Menlo Park is a modest community space that mixes recreation with remembrance. At its center stands…read morea Civil War memorial statue, a figure that dominates the playground and shapes the atmosphere of the park. Depending on one's perspective of the war, the placement may feel either like history woven into daily life or an uneasy reminder of conflict watching over children at play. The statue is impossible to ignore, and its presence adds a layer of complexity to what might otherwise be a simple town park. Beyond the monument, the park offers several family‑friendly features. The playground equipment is in good condition, with slides and climbing structures that give kids plenty to enjoy. A picnic pavilion with tables sits nearby, though the restrooms were closed for the season during my visit. The mulch base beneath the play area is especially thoughtful, making it easier for toddlers who are still learning to keep steady on their feet. Taken together, Menlo Park is both a place for play and a site of remembrance, its dual identity making it distinctive but also complicated for visitors. There is plenty of parking nearby on the streets of this small town. [Review 1542 of 2025 - 869 in Georgia - 25092 overall]

Wonderful Place To Camp and Kayak. The next time we visit we're bringing the Gators and taking the…read moreATV trail. Rumor has it Bigfoot had been spotted around area.

WOW! What a crack!…read more Buck's Pocket is a 2,000 acre State Park surrounding a natural canyon affectionately referred to as a pocket. The canyon lies in the Cumberland Plateau, a geological area west of the Appalachian Mountain chain that stretches from eastern Kentucky to northern Alabama and is contiguous with the Allegheny Plateau on the northern side. It's one thing to learn about things like plateaus in school and quite another to see them in person. It's pretty incredible to see grassland and farmland so vast that you forget you are in the mountains, but then suddenly and out of nowhere a canyon like Bucks Pocket appears like a huge crack in the earth. ~~~ The main overlook known as Jim Lynn Overlook @ Point Rock sits at the end of a peninsula of stone that is almost undetectable from the parking area. You will follow a wooden platform with multiple stairs up and down for about 100 yards. The stairs/platforms were recently refurbished in 2017. Along the way are several side overlooks that are not fenced (so be careful with children). According to alapark.com, the cliffs surrounding the overlook roughly exceed 1,000 feet, but that is overall elevation above sea level... not the true height of the cliff. ACCORDING TO THE USGS NATIONAL TOPOGRAPHY MAP, the area of Buck's Pocket nearest to Point Rock overlook sits around 1,100 feet above sea level. The Little Sauty Creek that passes through Buck's Pocket near the base of Point Rock is at an elevation of around 750 feet above sea level. This means Point Rock could not possibly be 1,000 feet tall as advertised, but instead only around 350 feet, which geologically is referred to as its overall prominence. Regardless, there are sheer drops here that would be unquestionably fatal. A fence with wooden beams and stone columns surrounds the overlooks main area. This is not an overlook for long distance views, but instead one that magnifies elevation differences. Without the fence, even someone without a fear heights would probably have a panic attack at the cliffs edge. Area 2,000 acres Established 1971 ~~~ HISTORY The park opened in 1971 after the land was originally purchased from a farmer by a Booster Club in 1966. It was once inhabited by Cherokee Indians and was also used for growing coffee and olives by the French during the 1700s and later for logging in the 1940s. Buck's Pocket was said to have been give its name because an abundant amount of deer that once roamed these lands. Urban legend has it that a buck apparently leapt from Point Rock to its death after being trapped by Cherokee Indian. Yet another urban legend says a man named Buck Berry used this area to escape being drafted during the Civil War and still another more modern legend says Alabama politicians would come here after unsuccessful bids for office I suppose to wallow in their sorrows. There are 15 miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding plus a picnic area with views into the canyon below. ~~~ FINAL THOUGHTS Beautiful canyon worthy of a quick visit if traveling through Alabama on a scenic road trip! 2020 / 27

The Reverend Howard Finster Man of God and Man of Vision. In painting bicycles I'm sure as part of…read morea ministry, he saw a face in paint on his fingertip and it was a sign from God that forever changed his earthly path! I had the pleasure of visiting Paradise Gardens when The Reverend was still alive and even got to sign his casket he hand painted which was on display at the time for all to see. An "outsider artist" not to be confused with folk artists he is completely untrained. Yes his REM album cover shot him to a lot of fame and he did another album cover maybe the B 52s? I believe it was an Athens GA based band. And his famous coca cola art and has others have referenced he has a permanent display at the High Museum in ATL. So not too shabby! The gardens are stunning in their down to home feel and do with what you have mentality which strikes a very stark contrast with his signage all done in capital print about how specifically stole what piece of art or to look out for (insert children's names) who will copy his art and claim it at their own. This place is a must see. I didn't have the pleasure of actually meeting Howard. The time there was wonderful and his home (not open to the public at that time) was humble. I bought a piece of his art which I still treasure and delight in his simplified messages of good and evil in his outsider art. God put it on his heart to do a certain number of pieces before dying and I think he suppasssed the number producing something like 20+ thousand works. All signed and with his personal icon of a dove with a branch in it's mouth. I saw a YouTube of him dancing and singing on a late night show in the 80s or 90s. Howard was full of life, full of the Lord and full of himself. A larger than life figure. I'll upload photos soon Rest in peace and rise in glory Sir, I'm certain you are dancing with Jesus and making God so proud you honored Him and definitely spread His kingdom on earth. Thank you for sharing your God given gifts! I

This is a massive collection of artwork, architecture, sculpture that merges all into the amazing…read moreexperience that is Paradise Garden where you can learn all about the visions of Rev. Howard Finster. My first visit was back when Reverend Finster was still alive and they still had quite a nice selection of his art available for purchase and everything was still in pretty pristine shape. The years have caused some deterioration of Paradise Garden but there are now efforts underway to preserve and maintain this amazing collection. This is one of the most fun and quirky displays of American folk art you can experience anywhere. Even if you think you've never heard of Rev. Finster you probably know some of his art so prepare yourself for surprise and amusement. My video review of Howard Finster's Paradise Garden is here: https://youtu.be/1DMCR5jk12Y

Another great GA State Park. The camping facilities are fantastic! There are a variety of hiking…read moretrails available with a variety of different difficulty. Great Lakes for fishing.

Great park! Beautiful upper and lower lake with several trails. Nice camping areas and everyone is…read morealways very friendly.

I know what TLC says, but I love to chase waterfalls. I've been twice here, and it never…read moredisappoints. I recently went after a heavy rainfall and it was magnificent! It's a fairly easy walk to the falls and there are various overlooks to see the canyon as well.

Beautiful place & very accessible. I always stop here & the Little River Canyon center on road…read moretrips. A great place with a beautiful view & perfect to get out & stretch your legs or eat some lunch during a trip. Also great during the summer to pack a bathing suit & make a day trip out of the area. There's plenty of signage & usually a crowd or DNR officers (depending on the time of year). Lovely view & worth a stop! Fort Payne is also close & very cute/perfect for a quick stop & shop or some lunch. They decorate for the holidays & they've done a lot of work on the downtown area so it's very enjoyable. Definitely a community worth seeing!

We're from Cape Coral, FL and when we were told to evacuate because of Irma, we headed to Alabama…read more Myself, husband and two pups found a hotel in Scottsboro and stayed two nights. It was NOT easy being on the 4th floor in such cramped quarters! The third day we took a drive and found Jackson County Parks & Marina. We took a chance and visited the office. The young lady could not have been kinder. We were able to rent a two bedroom cabin with a gorgeous lake view. The cabin was spotless and had everything we needed. There are walking paths, boats to rent, a little BBQ restaurant, room for campers and I think tents as well. We highly recommend this place and may even come back to actually vacation and not be running from a hurricane!!! Thank you, Jackson County Parks!!!!

We started our stay in Scottsboro with a horrible experience with another campground. We decided…read morenot to stay there because everyone was packed into the sites! We decided to try Jackson County Park. The experience of calling the park was nicer than what I expected. The gal told me about a few available sites and then called me back to let me know there was another available spot that I would probably like better. The site is absolutely beautiful and almost perfectly level. The view of the lake is gorgeous! The sites are spaced so nicely it actually feels like you have space without intruding on another campsite. (For the record, we're pulling a 29' travel trailer). There's enough space to pull your slides and hook up and still have space to park your pulling car. The grounds are beautiful and there's plenty of space to enjoy yourself and maneuver. I am just immensely happy with our stay. I would absolutely wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone looking.

My experience here was very good the people were nice and the campsites and campgrounds are nice…read more The fishing ponds and rivers ere really nice but the only downside side is the algae and the seaweed that gets caught in your luwer

Beautiful Park with a Great Lake for fishing. They also have a beach, tent sites,RV sites. several…read moreboat ramps and a couple of pavilions to host small picnics. Amazing trails, hiking, bring your own kayak or boat, great wildlife. There is a small fee for the day I believe it's $5.00 it's alcohol free park and there's always plenty of Park Rangers there that are very nice and very helpful.

We only did the zip line which were two short zip lines that took about four minutes and it cost…read more$70 so we're not a big fan maybe they're better at the other things they do

Absolutely had the best time rappelling. Our group of four was guided carefully through the steps…read morewe had to take. We we're able to go down twice. The guides we're all very helpful and funny. It was a great new experience.