Gulf Creek Canyon’s beauty
preserved for future generations
Story by Samantha Corona
Photos by Jerry Martin
Photos courtesy of Frank Emory
and Ed Orth
As the sun rises over Gulf Creek Canyon, Joyce Lanning makes her tea and carries it down to Picnic Point to take it all in.
The cabin, nestled in the woods of Chandler Mountain, is a retreat for Lanning, and her husband, Jerry. The Birmingham-based couple escapes to their St. Clair County hideaway to enjoy nature and all it has to offer.
“It is a beautiful place and a wonderful spot to enjoy,” she says. “I go to Picnic Point in the mornings to watch the sunrise and thank the sun for coming up.”
Picnic Point is just one of three areas the Lannings have discovered and named along their more than 200 acres of property, and it is one of many areas the couple has donated to the Alabama Nature Conservancy as part of the official Gulf Creek Canyon Preserve.
“We wanted to preserve it for future generations, so that they can enjoy it after we’re no longer in the picture,” Jerry said.
Standing from Bonsai Point, it is easy to see why. Complete with a small pine tree twisted into a Bonsai-style shape, the Point’s large rock ledge looks out over a sea of trees, nature and wildlife that is nothing short of breathtaking. The view encompasses acres of forest, steep drop-offs and naturally worn caves embedded in some of the whitewashed mountains.
The sounds of nearby waterfalls bring a steady, but serene background noise to the space, and the occasional bird and rustle of leaves seem like an orchestrated collaboration.
On this late summer day, the green shade of leaves is dominant. But Keith Tassin, The Nature Conservancy’s Director of Terrestrial Conservation, says fall color brings an even more scenic view, and in winter the trees open up.
“After the leaves have all fallen off in the winter months, you can see straight through to the creek below or across to the waterfall,” Tassin said. “It’s hard to find a time of year when there isn’t a great view.”
The Lannings bought the property in 1996, after visiting with friends who owned neighboring land.
“Our friends loved the property up there, and we enjoyed visiting,” Jerry said. “After talking about it, Joyce wanted to see if there was something that could be done to preserve it.”
As a retired real estate and property attorney, Jerry was familiar with the requirements, and the Lannings set the wheels in motion.
The couple acquired 200-plus acres of land in the deal, and in the time since, the couple donates some of those acres each year to the Nature Conservancy. To date, about 190 acres are currently under the protection and observation of the environmentally-focused group.
The Nature Conservancy is a global organization formed to help preserve and protect ecologically vital lands, waters, plants and animals for future generations.
Conservancy chapters span across 30 countries, all 50 states in the U.S., and a number of counties throughout Alabama, specializing in providing care and protection for individual areas and the world’s most endangered resources.
Jerry served as a former board member for the Conservancy and has a long-standing relationship with the group. Dry Creek Preserve off Highway 231 in St. Clair County is also a Nature Conservancy property.
“Like Dry Creek, Gulf Creek Canyon is another great area in St. Clair County that many people might not know about,” Tassin said. “It is a very rich area, full of plants and resources.”
While some preserves are open to the public for hiking, biking and general touring, Tassin said the rocks and cliffs at Gulf Creek are too much of a safety risk right now for outside visitors.
The Nature Conservancy is open to schedule escorted visits with environmental enthusiasts and donors, but ask that interested hikers or adventurers leave this one to the professionals.
However, the creek below is a public draw for one extreme sport – white water rafting.
Tassin said the rapids flowing from Loop Road down to Beason Cove Road is a major attraction for those who enjoy rafting, kayaking and canoeing along the Alabama waters.
According to riverfacts.com and oars.com, the stretch of Gulf Creek river runs 2.2 miles and is rated a Class V for intense and violent rapids with steep drops, waterfalls, massive waves and constricted channels.
“This is definitely no place for amateurs,” he smiled.
Encouraging conservation
For the Lannings, the Gulf Creek Canyon property isn’t about just one hobby or interest, it’s about protecting a place where people can get outside, enjoy themselves and learn more about the natural beauty in Alabama.
“Nature can be one of our teachers, too,” Joyce said. “I have profound gratitude for the world we live in, and I want others to share that with me.”
The couple has offered up day trips and weekend-long stays at the cabin for environmental fundraisers like the Cahaba River Society, the Freshwater Land Trust, and of course, the Nature Conservancy.
Both Jerry and Joyce are involved in a number of organizations and activities dedicated to preserving the environment and ensuring the resources we have today will still be around tomorrow. Their hope is to raise money for these worthy causes and to increase awareness on the importance of preserving lands.
“A land donation can be many acres, or as small as one acre. And it doesn’t have to have a rare plant or animal to be considered a preserve,” Jerry said. “All the landowner has to have is the desire to protect a part of their property.”
If a property owner is interested in preserving a site, or even a portion of a site, Jerry said owners can reach out to any certified 501c3 non-profit environmental agency about obtaining a conservation easement. They are restrictions a landowner puts on their own land, specifying its uses and protecting its resources.
“Donating land can be a benefit for the non-profit organization, a benefit for the land owner and a benefit for those who are able to enjoy the property for many years to come,” he said. “It’s an important gift.”
For Joyce, the minute she saw Gulf Creek Canyon, she knew it needed to be preserved and showcased as beautiful space and scenery here in Alabama.
“When our friends were looking for their property, they said they were looking for North Carolina,” she laughed. “And they found it in St. Clair County.”
