I went climbing at Horse Pens 40 this past Friday and Saturday and had an absolutely incredible…read moreexperience. The guy at the front desk, Troy, was so friendly and kind -- we ended up talking about music for a while, and he helped us find the perfect rental gear to get started. The whole area was beautiful and easy to navigate thanks to the Kaya app, which made finding the boulders super straightforward. It was a little difficult to determine which were the start holds on some of the climbs but by following the chalky holds of previous climbers we were able to make sense of it for the most part. Between the great climbing, welcoming atmosphere, and amazing people, HP40 definitely became one of my favorite spots. Can't wait to come back!

So, what is Horse Pens 40? Well, the simple breakdown, it is a privately owned outdoor nature park…read morelocated in near Steele, Alabama. The park is situated on top of Chandler Mountain (Chandler is a mountain .... Friends reverence for anyone keeping track), in the foothills of The Appalachian Mountains. The park is known among the rock climbing community as a premier bouldering site. The site is also home to a "Bluegrass Park" where it hosts festivals showcasing the genre several times per year. The biggest of these festivals occurs on the Fourth of July. The park features both RV and primitive camping. So, we were coming out to explore and play on the boulders, when a massive downpour hit. We were literally the only ones at the park (just driving in as the rain hit). We parked in the lot and sat there a few minutes. Now, here is where they get the 5 stars .... an employee came out in the downpour to make sure we were ok and didn't need anything. We felt so bad! Any place that treats customers like this is worthy of 5 stars. Thank you Horse Pens staff for caring about the people that come to visit and making sure they are safe and don't need anything. He even offered us a place to get out of the storm while it passed. Looking forward to a time we can return and properly explore this cool site.

This is no longer open. Had to shut down due to the pandemic. Didn't get a chance to do thisread more

Been here over the summer. Great fun, owner was very nice and accommodating. Will go again.read more

I've used this park for running, walking, meeting with friends, birdwatching, & logging…read moreobservations for iNaturalist. It's great for all of the above. There's a trail around the lake and an additional trail alongside the creek (what used to be a road back in the day). I'm thinking if you do all the trails once, it's close to 2 miles so you can train for a race without getting too bored of the scenery. It is flat with almost no shade though, so be mindful of that. The trail alongside the creek offers a lot of birdwatching & nature observations - we've even logged a rare bird here in the past, an Ash-throated Flycatcher. Safe park patrolled by Oxford PD, clean restrooms & ample parking.

Recently was here for my nephew's soccer game . The park was easy to find and the landscaping is…read morebeautiful. This park offers fields/areas supporting several different sporting events. The 4 soccer fields are large and the views were great! Concessions are available which come in handy. This is a beautiful park and we really enjoyed our time here for my nephew's soccer game on a beautiful Saturday evening!

My childhood memories of this horrible place are way into the negative zone…read more The McBrides who ran the camp were terrible people who have left me with unpleasant memories from my childhood. The neglect and indifference from the whole staff still sticks in my mind. I would never send my child to such a place.

Best place ever!!! I went here for four years and it was awesome! Amazing faculty and campers. You…read moremeet so many amazing people! The best camp ever!

First time at the CMP Talladega Range. Shot 3 En Blocks with the M1 Garand from 100 yards. The…read moretechnology is phenomenal and accurate and should be implemented into more gun ranges. Awesome experience.

This would be an awesome place for Florence County to have in our area. A world-class facilities…read morethat would draw in professional shooters from all over the world maybe then we can upgrade our Airport to meet the need.

Great place for family fun ! Friendly staff and owners. Funiest place to swim in this area for…read moresure.

Check in was really easy. The office is open later than most camp grounds we've visited…read more They are renovating the park. The camp ground renovations are complete. The hotel is still under construction. We had a pull through full hookup site. Packed gravel and dirt site that was partially separated by trees and plants. Joined to Cheaha Falls and Pulpit Rock. Both were absolutely gorgeous views. It was a great weekend getaway!

DO NOT STAY IN THE CABINS!!…read more Last night my wife and I swept the walls and floors of lady beetles flushing them down the toilet, since they are invasive. Around two we got to sleep. A few times we got woke up by a bite of two but most were gone or so we thought. We woke up to find the windows covered with them. We called again to ask for help and they sent down a housekeeper. After talking to a few employees we found out this has been an ongoing problem and that many people have cut their stay short. As I understand from what was said to me the management here is fully aware and wants to ignore the problem hoping it goes away instead of addressing it. This is a bad look for Alabama. If I travelled all the way here to stay in these lovely cabins and paid what we paid only to be swarmed by Asian Lady Beetles I would not recommend this beautiful park to anyone. It's not the bugs that give this a two. It's the attitude and lack of action by the management that got them that. The only reason the got a two is the cabin and park are beautiful.

Great place to rent a boat! We rented a pontoon boat, and they took care of making sure we were…read morewell outfitted. We will continue to use Rivers edge Marina.

Great service, good hot fresh food from the menu. Wait can belong ao.etimes but that speaks for…read morethe good food they serve. Good selection at the Tiki Bar, love the Bushwackers!