A very happy Monday morning to you. What an absolutely picture perfect weekend it was. I spent most of my weekend in Marshall County enjoying a bonfire on a friend’s property over looking Honeycomb, taking in the sites and a little time with friends on the lake.
You possibly have driven by it a hundred times and not even known it was just around the corner. Natural Bridge and Ghost Creek Falls was named one of Marshall County’s Seven Wonders in 2007. Just a few minutes from Huntsville, the property sits on the very first sharp curve of Cottenvile Road at Mile Marker 308 across from Sunrise Marina on Hwy 431. Before it was taken over by James and Carol Meekins and became a point of destination, you almost had to get lost to find it. Most boaters know the area because it is near the first body of water you came to, Honeycomb Campground.
Yesterday, the Land Trust of North Alabama hosted an outing at the property and I felt very fortunate to have bee invited to attend. I had spent the night before on top of the mountain attending the “second annual burning of the wood bonfire” on my friends Kathy and Phil Sowders bluff property that over looks Honeycomb. I should have just brought a sleeping bag.
Like many, I pass by the Natural Bridge property on a pretty regular basis but had never stopped to take in the full experience. The property has been privately owned by the Meekins since 1997 but there dream has always been for it to be appreciated by everyone and the grounds are open to the public. The Meekins have spent the past nineteen years landscaping the property to compliment the natural beauty of the Bridge and have planted more than 1,000 native and cultivated azaleas and rhododendrons. It had been suggested that Ms. Meekins should be a “master gardener” not by education but rather more by her labor of love.
The Natural bridge spans over 25 feet and is the product of thousands of years of acidic rain water erosion of the bedrock of a previous cave or rock unit known as karst. The bridge is located on over 30 acres and includes the aptly titled Ghost Creek Falls. The creek is named for its “ghostly effect” of appearing and disappearing in and out of the hill as it meanders down the side of the rocky cliff directly to the right of the bridge. No matter what your outdoor pleasure may be the Natural Bridge has something for everyone – photographer, gardener, cave enthusiast or hiker.
A short drive from Huntsville, it is a must see destination for this area and the public is welcome. Stop by and say hello to Carol and tell her the “Land Trust” sent you. I think she even “leaves the light on!”
ENJOY!
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Best Regards !!!!
~ dennis keim ~
