Explore the wilder side of Hoover on a moderate 2 to 4 mile hike with some climbing up and walking down fairly steep hills on Shades Mountain.  We’ll experience the preserve’s diverse natural features which include longleaf pine forests, huge boulders, streams, grassy areas, outstanding views and, when it rains, some beautiful waterfalls.  A previous Southeastern Outings dayhike in the Moss Rock Preserve in January, 2015 had the highest number of participants of any SEO event since our founding 13 years ago!  Don’t miss this one!

          Please bring water to drink.  Well-behaved, properly supervised children age seven and up able to walk the distance and complete the hike without complaining are welcome.

The group will depart promptly at 2:00 p.m. from dirt parking lot just off Preserve Parkway near The Village Green in The Preserve subdivision.

To get to this meeting place from Hoover please drive to the Crest Cadillac dealership on U.S. 31 in Hoover about ½ mile north of the U.S. 31 interchange with I-459 near the Riverchase Galleria. At stop light directly across U.S. 31 from the Cadillac dealer turn onto Patton Chapel Road. Go 1.5 miles. See fire station on left at Preserve Parkway and turn left onto Preserve Parkway at the traffic light for Preserve Parkway.  Drive to top of the mountain.  See Village Green on the left.  Drive just past the paved parking spaces on the right of Preserve Parkway, drive past the separate paved parking lot on the right across the Parkway from the businesses and finally please drive into the traffic circle or roundabout just beyond the row of offices and businesses which you’ll see on your left. Go ¼ of the way around the roundabout and then turn right off the roundabout into the dirt parking lot on the right.  See sign for Moss Rock Preserve Parking at start of this drive.  Park in that dirt parking lot and meet the hike leader there.  Total distance on Preserve Parkway is 7/10 miles.

Info on the hike:  David Shepherd, email davidshep2@yahoo.com or 205/240-4681

DIRECTIONS TO MEETING PLACE

Moss Rock Preserve–Drive to the Crest Cadillac dealership on U.S. 31 in Hoover about ½ mile north of the U.S. 31 interchange with I-459 near the Riverchase Galleria. At stop light directly across U.S. 31 from the Cadillac dealer turn onto Patton Chapel Road. Go 1.5 miles. See fire station on left at Preserve Parkway and turn left onto Preserve Parkway at the traffic light for Preserve Parkway.  Drive to top of the mountain.  See Village Green on the left.  Drive just past the paved parking spaces on the right of Preserve Parkway, drive past the separate paved parking lot on the right across the Parkway from the businesses and finally please drive into the traffic circle or roundabout just beyond the row of offices and businesses which you’ll see on your left. Go ¼ of the way around the roundabout and then turn right off the roundabout into the dirt parking lot on the right.  See sign for Moss Rock Preserve Parking at start of this drive.  Park in that dirt parking lot and meet the hike leader there.  Total distance on Preserve Parkway is 7/10 miles.

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 about 300 members.  We scheduled ninety-one events during calendar year 2015 for an average of 8 fun events per month.  We enjoy the outdoors in all seasons throughout the year.  Nineteen people on average have participated in each outing since January 1, 2016.

SEO does not charge for participation in any of its outings.  You do not have to be a member to participate in one r two 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.