipment safety rules with us.

We sprayed ourselves with mosquito spray. We brought our work gloves and also carried our Camelbacks full of water. The three of us carried the tools down the Waterfall trail to one of the many waterfalls. The weather has been dry, so the Fall didn’t have much water. Cat said it is spectacular when there is a lot of water.

We spent the morning putting in astone step and working on another step. We went down to the creek to get stones for the steps. The pictures below were taken at the bottom of the falls. If you look closely at the first picture, you might be able to the water pouring over the first ledge down from the top. We will have to come back when there is more water going over the falls.

Bruce and I had never made stone steps before. It was an interesting and fun experience.

The bottom step is the one we put in. We worked hard at trying to fit a step under the root, but had to give up since we ran out of time. With the added dirt, it wasn’t as far of a drop from the root to the next step.

The step looks like it has been there a long time! Cat seemed very pleased.

We made it back to the visitors’ station just before noon and signed out.