Turkey Creek Nature Preserve - Pinson, Alabama

Turkey Creek, a tributary of the Locust Fork River, is located 20 minutes north of Birmingham near the community of Pinson. Turkey Creek is home to three endangered species of fish: the Vermilion Darter (Etheostoma chermocki), Watercress Darter (Etheostoma nuchale), and Rush Darter (Etheostoma phytophilum). The Rush and Vermilion Darters are only found in Turkey Creek and nowhere else in the world.

Rated as one of Alabama’s top swimming holes, Turkey Creek offers one of the state’s best places to beat the heat. When you drop the shoes after leaving the trail, take a dip in the creek via a moss covered sandstone slip ‘n slide. Let the crystal clear water push you down as it plunges over a series of drops that have a carved out body-shaped channel, which guides you safely through the cascade and into the pool below. Even in the heat of a scorching Alabama summer, the waters in Turkey Creek are cool and refreshing.