Blakeley State Park
Key Information
Contact Info
251-626-0798
Location
34745 AL-225, Spanish Fort, AL 36527, United States
Opening Hours
8am–9pm
Fee
$4
Introduction of Blakeley State Park
One of the biggest and most varied tourist destinations along the Gulf Coast, Historic Blakeley State Park is tucked away among the picturesque Mobile-Tensaw Delta. The park’s more than 2,000 acres of some of the most biodiverse terrain in North America include the locations of the greatest Civil War battle in Alabama, the significant early Alabama town of Blakeley, and ancient Native American towns. You won’t find such a unique blend of extensive natural beauty and rich cultural tradition anywhere else.
By joining us on one of our many boat trips into the rivers of the delta or by attending one of our many educational programmes, you may explore the park on its more than 20 miles of hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding trails.
The park offers a range of rental spaces for special events, as well as cabins, RV, and basic camping areas.
Blakeley State Park Camping & Trails
There are 1400 acres of wooded area at Historic Blakely State Park near the Tensaw River. It may be found five miles north of the Spanish Fort town on State Highway 225. There are several nature routes for bicycling or hiking, as well as areas for both conventional and RV camping. The cost of entering the park is $3 for adults and $2 for kids aged 6 to 12. Young kids are admitted free. Admission is $6 for adults and $4 for kids aged 6 to 12 if you decide to camp. Park entry also includes camping. Visitors may also observe educational conservation and environmental displays, watch nature documentaries on the area’s ecosystems, and more at the Gatra Wehle Nature Center. At the amenities are three nature walks as well. It is important to contact beforehand because the Gatra Wehle Nature Center isn’t always accessible to the general public. See the details about how to reach us below.
Visitors to the park can visit the historic Blakeley Cemetery, which was built in the early 1800s and contains the graves of former Blakely town residents. Many of them are burials from before the Civil War. At historic Blakeley State Park, a Civil War battleground that has been conserved so that tourists may see both Union and Confederate defences. The Battle of Fort Blakeley is reenacted annually at the park. When you stay in one of our condos in Gulf Shores or Orange Beach, check them out.
Blakeley State Park Delta Explorer
Visitors may enjoy a two-hour environmental boat excursion in the Mobile-Tensaw River delta from the historic Blakeley State Park on the Delta Explorer. A variety of environments, including marshes, swamps, and forests, are visible to passengers. Black bears, turtles, bald eagles, alligators, and other fascinating species may all be seen. The best option is to make a reservation, but if there is room, walk-ins are also welcome. Adult boat tickets typically cost $25, while kid tickets cost $15. Young passengers under the age of six ride free. Contact details are provided below.
Blakeley State Park Activities
Horseback Riding
More than 12 miles of horseback riding paths are available in Blakeley, and there is easy trailer parking.
Each horse and rider pair costs $8 at the park. At check-in, a negative Coggins test is necessary.
Blakeley invites riders on horses to test out our brand-new equestrian riding course! The route provides riders with a multi-mile journey through some of the most well-liked horse-accessible trails in the park!
Bike Trail
The designated cycling route in Historic Blakeley State Park was made possible by a collaboration with Eastern Shore Cycles. This circle, which is more than 10 miles long, travels over a sizable portion of the park, passing through some of our beautiful woodland trails and past a number of our Civil War earthworks. Although bicycling is permitted throughout the park, this designated path was created specifically for other riders by biking enthusiasts.
Kayaking
In the park, just next to the dock for our pontoon boat, there is a kayak launch that is wheelchair accessible and runs down the lovely Tensaw River. In addition to standard entry, there is a $1 launch charge per boat.
Before deciding to use the launch, please check the marine forecast from the National Weather Service for our region. The Tensaw is a deep, broad river that occasionally has severe currents and tidal variations.
Fees: $3 per night for parking and a $1 launch charge
Blakeley State Park Offers Guided Walking Tours for Groups!
Group tours of the Civil War battlefield and the fascinating Blakeley ghost town are available at Historic Blakeley State Park. Each trip lasts around 45 minutes and is guided by a park ranger. (Both tours may be joined in their condensed forms for a single, hour-long tour experience.)
Price: Regular entrance prices for groups of any size must be at least $75.
Town of Blakeley Tour
Visitors may stroll around Blakeley, which was established in 1814 and was one of the major towns in Alabama during the first ten years of the state’s existence. Along the route, they will discover information about Blakeley’s founders, early occupants, causes of its growth and fall, and persistent tales. The trip includes stops at historic Washington Square, the remains of Baldwin County’s original courthouse, and Blakeley Harbor on the Tensaw River, where some of Alabama’s first steamboats were constructed and where ocean-going ships previously berthed.
Battlefield Tour
Blakeley State Park History
Mary Grice, a Mobile, Alabama, schoolteacher, established the park. The park was founded as a private, non-profit organisation in 1976. The land was to be both preserved and developed. Blakeley became a state park in Alabama in 1981, and a separate state agency was established to manage operations. Although it has the name “state park,” the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources does not operate it. After state financing was halted in 2011, the park is now entirely supported by gate fees and private donations.
Blakeley was designated a Class A Civil War site by the US Congress in 1993. Due to its significance as the location of the Battle of Fort Blakeley, the park is a stop on the Civil War Discovery Trail. The Confederate breastworks that straddle the park are among the remaining artefacts from war activities. The Union and Confederate structures that supported the Battle of Fort Blakeley are now undergoing some restoration work. The Confederate surrender took place on the same day as that combat, which included almost 16,000 soldiers. A sizable portion of the Union army were composed of African-American soldiers.
Today, not much of Blakeley’s former town is visible. Several historical markers identify significant sites, including a brick kiln and an ancient oak tree that served as a hanging tree for the neighbourhood courts. Here formerly stood a river bridge that connected Mobile and Baldwin counties. An old Native American hamlet formerly stood here before Blakeley was founded, and a sizable plantation eventually took up residence there.
Transportation
Directions
Take I-10 Exit 30 to US 31N from Mobile (Battleship Parkway). Cross Mobile Bay, then take a left onto AL-225 and continue for 4 1/2 miles. On the left lies Historic Blakeley State Park.
Take Exit 31 off of Interstate 65 and head south on Highway 225. Historic Blakeley State Park is on the right after 15 miles of driving.
Parking
Parking is available.
Public Transport
Public Transport is available.
