Wind Creek

Where you are never too old to play outdoors

STORY BY BETSY ILER PHOTOS BY CLIFF WILLIAMS & BETSY ILER

Wind Creek State Park is the third most profitable park in the state of Alabama. In May, the director of Alabama’s state park system, Greg Lein met with engineers and architects to discuss options for improvements and campsite renovations at Wind Creek. Lein said the meeting was advance planning for funding that may be available if a bond issue for system-wide improvements is approved by voters next year. Improvements at Lake Martin’s state park are a priority, Lein said, as cabin and campsite rentals, which more than doubled at the park last year during COVID-19 travel restrictions, continued to rise into summer 2021.

“Wind Creek is a core park. Most of its revenues come from camping and day use. That’s different from the resort parks in the system, which are designed around other amenities,” Lein said. “I think we’ve turned the corner here to attract people in the shoulder seasons and in the winter, as well. We’d like to see more of those winter customers, and I think we may find that many of the visitors to those resort parks may find this park, which is on a lake, attractive also.”

Lein said last spring's conversation focused on upgrading at least one section of existing campsites to include 50-amp electrical service and adding more cabins. These accommodations at Wind Creek are filled to capacity almost year-round now, according to the park’s superintendent, Bruce Adams.

While the park contributed some $377,304 in profit to the state system’s bottom line in pre-COVID fiscal year 2019, profits soared to $922,784 for the fiscal year ended September 2020. Adams said the park is busier this year than it was last year and is on track to top last year’s camper numbers.

“We had a lot of new campers last year, and I think they figured out they’re liking it, and they’re coming back,” Adams said.

That’s the story for Montgomery’s Randy Taunton.

“We go to the beach, and it’s not like this. There’s nothing like being at Wind Creek,” Taunton said. “There’s no traffic. This is just relaxing. We love the campfires in the evening, the smell in the air of people cooking. Everybody here is neighborly.”

Taunton had snagged a site midweek last spring's and was preparing for a visit from his grandchildren over the weekend.

“I’ve taught them how to fish, and they love it. Taught them how to bait their hook, how to throw. Right now, I’m just looking for a good fishing spot to take them to here this weekend,” he said.

Local guests like Taunton make up a high percentage of the park’s overnight guests, Adams said. The majority of the 183,482 nights rented in cabins and campsites last fiscal year were rented by Alabama residents, like Alexander City’s Robert Meniefield and his family.

The Meniefields rented a cabin over Mother’s Day weekend, but they come as often as they can to cook out and enjoy the recreational activities the park

With 11 ziplines and six skywalks, the Wind Creek Screaming Eagle offers great lake views

offers, including a large, multi-feature playground in the campground.

“I give this park a 10 out of 10,” said Meniefield’s son Zy, “because that’s as high as it can go. If it went higher, I would give it more.”

The putt-putt course is one of several value-added amenities offered by the park. Last fiscal year, more than 3,200 park patrons played a round of mini-golf on the course. More than 9,500 patrons used the boat launch at the park marina, and more than 25,500 customers visited the on-site country store.

Fishing tournaments launch from the marina year-round, several of which have been televised on national networks, including professional Bassmaster Elite Series events.

“The marina did $411,000 in sales in 2020 and $151,000 in boat rentals,” Adams said.

Boat and RV storage revenues last year were nearly $150,000.

“Our storage is not covered, so we can’t charge what these new places going up around the lake can charge, but we stay full,” Adams said.

The park also partners with concessionaires, private business owners that operate within Wind Creek State Park and pay a percentage of their revenues for the privilege.

Creem at the Creek, a seasonal snack bar in the day-use area of the park, grossed more than $13,000 within the first few weeks of operation this year. The Screaming Eagle Zipline canopy tours also contribute to the park’s bottom line.

The canopy tour offers 11 ziplines and six skywalks in the trees above the day-use areas of the park – some 20 to 70 feet in the air and up to 650 feet in length. Visit alapark.com/parks/wind-creek-statepark/zipline-canopy-tours for costs, age and weight limits and to make reservations.

The park offers a variety of additional recreational opportunities as well. Waterfront campers can launch kayaks or tie up boats below their campsites, taking advantage of sunny afternoons to paddle, explore, bird watch or admire the beauty of the lake. Others float mats, inflatable chairs or tubes in the water to soak up the rays and cool off or spend warm early evenings catching fish.

Riding bicycles is another popular past time and great exercise, as Wind Creek has more than enough miles of roads inside the campground gate alone.

It’s easy for campers to make their own fun at Wind Creek State Park. David and Kim Patrick of Prattville spend two weeks at the park three times a year. When the weather is promising, they bring their turquoise 1958 custom built teardrop camper, which they pull with a restored 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air in the same color. They have owned the car for 25 years and go all out with the 50s-era color with their tent, chairs, rugs and other comfort items.

Devon Ragsdale of Sylacauga and his family come to the park once a month to spend time with his children’s grandparents. Ragsdale cooks a big breakfast on the grill when they visit, and the delectable aroma of

There are many options for children to have fun at Wind Creek

People love climbing the silo to take sunset selfies

Each campsite includes picnic tables, fire pits and grills available for campers to enjoy family time

bacon fills the morning air.

With more than 560 campsites, Wind Creek’s campground is one of the largest state-operated campgrounds in the U.S. All campsites include water and electrical hook-ups; 268 sites also include sewer, and 157 are right on the water. There are 39 premium campsites – known locally as the Hollywood section – that have been renovated with 16-foot wide and 60-foot long concrete pads with 50-amp electrical service, waterfront access, cable and Wi-Fi. Pets are welcome, but check at the park office for rules regarding pets. Rates vary according to season and accommodations.

Make campsite reservations online at reservealapark.com. While premium section sites must be reserved online for seven days in season, other sites in the park can be reserved for shorter periods of time, and the park staff is happy to upgrade a camper to a premium site for fewer than seven days if a premium site is available upon check-in. This policy has helped to keep premium sites occupied on weekdays.

“We try to be as accommodating as possible,” Adams explained.

Taunton said he watches the online reservations for the campground’s premier sites daily and pounces upon cancellations whenever he can make the trip.

“We’re always ready to come up here at any time,” he said with a smile.

Outside the campground, Wind Creek hums with family reunions and birthday parties in the picnic areas, and the swimming beach rings with laughter and cheers from sun up to sun down. Pick-up volley ball games are popular at the beach as well, and the park offers more than 30 miles of trails for hikers, bikers and horse riders.

Vulcan Orienteering Club hosts two events at the park each year, and a number of riding clubs organize horse rides and competitions. A military vehicle display also visits the park each year.

Managing the park is the responsibility of Adams, who is assisted by Larrmy Warren and a full time staff of 17. Seasonal employees swell the ranks to 26, along with a group of dedicated volunteers that, among other tasks, plan and host some of the park’s most popular seasonal events. These include the annual spring Easter egg hunt and the October fall festival, which is attended by thousands of visitors in costume every year.

Throughout the summer, a schedule of activities unfolds for campers, visitors and guests. Nature hikes, movies, games, watermelon carving and rock painting are among the activities offered.

In addition, park personnel are heavily involved in the lake community. The park is the busiest of four-to-six locations where dumpsters are available during the annual Renew Our Rivers cleanup each year. An Alabama Power program that is coordinated locally by Lake Martin Resource Association, ROR has removed more than 122 tons of trash from Lake Martin. In addition to hosting volunteers during the event, park personnel retrieve volunteers’ bags of trash on area roadsides. They participate in local tourism efforts, and last year, the park contributed $198,311 to the local communities through lodging taxes.

The community supports the campground with resources as well. During organized cleanups, the community turns out to help keep the park clean, especially groups of school children and Scouts, Adams said.

“The street department in Alexander City occasionally helps us fill pot holes, repair guard rails and deal with major water or sewer issues. Russell Lands has helped us and Russell Do it Center. Alabama Power is great to us, especially with upgrading. They don’t just repair what’s broken when something needs attention: They upgrade it.

“And when tornadoes came through the area a few years back, people just showed up to help us clean it up. The Home Depot brought a pallet of water and rakes.”

Local businesses advertise annually on the map brochure that is distributed to campers at the registration office, which keeps costs down for the park and encourages campers to visit stores and contribute to the local economy.

The local Walmart also stocks an aisle with RV supplies.

The upgrades that Lein would like to see at Wind Creek State Park could be available to park patrons as early as 2023.

“Wind Creek is very important to the state park system. It is a great example of where we come from. It is not a resort park but a core park. It’s main attractions are camping and day use, and so many people enjoy coming out to this park,” he said. “We just want to support that.”

Time spent at Wind Creek is full of enchanted moments