The Wilderness Park, Prattville, Alabama: Taking a Break in the Park

Yesterday morning I decided to grab my camera, ditch the outdoor chores, and head to the Wilderness Park here in Prattville, Alabama.  I'm so glad I did!  Although I wore flip flops, which was a poor choice for a roughly 1/2 mile hike, it was not that bad because I was constantly pausing to take pictures.  It was nice to get away from the routine for a while. 

As I was pulling into the parking lot, an older gentleman and his dog were getting in their car to leave.  As I wandered the path, I came upon a young couple relaxing on one of the many park benches, kicked back and chatting.  And as you'll see in one of the later pictures, young lovers have left their mark, too.

As you follow the path, the patch slopes down, leading you deeper into the park.  Shortly you come to a "Y", and if you take a right, you will go over the dam.  Above is a photo of the path going over the dam, with bamboo draping across, forming a canopy.  Looking off to the right side of this path the land slopes down into a gully with bamboo and other plants and trees crisscrossing.  There is a lot of downed timber and bamboo, but where something has fallen, more is growing in it's place. According to the sign at the entrance of the park, bamboo grows at the rate of 4' per 24 hours!

If you look to the left of the path, you will see a pond filled with downed bamboo and other trees, and a great many lily pads and lilies.  The water was still, and the sun was at a height to make great reflections in the water.  I heard deep-throated frogs calling, but never had the luck to see one. But I did get a shot of a turtle resting on one of the lily pads.

Of course there were other plants such as the fern in the photo below.  Everything contributed to a cooler temperature in the park.  And although you are only a few steps from the road, the sounds of traffic are muted or non-existent.  Instead you can hear the sounds of bugs and frogs, something skittering away in the underbrush, and even the hollow clacking of the bamboo hitting against each other in the gentle wind.

Have you had a chance to take a break and check out any parks  in or near your town?  I am fortunate that The Wilderness Park is less than a five minute drive from my home, and less than a five minute drive from the heart of downtown Prattville.  It's one of those spots that begs to be visited again.  One of those spots that appeals to people of all ages.

Reese