Little River State Forest and Claude D. Kelley Recreational Area in south Alabama will reopen on Saturday, March 17, 2018. Gate opens at 8:00 a.m. for this special day. Located near Atmore, the park will be open to the public on weekends for day-use only, from Friday noon through Sunday at 5:00 pm.
According to officials with the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC), the park’s hours of operation will be expanded in the near future, and camping sites should be available soon. Closed for over a year now, State Forester Rick Oates said, “We are truly excited to reopen Little River. As owners of the park, our agency has a responsibility to see that this beautiful, natural state resource is available for the public’s benefit.”
Consisting of approximately 2,100 acres of longleaf pine forest and a 25-acre lake, Little River State Forest and Claude D. Kelley Recreational Area offers a beautiful setting for outdoor adventures including hiking, swimming, fishing, and horseback riding. Along the trails there are plenty of opportunities to view wildlife, and bird watchers find it an exceptional site to observe species of all types. Pavilions are available (in varying dimensions to accommodate different group sizes) to rent by the day for family reunions, weddings, church events such as Easter sunrise services, as well as Boy Scout and Girl Scout activities. All of these activities are available for a moderate entry fee.
Oates continued, “Plans for the near future include providing electricity, water, and sewage hook-ups for people with campers and travel trailers.”
There is something at Little River State Forest and Claude D. Kelley Recreational Area for everyone, including history buffs. A literal example of US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s ‘Great and Lasting Good,’ much of the original construction remaining on the grounds hails from the ‘CCC Era.’ Previously owned by private individuals, the property was deeded to the Alabama Forestry Commission in the early 1930s during the Great Depression. As a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) development project, workers from Company 1432 built structures (now a cabin and office), pavilions, the Gazebo Trail, as well as the lake with its dam, levee, and spillway from local stone.
Easily accessible from I-65, the park is located approximately 10 miles north from exit 57, at 580 H. Kyle Road, Atmore. Lat/Long co-ordinates are 31.259798, -87.493780. To learn more about Little River, visit www.forestry.alabama.gov/little_river_state_forest.aspx . For information or reservations, call (251) 743-2350 or email Pamela.Bradley@forestry.alabama.gov .
The mission of the Alabama Forestry Commission is to protect and sustain Alabama’s forest resources using professionally applied stewardship principles and education, ensuring that the state’s forests contribute to abundant timber and wildlife, clean air and water, and a healthy economy.