Cahaba lilies are in season—how to find one of Alabama’s natural wonders
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The Cahaba lilies have started to bloom in Alabama.
Looking to see one of the state’s most majestic flowers for yourself? Keep reading to find out where to find them, why they’re important + details on this weekend’s festival.
Where is the best place to see the Cahaba lilies?
The best place to experience the Cahaba lilies is on public land within the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge.
About 40 miles southwest of Birmingham, the National Wildlife Refuge is only six miles from the town of West Blocton, Alabama.
- Take I-59 South from Birmingham for about 30 miles to the Hwy 5 West Blocton/Centreville exit (Exit 97).
- Hwy 5/Hwy 11 is 4-lane for about 3 miles whereas Hwy 5 turns abruptly south (to the left) as a 2-lane. Watch for this turn!
- Travel about 8 miles south on Hwy 5 to a blinking yellow light. Turn left (onto County Road 24) to West Blocton.
- Continue straight at the stop sign (passing West Blocton High School and West Blocton Elementary on the right) for 5 miles.
- Look for the Refuge sign on the right (not the 1st wooden sign which is a sign for Wildlife Management, but the 2nd sign). Shortly after the sign is a dirt road on the right, River Trace, leading directly into the Refuge.
If you can’t make it down to Bibb County, another patch of lilies can often be seen at Cahaba River Park in Helena.
Why the Cahaba lilies matter
The Cahaba lily is an aquatic flowering plant that grows only in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.
The lily is the symbol of the Cahaba River, North America’s most biodiverse river of its size.
The flower is a type of spider lily and it’s noted for its three-inch-wide white flowers. The lily requires swift-flowing water over rocks and lots of sun and is restricted to shoal areas at or above the fall line.
There is usually only a month-long window to see the lilies between May and June, and sometimes heavy rainfall causes the lilies to be temporarily submerged underwater.
Cahaba Lily Festival
If you can’t make it on Mother’s Day weekend, celebrate the lilies at the annual Cahaba Lily Festival on Saturday, May 17 in downtown West Blocton. See presentations on the state of the Cahaba River and the lilies and take a shuttle to the lilies from West Blocton
For all the details visit: http://www.CahabaLily.com/
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