Lake Lurleen State Park

{{Short description|State park in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, United States}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox park

| name = Lake Lurleen State Park

| photo = Lake_Lurleen_Tuscaloosa_Alabama_from_lakeside_trail.jpg

| photo_caption =

| photo_width = 250

| location = Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, United States

| map = Alabama

| map_caption = Location in Alabama

| relief = 1

| label = Lake Lurleen State Park

| coords = {{coord|33|17|29|N|87|40|52|W|display=inline,title}}

| coords_ref =

| area = {{convert|1625|acre}}

| elevation = {{convert|223|ft|m|abbr=on}}{{cite gnis|152173|Lake Lurleen}}

| established = 1952

| administrator = Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

| website = {{Official website}}

| visitation_num =

| status =

}}

Lake Lurleen State Park is a publicly owned recreation area located on U.S. Highway 82 approximately {{convert|9|mi}} northwest of Northport in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. The state park's {{convert|1625|acre}} include {{convert|250|acre|adj=on}} Lake Lurleen and a {{convert|23|mi|adj=on}} trail system. It is operated by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

History

After purchasing the site of the park in 1952, the state began construction of a dam on a tributary of Big Creek to create a {{convert|250|acre|adj=on}} lake. Various concessionaires operated the park under the name Tuscaloosa County Public Lake from 1956 until 1970, when the state took control and added new facilities. In 1972, the park was renamed after Lurleen Wallace, a native of Tuscaloosa County and Alabama's first female governor, who had died in office four years earlier.

Activities and amenities

Lake Lurleen is used for swimming, boating and fishing, and is stocked with largemouth bass, bream, catfish and crappie. The state park offers 91 campsites and a {{convert|23|mi|adj=on}} system of trails for hiking and mountain biking that encircles the lake. The trail system was designated as a National Recreation Trail in 2011.

References

{{reflist|refs=

{{cite web |url=https://www.alapark.com/lake-lurleen-state-park |title=Lake Lurleen State Park |work=Alabama State Parks |publisher=Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |accessdate=January 13, 2023}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2596 |title=Lake Lurleen State Park |work=Encyclopedia of Alabama |publisher=Alabama Humanities Foundation |author=Thomas V. Ress |date=March 8, 2019 |accessdate=January 13, 2023}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/m-6023 |title=Lake Lurleen |work=Encyclopedia of Alabama |publisher=Alabama Humanities Foundation |accessdate=January 6, 2016}}

{{cite web |title=Lake Lurleen State Park Trail System |url=https://www.nrtapplication.org/trails/lake-lurleen-state-park-trail-system |website=National Recreation Trail Database |accessdate=September 29, 2024}}

}}