Wildflower Hike with Jacksonville State Field School at Pigeon Mountain

On Tuesday, I joined Brittany McAlister-Hughes, DeSoto State Park’s naturalist, on a wildflower adventure to “The Pocket” at Crockford Pigeon Mountain near LaFayette, Georgia. Pigeon Mountain is a beautiful plateau west of La Fayette, Georgia. The mountain is a spur jutting northeast off of Lookout Mountain and part of the Cumberland Plateau, which stretches from Alabama through Georgia and into Tennessee. The area is under the supervision of the Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division. It includes 16,400 acres offering hunting, camping, fishing, an interpretive trail, bird watching, horseback riding, biking, hiking and rock climbing. The name "Pigeon" comes from the passenger pigeon which once nested there in great numbers and is now extinct. The name "Crockford" is from the former Director of the Wildlife Resources Division, James Crockford. The mountain is known for its many caves and limestone rock formations. The best known cave is Ellison Cave. And Rocktown is a very popular spot for climbers and hikers. It is a great place to get away from it all.
Here is a great map of the area:
http://www.parkmaps.com/USA/Georgia/State/Crockford_Pigeon_Mt-ga/crockfordpigeonMT_map1.jpg
The Pocket is a 45 minute to an hour drive from Mountain Laurel Inn B&B and Rocktown is a 30 minute drive. They are both a part of the Hiker’s Delight package offered at the bed and breakfast. The beauty of Mountain Cove Farms makes the drive well worth it.

The boardwalk at Pigeon Mountain gives a wonderful opportunity to view a spectacular display of wildflowers. The rains have damaged the boardwalk and the area but visitors can still see the wildflowers. Our group arrived a little early for wildflowers this year but they will be blooming in the next week or two. We all plan to make another trip to The Pocket. This trip was one of the wonderful programs offered by Jacksonville State University’s field school. The director, Renee Morrison, came with us on this adventure and is so excited about getting to know all that Pigeon Mountain has to offer. My favorite discovery on this trip was the hike to the waterfall. I had hiked many times before up above the waterfall but never below. Sammie and I will make another trip soon. Below are some of my pics from the hike. Brittany has some great wildflower pictures on DeSoto State park’s website. Here is the link for this year’s classes offered through JSU and the Little River Canyon Center:
http://www.jsu.edu/epic/docs/JSU_Field_School_2010_Calendar_of_Events.pdf
I wish I could attend more classes such as the upcoming Canyon Hike at the end of March. I am always amazed by this area. Come see all the natural beauty of Lookout Mountain soon.