CONTRIBUTED BY
JOSH BEAN
PELHAM —
Oak Mountain State Park unveiled its newest multi-use trail on Friday, as officials from Alabama State Parks joined local officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The new trail — known as the Lunker Lake Trail — circles the lake and provides breathtaking views of the water as it meanders along the shoreline and through the forest. The trail was built through a partnership involving the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Shelby County Commission and the Shelby County Park and Recreation Authority (SCPARA).
“It’s always wonderful to offer a new outdoors activity at any of our 21 Alabama state parks,” said Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “We’re fortunate to work with our outstanding partners here in Shelby County to build this trail and help make Oak Mountain State Park better than ever. We thank all of the local leaders and SCPARA for helping make this trail a reality.”
The dirt trail stretches 2.8 miles, features varying widths, and is designed to accommodate walking, running and mountain biking. The trail can be accessed near the Lunker Lake boat launch or from the Oak Mountain Bike Trailhead parking area.
“It’s so rewarding that we could all come together and build this trail at Oak Mountain State Park,” said Shelby County Commissioner Lindsey Allison. “Oak Mountain is clearly one of the top attractions here in Shelby County, and we love playing a role in helping the park continue to thrive. No one will be surprised if the Lunker Lake Trail becomes one of the park’s most popular trails for runners, mountain bikers or anyone who wants [to] stroll through the woods and enjoy the park’s stunning natural beauty.”
The new trail officially opened one day before Earth Day, which celebrates environmental awareness and conservation. Oak Mountain State Park had a full day of activities planned to celebrate Earth Day and all of the Earth Day festivities were free with admission to OMSP.
ABOUT OAK MOUNTAIN STATE PARK
Oak Mountain State Park is Alabama’s largest state park and features more than 11,000 acres, including more than 100 miles of trails, an 18-hole golf course and driving range, horseback riding facilities, fishing lakes, boat rentals, picnic and beach areas and majestic Peavine Falls. The Alabama Wildlife Center, located inside OMSP, offers rehabilitation services to injured native birds to return them to the wild. The resident birds can be viewed from the Tree Top Nature Trail, an elevated boardwalk winding through a secluded woodland valley. Learn more at https://www.alapark.com/parks/oak-mountain-state-park.
ABOUT ALABAMA’S STATE PARKS SYSTEM
The Alabama State Parks is a division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and maintains 21 state parks encompassing more than 50,000 acres of land and water in Alabama. The parks range from Gulf Coast beaches to the Appalachian Mountains and provide opportunities and facilities from basic day-use activities to resort convention lodging, restaurants and golfing areas. These parks rely on visitor fees and the support of other partners like local communities to fund the majority of their operations. Make reservations at www.alapark.com/online-reservations and learn more at www.alapark.com. Partners Pay the Way.