A black salamander with white spots and stripes on the dirt ground among Brown leaves.
A narrow dirt trail winding through a lush green forest with a red clay cliff in the background.
A heron standing in a swamp among trees with moss, water, and plants.
A garden filled with pink and white flowers surrounded by green leaves.
Two pink mushrooms growing on a mossy and earthy forest floor with small twigs.

Cypress Nature Preserve

Cypress Nature Preserve encompasses more than 250 acres of never developed land located less than a mile northeast of the Alabama State Capitol, just off the banks of the Alabama River. Defined by its unique, crater-like topography, the preserve appears scooped out of the Kings Hill and Capitol Heights neighborhoods, dropping more than 100 feet into a boggy Tupelo Swamp. This dramatic landscape offers exceptional potential for inner city outdoor recreation, education and nature observation.

A swamp forest with tall, thin trees extending into the distance and reflecting in the water below, surrounded by green foliage.
A stylized navy blue letter A with an orange outline, featuring a small triangle cutout at the top

Auburn University Partnership

David Hill, Professor of Landscape Architecture at Auburn University and owner of Hillworks, has studied Cypress Nature Preserve for more than a decade. River Region Trails has partnered with David to allow his students to use the site as a design-build laboratory, advancing the project while honoring the site’s highest purpose—education.

In addition, Hillworks is serving as one of the designers for the conceptual plan currently underway, further deepening the firm’s long-standing connection to the site and its future.

More about Cypress Nature Preserve