Let’s be honest, it’s not always easy to hike the trails with small children. Our favorite thing to visit at Oak Mountain with little ones is the Demonstration Farm, where your entire family will be entertained by the friendly goats and various other farm animals that roam the pasture around the round-top barn. After visiting with the animals, you can drive further into the park and follow the signs to one of the many picnic areas or playgrounds. If you feel like your crew is up for an easy walk, try the Treetop Interpretive Nature Trail, where you’ll find an easy trail that takes you through a series of enclosures that house rescued but non-releasable birds of prey. The birds are typically fed by the keepers around 11am so take that as a warning or a sign for what time to plan your arrival! You should also check out the Alabama Wildlife Center while you’re over that way. The center rehabilitates thousands of rescued birds each year and helps to release as many as possible back into the wild. There is no cost to explore the Wildlife Center after you’ve paid your entrance fee to Oak Mountain State Park. The Wildlife Center hosts several special events throughout the year including an Owl-o-ween party and a Christmas craft and bake sale with all sorts of nature-themed goods. After the Wildlife Center, check out the Oak Mountain Interpretive Center where you can learn about and visit several species of animals found in the park. If you packed a picnic before heading to the park, there are lots of options at Oak Mountain for a table with a view. There are picnic tables scattered throughout, many of them by the lake and close to a playground. If you’re getting hungry but didn’t bring food with you, you can check out The Grille, located inside the Pro Shop at the The Oaks Golf Course. The Grille is opened every day except Monday and Tuesday and serves a wide variety of casual fare. There are lots of other family friendly activities available at Oak Mountain State Park. During the warmer months, you can rent kayaks and paddle boats. The marina also has fishing bait for sale. There is also horseback riding at Oak Mountain but you’ll need to make a reservation ahead of time if you’d like to book a guided trail ride along some of the nearly 25 miles of horse trails in the park. For hiking, you’ll find a variety of trails, most of which begin at the North Trailhead. Rangers at the station just inside the entrance gate can help you find the best hike for your individual or group’s experience level. In the summer, pack a swimsuit for a day on one of the two beaches at the lake. There are restrooms at both locations as well as a concession stand at the beach at Double Oak Lake. On Beaver Lake, you’ll find FlipSide Watersports, a wakeboard park that includes an awesome Aquapark with an inflatable obstacle course! You can also rent kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and canoes. Oak Mountain State Park truly is a location for people of all ages and the park rangers are more than happy to help guide you to the best activities for your particular group of visitors. Whether you’re camping for the weekend or just visiting for the day, we feel sure you’ll want to return soon to enjoy the peaceful beauty of the creeks and trails, lakes and mountain views of Oak Mountain.