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Monte Sano Nature Preserve

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43: 183:"Huntsville/Madison County's mountains form the final segment of the Great Appalachian chain and provide some of the southernmost habitats of broadleaf hardwoods such as the Sugar Maple. Monte Sano is home to several plant species important to the study of ecosystem stability referred to by scientists as "relics," because they provide clues to the climate of periods hundreds of thousands of years ago. Some of these species include the American Smoketree (Chittamwood), Morefield's Leather Flower, Price's Potato Bean, and Cumberland Rosinweed." 153: 50: 180:. The Land Trust of North Alabama manages the nature preserve and Land Trust volunteers have created 23+ miles of public trails. Residents and visitors alike enjoy the multi-use trails for hiking, biking, running, bird watching, environmental education, and general recreation. The trail system was honored in 2011 by the Department of the Interior as National Recreation Trails making them the first NRT trails in Madison County. 248:
From downtown, follow signs along McClung Ave. from Williams Ave. across California Ave. into the Blossomwood neighborhood. At the end of McClung, you go south on Owens Drive, east on Hermitage Avenue and north on Kennamer Drive to reach the Three Caves. The trailhead provides access to 3 Caves Loop,
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Special features of the Monte Sano Nature Preserve include a former limestone quarry known as Three Caves, an historic spring named Trough Springs which was the site of one of the last Alabama confrontations of the Civil War, and the remnants of the Monte Sano Railroad from the late 1800s. The Old
208:, follow Pratt Avenue East, through Five Points business district. Continue through Five Points on Pratt and continue straight as Pratt changes to Bankhead Parkway. Parking lot is 218:
mile (0.8 km) past Toll Gate Road, on the right. The trailhead provides access to the Alms House, Bluff Line, Old Railroad Bed, and Toll Gate Trails.
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mile (1.2 km) on the right. The trailhead provides access to Trough Springs, Bluffline and Natural Well (Monte Sano State Park) Trails.
82: 426: 42: 421: 431: 416: 338: 411: 339:"Lace up those walking shoes: Huntsville unveils exercise route linking downtown to 46 miles of Monte Sano trails" 28: 205: 270: 168:
is, at 1,107 acres (448 ha), one of the largest urban nature preserves in the US and is located on
284: 396: 381: 323: 376: 352: 348: 8: 173: 169: 66: 195: 271:"Monte Sano Nature Preserve Trail System : National Recreation Trail Database" 201: 158: 227: 187:
Railroad Bed Trail is one of the first 500 Rails-to-Trails Conservancy projects.
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east up Monte Sano Mountain and turn left on Monte Sano Blvd. The trailhead is
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Monte Sano Nature Preserve’s hiker parking lot on Bankhead Parkway
177: 343: 141: 324:"Old Railroad Bed Trail - Alabama Trails - TrailLink.com" 285:"Historic Three Caves: A Unique Huntsville Landmark" 49: 388: 407:Tourist attractions in Huntsville, Alabama 402:Protected areas of Madison County, Alabama 16:Nature preserve in Alabama, United States 221: 159:Map Highlighting Boundaries of Preserve 389: 437:National Recreation Trails in Alabama 336: 265: 263: 261: 330: 427:Protected areas established in 1987 190: 13: 310:"Trough Springs Historical Marker" 258: 249:Alms House, and Waterline Trails. 14: 448: 422:Mountain biking venues in Alabama 337:Doyle, Steve (October 15, 2014). 151: 48: 41: 31:V (protected landscape/seascape) 432:1987 establishments in Alabama 316: 302: 277: 1: 290:. Land Trust of North Alabama 252: 417:Parks in Huntsville, Alabama 226:From Memorial Parkway, take 7: 370: 142:Land Trust of North Alabama 133:Land Trust of North Alabama 10: 453: 243: 166:Monte Sano Nature Preserve 22:Monte Sano Nature Preserve 137: 129: 121: 117:1,107 acres (448 ha) 113: 76: 62: 36: 26: 21: 412:Hiking trails in Alabama 382:Burritt on the Mountain 355:, Alabama Media Group / 347:. Huntsville, Alabama: 377:Monte Sano State Park 222:South Monte Sano Blvd 353:Advance Publications 349:The Huntsville Times 170:Monte Sano Mountain 94: /  67:Huntsville, Alabama 147: 146: 98:34.738°N 86.543°W 444: 365: 364: 362: 360: 334: 328: 327: 320: 314: 313: 306: 300: 299: 297: 295: 289: 281: 275: 274: 267: 239: 238: 234: 217: 216: 212: 206:Memorial Parkway 202:University Drive 191:Major Trailheads 155: 154: 109: 108: 106: 105: 104: 99: 95: 92: 91: 90: 87: 52: 51: 45: 19: 18: 452: 451: 447: 446: 445: 443: 442: 441: 397:IUCN Category V 387: 386: 373: 368: 358: 356: 335: 331: 322: 321: 317: 308: 307: 303: 293: 291: 287: 283: 282: 278: 269: 268: 259: 255: 246: 236: 232: 231: 228:Governors Drive 224: 214: 210: 209: 198: 193: 163: 162: 161: 156: 152: 103:34.738; -86.543 102: 100: 96: 93: 88: 85: 83: 81: 80: 58: 57: 56: 55: 54: 53: 32: 17: 12: 11: 5: 450: 440: 439: 434: 429: 424: 419: 414: 409: 404: 399: 385: 384: 379: 372: 369: 367: 366: 329: 315: 301: 276: 256: 254: 251: 245: 242: 223: 220: 197: 194: 192: 189: 157: 150: 149: 148: 145: 144: 139: 135: 134: 131: 127: 126: 123: 119: 118: 115: 111: 110: 78: 74: 73: 64: 60: 59: 47: 46: 40: 39: 38: 37: 34: 33: 27: 24: 23: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 449: 438: 435: 433: 430: 428: 425: 423: 420: 418: 415: 413: 410: 408: 405: 403: 400: 398: 395: 394: 392: 383: 380: 378: 375: 374: 354: 350: 346: 345: 340: 333: 325: 319: 311: 305: 286: 280: 272: 266: 264: 262: 257: 250: 241: 229: 219: 207: 203: 188: 184: 181: 179: 175: 171: 167: 160: 143: 140: 136: 132: 130:Administrator 128: 124: 120: 116: 112: 107: 79: 75: 72: 68: 65: 61: 44: 35: 30: 29:IUCN category 25: 20: 359:September 4, 357:. Retrieved 342: 332: 318: 304: 292:. Retrieved 279: 247: 225: 199: 185: 182: 165: 164: 122:Established 101: / 77:Coordinates 391:Categories 294:20 October 253:References 174:Huntsville 89:86°32′35″W 86:34°44′17″N 371:See also 63:Location 244:3 Caves 235:⁄ 213:⁄ 178:Alabama 138:Website 344:Al.com 288:(PDF) 200:From 361:2016 296:2023 204:and 125:1987 114:Area 71:U.S. 172:in 69:., 393:: 351:, 341:. 260:^ 176:, 363:. 326:. 312:. 298:. 273:. 237:4 233:3 215:2 211:1

Index

IUCN category
Map showing the location of Monte Sano Nature Preserve
Huntsville, Alabama
U.S.
34°44′17″N 86°32′35″W / 34.738°N 86.543°W / 34.738; -86.543
Land Trust of North Alabama
Map Highlighting Boundaries of Preserve
Monte Sano Mountain
Huntsville
Alabama
University Drive
Memorial Parkway
Governors Drive



"Monte Sano Nature Preserve Trail System : National Recreation Trail Database"
"Historic Three Caves: A Unique Huntsville Landmark"
"Trough Springs Historical Marker"
"Old Railroad Bed Trail - Alabama Trails - TrailLink.com"
"Lace up those walking shoes: Huntsville unveils exercise route linking downtown to 46 miles of Monte Sano trails"
Al.com
The Huntsville Times
Advance Publications
Monte Sano State Park
Burritt on the Mountain
Categories
IUCN Category V
Protected areas of Madison County, Alabama
Tourist attractions in Huntsville, Alabama

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