Roland Cooper State Park, Nature reserve on Dannelly Reservoir, Wilcox County, Alabama.
Roland Cooper State Park is a nature reserve along Dannelly Reservoir in Wilcox County, Alabama, combining wooded land with a nine-hole golf course and several fishing spots on the water's edge. The shoreline is lined with trees that give the grounds a shaded, woody feel throughout most of the year.
The Alabama Department of Conservation opened the park in 1969 to protect natural land near Camden and give the public a place to use it. At the time, the area had little public outdoor access, and this was one of the first state parks created in the rural southwest of the state.
Roland Cooper sits along Alabama's Black Belt Birding Trail, a route that connects spots where bird watching is especially rewarding. Walking quietly through the grounds, visitors often spot waterbirds and woodland species at close range throughout the year.
The park offers several ways to stay overnight, from furnished cabins to basic camping spots, so it helps to decide on a lodging style before arriving. Bringing your own gear for fishing or golf is a good idea, as on-site rentals are limited.
The park holds an official Dark Sky designation, meaning light pollution is low enough that the Milky Way can be seen with the naked eye on clear nights. This makes the sky above the reservoir one of the darkest in Alabama.
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