Southeastern Outings Short Walk and Long Swim at the Turkey Creek Nature Preserve in Pinson, Alabama

You are invited to participate in an easy, fun Southeastern Outings short Sunday stroll with long swim and small, natural waterslide in the Turkey Creek Nature Preserve near Pinson.  Come walk with us through this heavily-wooded area.  We’ll hike on the new trail which has recently been opened. The trail extends from the upper parking area through the woods to a large creek with a long, sloping waterfall in the middle of the preserve.  Please bring your drinking water, swimsuit, towel and river shoes (old sneakers are fine) because we plan to stop and swim there for some time.  You are welcome to bring various flotation devices.  See float note below for information about acquiring floats.

Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 7 and over able to swim are welcome, but parents are responsible for all risks to their children.  Note there are no locker rooms or enclosed changing facilities at the preserve, so you might want to wear a swimsuit under your walking clothes or be prepared to just use a secluded spot in the woods to change.

          The pool at the bottom of the waterfall is large, safe and suitable for swimming, and you may sit in the creek at various spots and let the cooling water flow around you. Bare feet, flip-flops, slip-ons and thin-soled “beach shoes” are not acceptable!  There are shards of glass here and there at the bottom of the swimming area.  SEO people are NOT permitted to jump from the rocks into the pool as it is unsafely shallow.

          Depart 1:00 p.m. from the Pinson Chevron Service Station.

Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 205-631-4680.

DIRECTIONS TO MEETING PLACE
Pinson Chevron Station—6700 State Highway 79 North, Pinson, AL 35126.  From Birmingham drive to Exit 128 on I-20/I-59.  This is one exit west of the Birmingham Airport exit off I-59/I-20.  It is marked Tallapoosa Street which IS AL Highway 79.  Coming from downtown Birmingham, as you get to the bottom of the exit ramp, get in the right lane.  The ramp curves to the right and then actually merges with AL Highway 79 headed north towards Pinson.  So bear slightly to the right at the end of the ramp.  If you are coming westbound from the Birmingham Airport area to exit 128, you will make a right turn onto Tallapoosa Street at the light at the end of the exit ramp.  Regardless of the direction from which you come, STAY ON THE VERY WIDE, MAIN CITY STREET WHICH IS TALLAPOOSA STREET.  In either case, do not make any turns off of Alabama Highway 79 until you get to Pinson.  Take AL 79 about 12 miles to the traffic light in Pinson, Alabama at intersection with AL 151 and ¼ mile west of intersection of AL Highways 75 and 151 where 75 turns right going away from Birmingham towards Oneonta.   Chevron service station is at far left of intersection of Alabama Highways 79 and 151.  This is 12 miles north of the Tallapoosa Street (which IS AL Highway 79) exit #128 off I-59/I-20.

Float Note: Substantial, fabric-covered, inflatable, vinyl, rectangular floats like you use to ride the waves at the Gulf work best. Trip leader Dan Frederick has adult size floats (72 inches long) for $20 each and children’s size floats (60 inches long) for $12 each for sale ONLY at the start of outings Dan attends. Please pay either with exact change or a check made out to SEO. First come, first served.

DESCRIPTION OF SOUTHEASTERN OUTINGS

Do you wish you had friends who share your active lifestyle and enjoyment of outdoor activities?  Then become active with Southeastern Outings (SEO), a nonprofit organization committed and created to serve people who enjoy being active in the outdoors.  The organization plans, organizes and leads outings such as dayhikes, easy kayak and canoe trips, stream and waterfall walks, bicycle rides, lake events and other fun activities to beautiful sites in our natural environment.  From time to time we also sponsor potluck suppers and other socials.  All events and activities of the group are open to the public.  Participating in SEO activities is a splendid, simple way to make congenial new friends who enjoy the outdoors.

NO DOGS OR SMOKING ALLOWED, PLEASE, ON ANY SOUTHEASTERN OUTINGS EVENTS.

The organization currently has over 440 members.  We scheduled ninety-two events during calendar year 2014 for an average of 8 fun events per month.  We enjoy the outdoors in all seasons throughout the year.  Twenty-nine people, on average, have participated in each outing during the first four months of 2015.

SEO does not charge for participation in any of its outings.  You do not have to be a member to participate in SEO activities.  Dues are only $10.  Please contact Dan Frederick, President, 205-631-4680, or seoutings@bellsouth.net for more information and to obtain three free monthly newsletters with membership application and a complete description of all our outdoor events. 

Southeastern Outings now has a website.  Just go to seoutings.org to find announcements of all our upcoming outings scheduled plus some brief, general information about Southeastern Outings, a membership application and 1500 lovely photographs from several of our outings.

Thank you.