Review
Intro
There are state parks and there are state parks. Lake Lurleen State Park happens to be the latter, with gusto. This venue offers a multitude of possible activities sure to please even the most discriminating and persnickety visitors--canoe and paddle boat rental, fishing, camping, mountain biking, swimming, sandy beaches, and, of course, a whopping 23.5 miles of interconnected trails. Not to mention the main attraction - a 250 acre lake. The lake, according to the Alabama Park website, is "stocked with largemouth bass, bream, catfish, and crappie so anglers are sure to reel in a nice-sized catch."
What Makes It Great
Lake Lurleen State Park is named after Lurleen Wallace, the state of Alabama's first and only female governor. Having taken the reins, so to speak, after her husband George was shot and paralyzed, Lurleen, according to another state parks website, "was [a] native of Tuscaloosa County. As governor she was instrumental in funding a major renovation project of Alabama State Parks."
The park is one of many shining examples of Lurleen's dedication to bettering the overall well-being of the people who live and visit this beautiful state.
Hiking along the multitude of trails that this park offers is a unique pleasure--particularly during the fall, when the bugs are temporarily stymied, the temperatures reach Goldie-Locks status, and the trees take on the vast and seemingly endless hues of the season. The foliage is doubled on the glass surface of the lake and, at sunset, the views are the thing of attempted capture by the likes of painters and photographers since bipeds began appreciating take-your-breath-away scenery.
The trails, themselves, are seeming endless. Hiking the entirety of the trail system in a single day would take even the most trail-hardened to task despite the seldom sole-numbing climbs or technical, rocky soil composition. If you plan to attempt such a feat, take my advice: eat a big breakfast.
These trails are, however, very welcoming to hikers of all skill levels and ages. Kids and seniors are eligible for a discounted day-rate and would not be ill-fitting within the trail system of this beautiful, set-aside and preserved, landscape.
Who is Going to Love It
Everyone who loves the outdoors will find an activity of interest within this park. Bring a tent, bring a fishing pole, bring your friends for an adventure in the purest sense of the word. Hammocks are particularly handy for those who would rather spend the day lounging about with a good book and enjoying the serene pastorals than roughing the trails. The trees here are capable of supporting such habits.
Directions, Parking, & Regulations
Directions (via the state parks website):
From I-20/59, take Exit 71B (I-359 Exchange)
Continue on I-359 for approximately 5 miles to the intersection of US Highway 82
Turn left (West) on US Highway 82
Continue on US Highway 82 West for approximately 5 miles to Tuscaloosa County
Road 21 (Upper Columbus Road)
Turn right on County Road 21 (Lake Lurleen State Park Sign)
Continue on County Road 21 for approximately 2.3 miles to another Lake Lurleen
State Park Sign (Lake Lurleen Road ? No Street Sign)
Turn right at Park Sign
Travel approximately 2.2 miles to the park entrance.
All trails operate on the diurnal system: open at sunrise and close at sunset.
Horses and motor-driven vehicles are prohibited on the trails.
