Article Archive

Eufaula blends outdoors with the past

The very mention of Lake Eufaula conjures up images of boats silhouetted against the peach blush of a balmy morning, and smiling anglers lifting big bass from the water. The 46,000-acre impoundment on the southern Alabama/Georgia border boasts of being “The Big Bass Capital of the World,” and few would dispute the claim.

“We host between 30 and 50 bass tournaments a year on the lake,” said Corey Kirkland, director of marketing and communications, and the director of tourism for Eufaula. “And of course there are the recreational fishermen and the other water sports.”

With an average temperature of 50 degrees in the winter, the season for outdoor recreation is nearly year around. The Lake Eufaula shores offer ample camping opportunities with 13 Army Corps of Engineers parks along with Lakepoint Resort State Park. Among its many amenities, the park features an 18-hole public golf course.

During the warmer months, visitors can cool off at nearby Blue Springs State park in a swimming pool fed with crystal clear water from an underground spring. Throughout the year, the water remains a cool 58 degrees, particularly comforting on a hot Alabama summer afternoon.

Eufaula is truly a place where the modern world meets the past. While anglers navigate the lake with the latest GPS technologies and jet skiers bounce across the waves, remnants of the old south rest in nearby neighborhoods.

History buffs will find Eufaula a treasure trove. Among the jewels is Fendall Hall, built by E.B. Young, who also built the first toll bridge across the Chattahoochee River. It served as a confederate hospital during the Civil War. Perhaps Eufaula’s most identifiable feature is the Shorter Mansion. Built in 1884, it was once home to Alabama Governor John Gill Shorter and was featured in the movie “Sweet Home Alabama.” The Seth Lore and Irwinton Historic District contains more than 700 historic and architecturally significant structures.

A number of events lure visitors to the region each year. In April, against the backdrop of blooming azaleas and dogwood trees, the annual Eufaula Tour of Homes takes visitors into the south of the past. Indian Summer is an Arts and Crafts fair held each October in the Historic District. Each August, the downtown area is converted into an art gallery on streets filled with music.

Beyond all of the things to see and do in Eufaula, Kirkland insists that it’s the southern hospitality that lures many visitors into return visits.

“Eufaula really is a great all around place to visit and live,” Kirkland boasted. “With all of the historic homes and undeveloped land, it is like stepping back in time when you come to town. But what really makes Eufaula an amazing place is the people.”

Much of the undeveloped land she speaks of is open for public use. The 11,184-acre Eufaula Wildlife Refuge offers a seven-mile auto tour route, two observation platforms and a one-third mile walking trail for nature enthusiasts to try to get a glimpse, or even a photo, of species like the bald eagle, all manner of waterfowl, alligator, bobcat, peregrine falcon, deer, quail, armadillo and beaver. The refuge hosts a number of special youth hunts during the year and is available to the general public for hunting dove, deer, waterfowl, squirrel and rabbits. Public hunting is also available in the Barbour County Wildlife Management area.

With something for every outdoorsman and the charm of the old south, Kirkland has every reason to be proud of her home.

“Being ranked by Field and Stream magazine as some of the top public hunting in the nation, being the first and only Audubon International Certified Sustainable Community in the nation, having Alabama's oldest Tour of Homes and having some of the best bass fishing in the world is certainly a reason to be proud, but it truly is the people of Eufaula that makes this town so special.”

City of Eufaula
http://www.eufaulaalabama.com

Eufaula Chamber of Commerce
http://www.eufaulachamber.com/

Alabama Bureau of Tourism/Travel
http://www.eufaulaalabama.com

Lakepoint Resort State Park
www.dcnr.state.al.us/parks/lakepoint

Comfort Suites Hotel Eufala
www.comfortsuites.com
(334) 616-0114