Alabama Parks and Recreation Areas

Little River flows for most of its length atop Lookout Mountain in northeast Alabama. The river and canyon systems are spectacular Appalachian Plateau landscapes any season of the year. Forested uplands, waterfalls, canyon rims and bluffs, stream riffles and pools, boulders, and sandstone cliffs offer settings for a variety of recreational activities. Natural resources and cultural heritage come together to tell the story of the Preserve, a special place in the Southern Appalachians. read more...

Phone: 256-845-9605   Price Range: N/A   Open Season: N/A   Camping: Yes
Nearest Popular City: Fort Payne   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Preserve   Activities: Biking / Bicycling, Birding, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Hunting and Shooting, Kayaking, Rock Climbing, Swimming, Wildlife Watching, Auto Touring, Nature Walks   Details Provided By: Little River Canyon National Preserve

Since the beginning of Americas existence, education has always been considered as one of the keys to social, political and economical acceptance for African Americans. Tuskegee Normal School was established by the state of Alabama, influenced by a former slave and a former slave owner to educate newly freed people and their children. The Normal school, later Institute, became a beacon of hope for African Americans to reach their goal of acceptance. The school officially opened on July 4, 1881 in the African American Methodist Episcopal Zion Church under the auspices of religion. This date was chosen to commemorate the independence of a Nation and the freedom of a forgotten people. Booker T. Washington became the first principal of a newly formed school at the age of twenty-six. He later hired individuals like George W. Carver and Robert Taylor to help lead the institute to its world-renowned status. read more...

Phone: 334 727 3200   Price Range: N/A   Open Season: N/A   Camping: No
Nearest Popular City: Tuskegee Institute   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Historic Site   Activities: Auto Touring, Interpretive Programs   Details Provided By: Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site

The climax to the decades-long voting rights crusade in Alabama erupted in March 1965 as Civil Rights activists converged on Selma, Alabama. The final push to achieve a nationwide solution to the disenfranchisement of African Americans came as the result of three strategically planned marches, the first of which took place on March 7. Nearly 500 marchers proceeded through the streets of Selma and across the Edmund Pettus Bridge where they were faced by scores of Alabama State troopers. The troopers attacked the non-violent marchers, leaving many of them bloodied and severely injured, on a date forever ensconced in history as Bloody Sunday. A second march ended in a prayer session at the point of Sunday's confrontation. When an injunction circumventing the march to the Alabama State Capitol was reversed, a plan was devised to conduct the monumental trek on Sunday, March 21, 1965. Thousands of people, representing many races and nationalities, moved before the eyes of the world in demonstration to guarantee the right to vote. The five-day/four-night event covered a 54-mile route along state Highway 80 through chilling weather and rain. The result was the personal triumph of those who participated in the historic trek and the signing of the Voting Rights Act on August 6, 1965. Today, the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail stands as a testament to the sacrifices made in the triumph to preserve the right to vote as the bedrock of American democracy. read more...

Phone: 334.727.6390   Price Range: N/A   Open Season: N/A   Camping: No
Nearest Popular City: Tuskegee Institute   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Historic Trail   Activities: Auto Touring   Details Provided By: Selma To Montgomery National Historic Trail

On the morning of 27 March 1814, General Andrew Jackson and an army of 3,300 men consisting of Tennessee militia, United States regulars and both Cherokee and Lower Creek allies attacked Chief Menawa and 1,000 Upper Creek or Red Stick warriors fortified in the horseshoe bend of the Tallapoosa River. To seal off the bend of the river, the Upper Creeks built an incredibly strong 400 yard long barricade made of dirt and logs. As the Cherokee and Lower Creek warriors swam the Tallapoosa and attacked from the rear, Jackson launched the militia and regular soldiers against the barricade. Facing overwhelming odds, the Red Sticks fought bravely yet ultimately lost the battle. Over 800 Upper Creeks died at Horseshoe Bend defending their homeland. This was the final battle of the Creek War of 1813-14, which is considered part of the War of 1812. In a peace treaty signed after the battle, both the Upper and Lower Creeks were forced to give the United States nearly 20 million acres of land in what is today Alabama and Georgia. The victory here brought Andrew Jackson national attention and helped him to be elected the seventh President of the United States in 1828. This 2,040-acre park preserves the site of the battle. read more...

Phone: 256-234-7111   Price Range: N/A   Open Season: N/A   Camping: No
Nearest Popular City: Daviston   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Military Park   Activities: Biking / Bicycling, Birding, Boating and Watercraft, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Wildlife Watching, Auto Touring, Nature Walks, Interpretive Programs   Details Provided By: Horseshoe Bend National Military Park

For thousands of years bands of prehistoric Indians came to the area we know today as Russell Cave. The cave provided a shelter. The surrounding forest provided food, tools, and fuel for their fires. read more...

Phone: 256-495-2672   Price Range: N/A   Open Season: N/A   Camping: No
Nearest Popular City: Bridgeport   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Monument   Activities: Birding, Hiking, Wildlife Watching, Interpretive Programs   Details Provided By: Russell Cave National Monument