Moss Rock Preserve is an urban park which offers a variety of outdoor activities including bouldering, climbing, hiking and running. This hike starts in the Simmons Middle School parking lot, located adjacent to Chapel Road and the Hoover Tennis Courts. This is a great hike for the entire family, as it is relatively flat. Be sure to plan your hike after a run event, as the falls is feed by runoff from the mountain. Hiking in from the parking lot, trekkers can stay on the right side of the stream on a small, narrow unmarked trail. The trail follows the stream and brings hikers to the beginning of the orange trail which jogs up the hill and then back down to the stream. Following along the stream, the trail surface is mostly sand and gravel.
Several points along the trail there are large rocks and boulders in the stream, along the side, or in the trail. The second photo shows a portion of the trail washed out after the recent rains. This area can be difficult to transverse, so travel slowly.
The falls are located 0.8 miles into the hike. This series of cascade falls offer a great photo opportunity and are the tallest falls in the park.
From US-31 in Hoover, take Chapel Road to just past Preserve Parkway. You will see a large parking lot and tennis courts on the left. There are usually school buses parked in the lot. The trail head is at the back of the lot.