The Tom Bevill Lock and Dam Visitors Center is an authentic reproduction of a mid-nineteenth Century plantation house surrounded by extensive lawns with scattered rows of shade trees. The trees house numerous Eastern Bluebirds, as well as many other 'suburban' songbird species, such as Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays. Common Grackles, American Robins and blackbirds forage with the Killdeer on the short-grass lawns.

From April to July, the shade trees along the entrance road and the parking lot here are home to Orchard Orioles. In summer, Purple Martins and other swallows are abundant here. The Visitors Center abuts the lock and dam complex and Aliceville Lake. A short walk to the right of the visitors center leads to a well-maintained boardwalk that overlooks the lake. Note the paddle-wheel river work boat, the MV Montgomery, docked here. There is a shelter that offers a good vantage point to scan the water and riprap below for waders (especially in late summer) and waterfowl and eagles (most prevalent in winter).

Expect to find Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets throughout the year and a few Green Herons in spring and summer. The common winter gull is the Ring-billed. There may be a few Forster's Terns present, and 'interesting' gulls are always a possibility. Bald Eagles nest at many points along the river. The eagles may appear here throughout the year, though they are more numerous in the colder months. The deep water of the lake may attract a variety of deep-water waterfowl. Look for loons, Horned Grebes, and any of the diving ducks here.

Across the lock and dam road from the Visitors Center entrance is a stand of second-growth foliage. Look for Common Yellowthroats, Yellow-breasted Chats, Prairie Warblers, and Field and Chipping sparrows in the scrubbier areas. Wood Thrushes, Hooded, Black-and-white, Pine, and Kentucky Warblers, Brown-headed nuthatches and other songbirds abound in the more mature stands.

The Visitors Center offers hospitality, along with informational brochures and maps.

Contact Tom Bevill Lock and Dam Visitors Center

REMINDER: This listing is a free service of LandCAN.
Tom Bevill Lock and Dam Visitors Center is not employed by or affiliated with the Land Conservation Assistance Network, and the Network does not certify or guarantee their services. The reader must perform their own due diligence and use their own judgment in the selection of any professional.

Listed in:

• Ecotourism