Meadowbrook is an unincorporated community with a population of just over 10,000. The community is part of the Birmingham Metropolitan Area, which is Alabama's second most populated area. There are many things to do in Birmingham and the areas surrounding the Meadowbrook community.
Sports enthusiasts will want to make a stop at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, where memorabilia of famous Alabama athletes are on display. The McWane Science Center is a four-story venue that includes a space center, dinosaur fossils, and interactive exhibits. History buffs can learn about the struggles and triumphs of the civil rights movement at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
The Birmingham Botanical Gardens offers a relaxing green space full of different gardens and outdoor sculptures. You can see the world's largest cast iron statue at Vulcan Park and Museum. The statue was cast from local iron and designed by Italian artist Guiseppe Moretti. The Birmingham Zoo is a great place for a family outing and has elephants and lions on exhibit.
The area around Meadowbrook is beaming with a variety of different cuisines. Johnny's Restaurant is a top-rated restaurant serving classic Greek cuisine and barbecue. Fife's Restaurant offers classic Southern comfort and soul food. If you're more in the mood for Mexican cuisine, Los Amigos Mexican Restaurant offers Tex-Mex cuisine and authentic margaritas.
Campgrounds Near Meadowbrook, Alabama
General Lee Mari and Campground is located on Logan Lake. Swimming, fishing, and boating are popular activities on the lake. The campground offers both back-in and pull-through sites with full hookups, showers, and good cell reception.
Logan Landing RV and Cabin Resort sits on Lake Logan Martin on 142 wooded acres. The campground is pet-friendly and offers full hookups. Back-in and pull-through sites are available with 30-amp electrical service. Amenities include a swimming pool, beach access for swimming, showers, and free Wi-Fi in common areas.
Peach Queen Campgrounds has been a family-owned and -operated campground for four generations. The campground offers a playground, movies, books, and puzzles for family fun activities. There is a laundry facility, a fenced pet area, and a lake stocked with fish. Both back-in and pull-through sites are available with full hookups. The campground offers discounts to military personnel and AAA members.
State Parks Near Meadowbrook, Alabama
Consisting of more than 2,500 acres, Cheaha State Park is the oldest state park in the state of Alabama. It is also home to Alabama's highest point. Cheaha State Park is located at the southernmost tip of the Appalachian Mountains and is full of ancient wind-warped trees and granite boulders. While the park offers a sense of seclusion, it is only 30 minutes away from several downtown areas.
Wind Creek State Park is located on 1,445 acres along the shores of Lake Martin. The lake offers 41,000 acres to fish, swim, or boat. This state park is home to the largest state-operated campgrounds in the United States. A marina, fishing pier, and playground are some of the amenities you will find here. There are several hiking trails to explore and sheltered picnic areas with tables and grills that are perfect places to stop and unwind.
Oak Mountain State Park is Alabama's largest state park and offers nearly 10,000 acres to explore. The park is full of pine and hardwood trees. Visitors enjoy the mountain bike trails and ample opportunities for backpacking. The park features a demonstration farm and horseback riding facilities. There is a public 18-hole golf course located inside the park and several fishing lakes stocked with crappie, catfish, bream, and largemouth bass.
National Sites Near Meadowbrook, Alabama
Established in 2017, the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument honors the protestors of the Civil Rights Movement in 1963. The monument encompasses four city blocks of downtown Birmingham, including the A.G. Gaston Motel, which served as the headquarters of the Civil Rights Movement. The hotel is where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and many other civil rights leaders worked to address segregation laws and practices.
Visit the site of the 1961 bus burning at Freedom Riders National Monument to learn more about the horrific acts of violence against African Americans and the role the freedom fighters played in the fight for civil rights. The monument is also part of the Anniston Civil Rights and Heritage Trail.
In 1996, the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail was established to commemorate the route of the 1965 Voting Rights March in Alabama. The 54-mile route starts at the Brown Chapel African Methodists Episcopal and heads east through Dallas County and Lowndes County along U.S. Highway 80. Visitors can drive the route and stop at significant sites to learn about significant events that took place during the march.
National Forests Near Meadowbrook, Alabama
Talladega National Forest is located in the Appalachian Mountains and consists of heavily forested areas. The forest is a major refuge for mixed mesophytic forests and is home to 28 named mountains. With nearly 400,000 acres to explore, Talladega National Forest is the largest national forest in Alabama and completely surrounds Cheaha State Park. Inside the forest, pine species are dominant, but you can also find stands of easter red cedar, hemlock, oak, ash, and huckleberry. A great number of wildlife species call this forest home, including black bears, bobwhite quail, foxes, coyotes, and endangered species such as gopher tortoises, red-cocked woodpeckers, and flattened musk turtles. Hikers can explore many trail systems for a chance to see wildlife and some of the most beautiful vistas in the state.
William B. Bankhead National Forest is one of the four national forests in the state of Alabama. The forest encompasses over 180,000 acres and is known as the "land of a thousand waterfalls." Sipsey Fork, the only Wild and Scenic River in Alabama, is located in this national park. The forest offers over 90 miles of recreational trails where visitors can go hiking, biking, or horseback riding. There is one trail designated for ATV riding. A thriving population of endangered Black Warrior Waterdogs, a large species of aquatic salamander, call this forest home, and if you're lucky, you might get a chance to see one. Opportunities for camping are abundant in the forest. Corinth Recreation Campground has 52 RV sites with full hookups and other modern amenities.
While Tuskegee National Forest is the smallest national forest in the United States, it still offers 11,000 acres to explore. Eight miles of the Bartram National Recreation Trail run through this forest. The park is a popular getaway for residents in nearby towns to go camping, horseback riding, mountain biking, and target shooting. There are 14 designated primitive campsites in Tuskegee National Forest that are available for use year-round with a permit from the Tuskegee Ranger District office. If you are looking for opportunities to go horseback riding, the Bold Destiny/Bedford Cash Memorial trail offers 15 miles of trails in the northern half of the forest. The trail has many old tree stands, with some hardwoods that are 80-90 years old. You will also find several shallow stream crossings along the way.
