By T. Jensen Lacey

If you’re a nature lover—and who isn’t?—then you need to have this park on your “bucket list” for Baldwin County. Located within the city boundaries of Foley, this nature park encompasses 500 protected acres of beautiful and natural Alabama habitat. 

For bird lovers, this is a natural sanctuary for all kinds of birds. While walking in the park, I heard the calls of several pileated woodpeckers (the largest of those birds), a barred owl, mockingbirds, and saw many bluebirds.

For those who love being on the water, you can launch your canoe or kayak for a paddling adventure on Graham Creek itself, which runs east and west inside the park. 

Several trails cater specifically to the desires and needs of a diverse number of visitors. For the cross-country enthusiast, there is a 5K/3.1-mile trail. For those who love plant life, two trails—the Milk Wort and the Pitcher Plant Loop—offer the hiker a diversity of plant life along more than 2 miles of trails (and “wort” is an Old English word for “plant”). All the aforementioned trails are marked with color-coded signs throughout the park, making getting disoriented virtually worry-free. For those with special needs, the park has an ADA trail especially for them. For those with small children or grandchildren, there is a delightful playground called “Mile’s Play Garden,” with swings, slides, and picnic tables nearby. Also near the play garden is an outdoor classroom (and on the day I visited, an instructor was giving dog owners lessons in canine behavior). There are a number of secure, clean restrooms for all visitors.

Finally, for those who love disc golf, there is not one but FOUR disc golf courses.

There is a good-sized archery range for those who want to challenge themselves and improve their bow-and-arrow skills. The park hosts special events, such as the upcoming Creek Crawl Obstacle Race, scheduled for May 9^th. Inside the Interpretive Center is a large room that can accommodate special events such as corporate meetings, wedding receptions, and family reunions.

To learn more about this park, go to www.GrahamCreekPreserve.org. They also have a Facebook page by the same name.