Past the Publix at Highway 53 and Jeff Road, a small road called Allyson Sadie Boulevard ends at a gravel lot, an information kiosk, and a native-plant garden. Past those are two ponds, Terry Pond and Turner Pond, with Dry Creek running between them and a beaver lodge on its bank. Harvest's busiest errand corner and its quietest 69 acres sit next to each other because the same project created both.
The shopping center built the preserve
The Land Trust of North Alabama says Montgomery-based Aronov Realty Management donated the property in 2009 while it was building the adjacent Harvest Square Shopping Center. The two pits dug during that construction became Terry Pond and Turner Pond.
It took until late 2011 to open. AL.com reported in December 2011 that the Land Trust was getting ready to open the 69-acre preserve beside the shopping center at Alabama 53 and Jeff Road. That story also describes a lot of local, hands-on work. Dale W. Strong, then a Madison County commissioner, paid for the shelter materials out of his county discretionary budget and supplied the labor. Four Boy Scouts cleared trails and put in benches for their Eagle Scout project. That shelter is now the Dale W. Strong Community Pavilion, and you can reserve it for small private gatherings.
The preserve is still split between farm and wild ground. Of its 69 acres, 33 are farmed. The other 36 are lowland, where the Land Trust lists deer, turkey, raccoon, fox, beaver, and a range of amphibians and reptiles. When Pete's Trail and Senators Trail look out over open fields, those are the farmed acres.
Pits that turned into ponds with fish
Excavation left two holes in the ground, and the creek between them filled them with fish. The Land Trust explains that Dry Creek runs between the ponds and periodically overflows into them, carrying fish in. Dry Creek drains to Indian Creek, which reaches the Tennessee River near Redstone Arsenal, so the ponds are now part of the Tennessee River watershed. Longear sunfish, bluegill, pumpkinseed, and smallmouth bass have all been recorded in Terry Pond.
That's why this preserve has a rule none of the others do. The Land Trust's FAQ says Harvest Square is the only one of its properties where fishing is allowed. The preserve page says you need an Alabama fishing license. The Land Trust also uses the ponds for its own programs. Its June 28, 2026 Senior Saunter asked participants to bring a pole for catch-and-release fishing with a valid license.
The trails go around the water
The six named trails are mostly routes around the ponds and the creek. Each one is described by what it passes.
| Trail | Posted length | What it passes |
|---|---|---|
| Beaver Dam Trail | 0.21 mile | Accessible crushed gravel, very close to the beaver home on Dry Creek |
| Dry Creek Trail | 0.65 mile | A gentle walk through oaks and pines |
| Eagle Trail | 0.27 mile | Accessible crushed gravel around Terry Pond, with spots to step to the water's edge and cast |
| Lookout Point Trail | 0.03 mile | Tall grasses, ending on the boardwalk at Turner Pond |
| Pete's Trail | 0.26 mile | Views of the farm fields and the eastern edge of Turner Pond |
| Senators Trail | 0.89 mile | The longest walk, looping the perimeter along the fields and Turner Pond |
The Land Trust's summary calls it "nearly 2 miles" of trails. The six posted segments add up to about 2.3 miles, so if you walk every one, expect a bit over two miles. For a shorter outing, the two accessible crushed-gravel trails, Beaver Dam and Eagle, together cover the beaver lodge and Terry Pond in under half a mile.
The water access is fairly new. In an October 2024 update, the Land Trust said it was starting the final year of a three-year project funded by Toyota and the National Environmental Education Foundation. The work covered boardwalk and dock maintenance and additions, bench repairs, better trail signs, pollinator-garden care, and a rain-collection system. The Land Trust's recent hike listings describe crushed-limestone paths and recently installed boardwalks. The pollinator garden sits right behind the information kiosk near the entrance. The Land Trust planted it with natives to feed pollinators and to show what native gardening looks like in a home yard.
Ponds made for fish also bring in birds
The Land Trust says the ponds provide habitat for migratory birds as well as fish. eBird's Harvest Square Preserve hotspot list shows what that looks like in cold weather. Birders logged a Ring-necked Duck on February 17, 2026 and a Bufflehead on February 26, 2026. The winter before, they logged a Snow Goose on December 30, 2024 and a Gadwall on January 2, 2025. Those are single birds on single days, not a promise of what you'll see. Still, ducks that dive and dabble need open water, and every one of these sightings came at a pond that started as a construction pit.
The Land Trust also brings birders in. On September 5, 2026, it held a bird walk at Harvest Square with the Alabama Ornithological Society, open to every experience level. The walk focused on resident and breeding birds and on migrants that might be passing through.
You don't need a naturalist with you to learn what lives here. The preserve has a free audio tour of about 30 minutes through TravelStorys. It covers the pollinator garden, the fish and other animals in the ponds, the birds, the beavers, and how the land recovered after it was disturbed. On-site, the free app plays audio, text, and images on its own as you walk up to each story stop. You can also take the tour at home through the web map. TravelStorys offers a QR code to scan at the preserve and links to the app for iOS and Android.
Visiting this fall
The preserve sits next to a busy shopping center, and that affects how you visit. The Land Trust closes the preserve to more visitors once the trailhead lot is full, and it doesn't allow street parking or parking anywhere that isn't marked for it. Shopping center spaces don't count as a backup lot.
- Address: 111 Allyson Sadie Blvd, Harvest, AL 35749. Park in the Land Trust's gravel lot.
- Hours and cost: Free, open dawn to dusk every day.
- Dogs: Welcome on a leash at all times, per the Land Trust's rules and trail tips.
- Fishing: Bring your Alabama fishing license. Eagle Trail and the Lookout Point boardwalk are the fishing spots the Land Trust names.
- Map: The Land Trust posts a downloadable trail map on its preserve page.
With the October 24 guided hike now past, the next program on the Harvest Square calendar is for kids. Monday Mountain Explorers meets at Harvest Square on Monday, November 9, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. It's for elementary-age children, ages 5 to 11, and their caregivers, with a short nature walk, family activities, and field journaling. Sign up through the event listing's Signup.com sheet, which has 15 spots. Other programs come up through the year. This June's Tuesdays on the Trail night hike for ages 6 to 12 was limited to Land Trust members at the family level or higher, so some sessions depend on membership. The Land Trust's Harvest Square events calendar lists what's coming.
If you'd like to help take care of the place, the Land Trust held a trail-care and dock-repair workday at Harvest Square on March 6, 2026, with no experience needed. Spotted a downed limb or a damaged board? The Land Trust has a report-a-trail-issue form for that.
I've spent three decades around Huntsville, Madison, and Harvest, and corners like this one are part of how I explain an area to people: what's behind the storefronts, how far it is from home, and when the lot fills up. If you're curious how Harvest's open land fits around a home you have now or one you're considering, Alice Battle is glad to talk it through. Schedule a consultation whenever it suits you.
