As the site of the last major battle of the Civil War and a deserted boom town from the 1800s, plus a location on the Tensaw River and Mobile-Tensaw delta, Blakely Park in Spanish Fort, AL made our list of places to visit some time ago. We paid our admission fee and received a guide to the area and a wonderful explanation of all to see. The paved road we followed turned into a gravel road through the park. We stopped at several of the battlefield sites along the way, and found out later that there is a self-guided Battlefield Tour as a separate document (we will remember to ask for that next time), and continued on.
The interpretive signage at Old Courthouse site and Jury Oak Pavilion areas provided a concise history of the town, started as a river town which became a boom town, then gradually deserted. The road continued on to the river, where we parked and walked the two short trails, the E. O. Wilson Boardwalk along the river and the Hiding Tree Boardwalk. As we walked along the E. O. Wilson Boardwalk an eagle flew by as if on cue. The Delta Explorer pontoon boat also docks there. We took one of the 1.5 hour tours of the delta area and highly recommend it.
The gravel/dirt road does become narrow at parts, but it just makes you drive slower to really experience your surroundings. With so much here, I suspect we will be back our next visit to the area.
Nichter Photography PLUS 