The site boasts a network of hiking and walking paths, including Old First Quarters Small Wild Area, named after a complex that housed engineers during Wilson's construction. Small feeder creeks run through the natural area, forming an ideal habitat for a variety of ferns, including the walking fern, a rarity in Alabama. Visitors also enjoy camping, boating, and fishing at Wilson Reservoir. The area is known as the Smallmouth Capital of the World for the trophy smallmouth bass caught there.
Wilson Reservoir, together with Pickwick and Wheeler Reservoirs, covers the treacherous Muscle Shoals, which once blocked navigation on the Tennessee River.
The Wilson Dam Visitor Center is not open to the public at present. Please check the Web site periodically for updates.