Coastal, Mobile-Tensaw River Delta Loop | Baldwin | Best Seasons: Fall | Spring
Historic Blakeley State Park encompasses 3, 800 acres of river bottoms and upland hardwoods, several streams flowing to the Tensaw, and a freshwater marsh along with a preserved Civil War Battlefield, the site of one of the oldest towns in the state and prehistoric Native American mounds. At the Gatra Wehle Nature Center, one can learn about the plants and animals that inhabit Mobile Bay and the Mobile/Tensaw River Delta.
Birders have ten and half miles of trail to explore throughout the Park, including the Old Town Nature Trail-a boardwalk (length-a quarter mile) along the banks of the Tensaw with picnic tables and benches. On the water side, scan the river for wading birds and raptors (possibly a Bald Eagle, surely Osprey); on the land side, birds of the marshes may be heard and seen-Prothonotary Warbler, Northern Parula, sparrows in the winter months, migrants coming through in spring and fall. Other trails lead one through the woods (woodland songbirds, owls, possibly Chuck-Will’s-Widow during the summer months). Visitors can examine the five plus miles of Confederate and Union breastworks within the Park that mark the site of the last major battle of the American Civil War. Furthermore, one can relive the origins of Baldwin County’s heritage at the Blakeley town site within the confines of the Park. While in the 1820s there were several hotels, stores, and churches serving around 4,000 people, the site has since been reclaimed by nature and is home to majestic oaks that line what were once busy streets.
GPS: N30.73235 W-87.90010
Download a map of the site here: Historic Blakeley State Park Map
Historic Blakeley State Park
34745 State Hwy. 225
P.O. Box 7279
Spanish Fort, Al. 36577
Phone (251) 626-0798
If following directions provided in the Coastal Birding Trail booklet, return to AL 225 and continue south to the park entrance [7.5] on the right (west). Turn right and get park information at the welcome station. Follow the road into the site. Park hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and a nominal admission fee is charged.
Amenities Available:
Nearby Sites
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Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge – Jeff Friend Trail
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Bon Secour NWR – Mobile Street
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Bon Secour NWR – Pine Beach Trail
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