Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuge

About Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuge

Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuge, located within the city limits of Bessemer, Alabama, was established by the Service in October of 1980 to provide protection for the watercress darter and to conserve and restore its crucial habitat. Today, the 25-acre refuge consists of two ponds, several stands of mixed pine-hardwoods with shrubs, and a single residence. Thomas Spring is a onequarter-acre pond where a population of watercress darters was found in 1976. A second pond was constructed on the refuge in 1983 by the Service to provide additional habitat for the darter.Fish of the Week! Podcast: Alabama Watercress Darter

How to Get There

Watercress Darter NWR is located near Bessemer, Alabama. From Interstate-65, take Interstate-59 South/20 West. Follow Interstate-59 South/20 West for about 11 miles and take exit number 112. Turn left at the second light on the exit ramp. Follow to the next traffic light and turn right on to U.S. Highway 11. Follow U.S. Highway 11 for about 1 mile and turn left on to Westlake Road. Follow Westlake Road for about 0.5 miles and turn left on Lakeridge Road. Follow Lakeridge Road to the first traffic light and turn right on to 4th Avenue. Follow 4th Avenue to the second traffic light and take a left on Division Street. Follow Division Street for about one mile and turn left on Eastern Valley Road. The Refuge and residence are found immediately on your left.

Plan Your Visit to Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuge

Heading to Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuge? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)