Alabama

Parks

  • National Monument

    Birmingham Civil Rights

    AL

    In 1963, images of snarling police dogs unleashed against non-violent protesters and of children being sprayed with high-pressure hoses appeared in print and television news around the world. These dramatic scenes of violent police aggression against civil rights protesters in Birmingham, Alabama were vivid examples of segregation and racial injustice in America.

  • National Monument

    Freedom Riders

    AL

    In 1961, a small interracial band of “Freedom Riders” challenged discriminatory laws requiring separation of the races in interstate travel. They were attacked by white segregationists, who firebombed the bus. Images of the attack appeared in hundreds of newspapers, shocking the American public and spurring the Federal Government to issue regulations banning segregation in interstate travel.

  • National Military Park

    Horseshoe Bend

    Daviston, AL

    On 27 March 1814, Major General Andrew Jackson ‘s army of 3,300 men attacked Chief Menawa’s 1,000 Red Stick Creek warriors fortified in a horseshoe shaped bend of the Tallapoosa River. Over 800 Red Sticks died that day. The battle ended the Creek War, resulted in a land cession of 23,000,000 acres to the United States and created a national hero of Andrew Jackson.

    A View of the Horseshoe Bend Battlefield.

  • National Preserve

    Little River Canyon

    Fort Payne, AL

    Little River is unique because it flows for most of its length atop Lookout Mountain in northeast Alabama. Forested uplands, waterfalls, canyon rims and bluffs, pools, boulders, and sandstone cliffs offer settings for a variety of recreational activities. Natural resources and cultural heritage come together to tell the story of the Preserve, a special place in the Southern Appalachians.

    Photo by: John Dersham

  • Parkway

    Natchez Trace

    the states of AL,MS,TN

    The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile recreational road and scenic drive through three states. It roughly follows the "Old Natchez Trace," a historic travel corridor used by American Indians, "Kaintucks," European settlers, slave traders, soldiers, and future presidents. Today, people can enjoy a scenic drive as well as hiking, biking, horseback riding, and camping along the Parkway.

    A curve along the Natchez Trace Parkway with fall colors

  • National Scenic Trail

    Natchez Trace

    Tupelo, AL,MS,TN

    The Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail is five sections of hiking trail running roughly parallel to the 444-mile long Natchez Trace Parkway scenic motor road. The foot trails total more than 60 miles and offer opportunities to explore wetlands, swamps, hardwood forest, and the history of the area. For What's Open What's Close visit www.nps.gov/natr/planyourvisit/what-is-open-what-is-closed.htm

    3 hikers and a dog walk next to a creek

  • National Monument

    Russell Cave

    Bridgeport, AL

    Russell Cave is an archeological site with one of the most complete records of prehistoric cultures in the Southeast. In the 1950s, archeologists uncovered a large quantity of artifacts representing over 10,000 years of use in a single place. Today, Russell Cave National Monument helps bring to light many cultural developments of phenomenal human journeys.

    Dragonfly

  • National Historic Trail

    Selma To Montgomery

    Montgomery, Lowndes & Dallas Counties, AL

    Established by Congress in 1996, the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail commemorates the people, events, and route of the 1965 Voting Rights March in Alabama. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Black and White non-violent supporters fought for the right to vote in Central Alabama. Today, you can connect with this history and trace the events of these marches along the 54-mile trail.

    We Won't Be Stopped!

  • National Historic Trail

    Trail Of Tears

    AL,AR,GA,IL,KY,MO,NC,OK,TN

    Remember and commemorate the survival of the Cherokee people, forcefully removed from their homelands in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee to live in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. They traveled by foot, horse, wagon, or steamboat in 1838-1839.

    Trail of Tears artwork and trail walk

  • National Historic Site

    Tuskegee Airmen

    Tuskegee, AL

    Before the first African American military pilots became known as the "Red Tails" they wore striped tails as they began their flight training in the Army's PT-17 Stearman bi-plane. Their flying adventure started at Moton Field, in Tuskegee, Alabama, where the Army Air Corps conducted a military test to determine if African Americans could be trained to fly combat aircraft.

    Moton Field Historic Hangar #1 - PT-17 Stearman in foreground

  • National Historic Site

    Tuskegee Institute

    Tuskegee Institute, AL

    In 1881, Booker T. Washington arrived in Alabama and started building Tuskegee Institute both in reputation and literally brick by brick. He recruited the best and the brightest to come and teach here including George Washington Carver who arrived in 1896. Carver’s innovations in agriculture, especially with peanuts, expanded Tuskegee’s standing throughout the country. The story continues….

    The front of the Carver Museum with a bust of Dr. Carver

By The Numbers

These numbers are just a sample of the National Park Service's work. Figures are for the fiscal year that ended 9/30/2020.