While vibrant spring blooms often steal the spotlight, a winter visit to the Kathy Stiles Freeland Bibb County Glades Preserve reveals Ketona dolomite outcrops and the winding Cahaba River below. The Glades transform into a quiet landscape stripped down to the raw geology that makes this Alabama sanctuary special.
Bibb County Glades is part of the Alabama Ketona Glade and Woodland system which includes longleaf pine ridges and oak-hickory forested bluffs. The thin soil surrounding the dolomite outcrops is home to 61 rare plant species.
If you visit on a crisp winter morning when the temperature is just below freezing, you might find frost flowers – delicate ice crystals that grow from the base of certain plants.
As a major tributary of the upper Cahaba River Basin watershed, Little Cahaba River flows through the preserve. During our January visit, the river was the most prominent and interesting feature. A couple of overlooks offer stunning views of small cascades and bends.
The water is at its clearest and greenest during cooler months.
Even though spring and fall are the best seasons for birding, we found American robins, Carolina chickadees, cedar waxwings, northern cardinals, red-bellied woodpeckers, and yellow-rumped warblers.
Nearby Sites
- Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge protects one of the most biologically diverse rivers in North America with fragrant Cahaba Lilies on the rocky shoals in May and June.
- Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park is great for history buffs and nature enthusiasts. Visitors can view Bibb furnace ruins and walk nature trails.
- West Blocton Coke Ovens Park sits among the ruins of over 400 historic beehive coke ovens. An elevated 175-foot boardwalk brings visitors into the tree canopy with the birds.
Know Before You Go
- Stay on designated paths to protect the fragile and rare ecosystem.
- Brown Dam Road, a dirt lane, ends at the gravel parking area which can fit approx. 10 vehicles.
- There are no facilities, staff, or trash cans at the site. Follow Leave No Trace principles.
- Cell service can be spotty.