Meaher State Park is a public recreation area located on Big Island,
[ an island at the north end of Mobile Bay that lies within the city limits of Spanish Fort, ]Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
. The state park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...
occupies along the shoreline of Ducker Bay,[ It is surrounded by wetlands of the Mobile Bay ]estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...
. The park is accessed from Battleship Parkway
Battleship Parkway, commonly referred to locally and in the media as the "Causeway", is a long causeway that carries US 90 and US 98 eastbound across Mobile Bay from the Bankhead Tunnel on Blakeley Island in Mobile, Alabama to Spanish Fort, ...
, known locally as the "Causeway
A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet Tra ...
," and is managed by Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.[
]
History
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.[ Augustine Meaher was a descendant of ]Timothy Meaher
Timothy Meaher (1812 3 March 1892) was a wealthy Irish-American human trafficker, businessman and landowner. He built and owned the slave-ship '' Clotilda'' and was responsible for illegally smuggling the last enslaved Africans into the United S ...
, who illegally smuggled 110 West African slaves into Mobile Bay on the schooner '' Clotilda'' in 1860. He was charged with smuggling but was not convicted.[
]
Awards
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.
Activities and amenities
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.[
]
References
External links
Meaher State Park
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
{{authority control
State parks of Alabama
Protected areas of Baldwin County, Alabama
Mobile Bay
Protected areas established in 1989
1989 establishments in Alabama