Your Home Away from Home STORY & PHOTO BY BETSY ILER
Wind Creek State Park makes memories to last a lifetime Making memories is what Wind Creek State Park does best. From volleyball at the beach to fishing tournaments at the marina, putt-putt, the zipline canopy tour and one of the largest state-owned campgrounds in the country, there is plenty to see and do here year round. The park’s 1,444 acres on Lake Martin originally served as a private recreation area for employees of Russell Corporation, then manufacturer of Russell Brands athletic wear (see page 36). The park was founded and directed by Robert A. Russell, and the State of Alabama purchased the property after Russell’s death in 1969. The park was closed in 1979 for extensive renovations and reopened in 1982. The renovations cost more than $5 million ($14 million in today’s dollars) with new cabins, bathhouses, campsites, offices and more. Upgrades and renovations in sections of the 36
campground are ongoing, and new recreation options continue to open at the park. “Wind Creek is a core park,” explained Greg Lein, director of Alabama’s state park system. “Most of its revenues come from camping and day use. That’s different from the resort parks in the system, which are designed around other amenities.” The beach and picnic areas at Wind Creek are popular destinations on sunny summer days, and fishing tournaments launch at daylight from the park marina, booking as much as a year in advance, especially in the winter months. Hiking, putt-putt and zipline canopy tours also are popular adventures at the park. WCSP offers more than 5 miles of trails for hikers and bikers. At 3.8 miles, the Alabama Reunion Trail takes hikers through hardwood forest bottoms and pine stands, passing an old home site, fern beds and pictur-
WE MAKE IT GREAT HERE! | FEBRUARY 2022
