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Crittenden Springs Glade Preserve

Crittenden Springs Glade is a very high quality limestone slope glade in the Shawnee Hills, surrounded by an oak/hickory (Quercus/Carya) upland forest. It provides habitat for at least seven rare pants.

Location
In Crittenden County, 45 miles east of Paducah, Kentucky.

Size
84 acres

Conditions
Due to the sensitivity of the site, the preserve is open to the public only through Conservancy guided hikes.

How to Prepare for Your Visit
For more information on visiting this and other Nature Conservancy sites in Kentucky, see our Preserve Visitation Guidelines page.

What to See: Plants
Grasses dominate the area, particularly:

  • little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
  • big bluestem (Andropogon gerargii)
  • Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans)
  • two dropseeds: Sporobolus clandestinus and Sporobolus vaginiflorus

A variety of colorful wildflowers sprinkle the outcroppings, including:

  • purple cornflower (Echinacea simulata)
  • blazing star (Liatris squarrosa)
  • mountain mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium)
  • yellow coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)
  • baptista (Baptista leucophaea)
  • bird's foot violet (Viola pedata)

What to See: Animals
Forest and grassland wildlife species are plentiful at Aimee Rosenfield preserve. These include:

  • grassland and forest guilds of songbirds
  • deer
  • turkey
  • squirrels

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
This environment provides habitat for rare plant species including prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis), fringed nut rush (Scleria ciliata), the sedge Frimbristylis puberula, Great Plains ladies-tresses (Spiranthes magnicamporum), grooved yellowflax (linum sulcatum) Buckley's goldenrod (Solidago buckleyi). This site was a gift from the Reynolds Metals Company in 1988.
 
What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
The Nature Conservancy is dedicated to protecting the high-quality limestone glade and adjacent woods found here. Priorities include protecting the rare plant species through development of a monitoring plan and preventing woody encroachment through fire management.