Meaher State Park

State park in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States

Meaher State Park

Wetlands at Meaher State Park

Meaher State Park

Location in Alabama

Location| Spanish Fort, Alabama, United States
Coordinates| 30°40′11″N 87°56′9″W﻿ / ﻿30.66972°N 87.93583°W﻿ / 30.66972; -87.93583
Area| 1,327 acres (537 ha)
Elevation| 3 ft (0.91 m)[1]
Established| 1989
Administered by| Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Website| Official website

Meaher State Park is a public recreation area located on Big Island,[1] an island at the north end of Mobile Bay that lies within the city limits of Spanish Fort, Alabama. The state park occupies 1,327 acres (537 ha) along the shoreline of Ducker Bay,[2] at the junction of Mobile Bay and the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta.[3] It is surrounded by wetlands of the Mobile Bay estuary. The park is accessed from Battleship Parkway, known locally as the "Causeway," and is managed by Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.[4]

## History

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The park opened in 1989. The land was donated to the state for public recreational use by Augustine Meaher, for whom the park is named.[3] Augustine Meaher was a descendant of Timothy Meaher, who illegally smuggled 110 African men, women, and children into Mobile Bay on the schooner Clotilda in 1860. He was charged with smuggling but was not convicted.[5]

## Awards

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In September 2020, Meaher State Park was one of eleven Alabama state parks awarded Tripadvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Award, which recognizes businesses and attractions that earn consistently high user reviews.[6]

## Activities and amenities

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The park features an interpretive boardwalk through the wetlands, picnic area, boat ramp, fishing pier, two cabins, and a camping area with 56 individual campsites.[4]

## References

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1. ^ a b "Big Island". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
2. ^ "Ducker Bay". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
3. ^ a b Ress, Thomas V. (December 18, 2012). "Meaher State Park". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Alabama Humanities Foundation. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
4. ^ a b "Meaher State Park". Alabama State Parks. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
5. ^ Reeves, Jay (February 8, 2019). "Descendants from last US slave ship gathering in Alabama". AP News. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
6. ^ "Trip Advisor Awards 2020". Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. September 3, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Meaher State Park.

* Meaher State Park Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

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Protected areas of Alabama

Federal|

| National Estuarine Research Reserves|

* Weeks Bay

|

National Forests|

* Conecuh
* Talladega
* Tuskegee
* William B. Bankhead

National Historic Sites|

* Tuskegee Airmen
* Tuskegee Institute

National Military Parks|

* Horseshoe Bend

National Monuments|

* Birmingham Civil Rights
* Freedom Riders
* Russell Cave

National Parkways|

* Natchez Trace

National Preserves|

* Little River Canyon

National Trails|

* Natchez Trace
* Selma to Montgomery
* Trail of Tears

National Wild and Scenic Rivers|

* Sipsey Fork

National Wildlife Refuges|

* Bon Secour
* Cahaba River
* Choctaw
* Eufaula
* Fern Cave
* Key Cave
* Mountain Longleaf
* Sauta Cave
* Watercress Darter
* Wheeler

Other|

* National Historic Landmarks
* National Natural Landmarks
* National Register of Historic Places
* Wilderness Areas

State|

| State Parks|

* Bladon Springs
* Blue Springs
* Buck's Pocket
* Cathedral Caverns
* Chattahoochee
* Cheaha
* Chewacla
* Chickasaw
* Confederate Memorial Park
* DeSoto
* Florala
* Frank Jackson
* Gulf
* Joe Wheeler
* Lake Guntersville
* Lake Lurleen
* Lakepoint
* Meaher
* Monte Sano
* Oak Mountain
* Paul M. Grist
* Rickwood Caverns
* Roland Cooper
* Tannehill Ironworks
* Wind Creek

|

State Forests|

* Choccolocco
* Hauss
* Geneva
* Little River
* Macon
* Weogufka

Wildlife Management Areas|

* Charles D. Kelley Autuaga County
* Barbour
* Black Warrior
* Blue Spring
* Boggy Hollow
* Choccolocco
* Coosa
* Dallas County
* David K. Nelson
* Freedom Hills
* Geneva State Forest
* Grand Bay Savanna
* Hollins
* Jackson County Waterfowl Management Areas and Refuges
* James D. Martin-Skyline
* Lauderdale
* Little River
* Lowndes
* Martin Community Hunting Area
* W.L. Holland and Mobile–Tensaw River Delta
* Mulberry Fork
* Sam R. Murphy
* Oakmulgee
* Perdido River
* Red Hills
* Riverton Community Hunting Area
* Seven-Mile Island
* Swan Creek
* Mallard-Fox Creek
* Upper Delta
* William R. Ireland Sr. - Cahaba River
* Yates Lake

Special Opportunity Areas|

* Blackwater River
* Cedar Creek
* Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge
* Crow Creek
* Fred T. Simpson
* Little River State Forest
* Portland Landing
* Prairie Glades
* Thigpen Hill
* Uchee Creek
* Upper State

Forever Wild Land Tracts|

* M. Barnett Lawley - State Cattle Ranch Field Trial Area
* Big Canoe Creek
* Blowing Springs Cave Nature Preserve
* Bon Secour Swift School Nature Preserve
* Cahaba River Park
* Certain Nature Preserve and Recreation Area
* Coldwater Mountain - Doug Ghee Nature Preserve
* Coon Creek
* Coon Gulf - Glawson
* D’Olive Bay
* Forever Wild Trails at Beaver Creek
* Heron Bay Wetlands
* Hinds Road Outcrop
* Lillian Swamp Complex
* Live Oak Landing
* Old Cahawba Prairie Preserve
* Pike County Pocosin
* Portersville Bay Wetlands
* Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve
* Billingsley-McClure Shoal Creek Preserve
* Ruth McClellan Abronski Splinter Hill Bog Preserve
* Turkey Creek Nature Preserve
* Upper Wolfe Bay Savannah and Marsh
* Wehle

Canoe Trails|

* Bartram Canoe Trails System
* Perdido River Canoe Trail

Alabama Historical Sites|

* Alabama State Capitol
* Belle Mont Historic House
* Bottle Creek Indian Mounds State Archaeological Site
* Confederate Memorial Park
* Fendall Hall Historic House
* The Forks of Cypress State Archaeological Site
* Fort Mims State Historic Site
* Fort Morgan State Historic Site
* Fort Toulouse-Fort Jackson State Historic Site
* Freedom Rides Museum
* Gaineswood Historic House
* Historic Blakeley State Park
* Magnolia Grove Historic House
* Middle Bay Lighthouse Historic Lighthouse
* Moundville Archaeological Park
* Old Cahawba Archeological Park
* Pond Spring Historic House

Other protected areas|

* Barton's Beach Preserve
* Blevins Gap Nature Preserve
* Buttahatchie River Watershed Landscape Conservation Area
* Cahaba River Landscape Conservation Area
* Chitwood Barrens Preserve
* Coosa Bog Preserve
* Dennis Cove Preserve
* Dry Creek Preserve
* Fenvkvcēkv Creek Preserve
* Gulf Islands Landscape Conservation Area
* Kathy Stiles Freeland Bibb County Glades Preserve
* Keel Mountain Preserve
* Lower Perdido Islands Landscape Conservation Area
* Mobile-Tensaw Delta Landscape Conservation Area
* Paint Rock River Landscape Conservation Area
* Perdido River Preserve
* Perry Lakes Park
* Prairie Grove Glade Preserve
* Pratt's Ferry Preserve
* Rabbit Island Preserve
* Roberta Case Pine Hills Preserve
* Roy B. Whitaker Preserve
* Walls of Jericho Preserve
* Wheeler Mountain

Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (web)
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