Local leaders gathered Friday to celebrate the addition of a new kayak launch at Lake Guntersville State Park.

Located in the park’s lakefront campground, the launch and adjacent kayak rental service add a new way to access Lake Guntersville for family fun and recreation. The nonprofit Friends of Lake Guntersville State Park (Friends of LGSP) secured funding for the project by applying for and receiving a waterway enhancement grant from the Alabama Scenic River Trail (ASRT).

“We are excited to have expanded access to kayaking opportunities at Lake Guntersville State Park for our guests to enjoy,” said Alabama State Parks Director Matthew Capps. “Lake Guntersville State Park really is an outdoors paradise, from the lake’s world-class bass fishing to the Eagle’s Nest Golf Course to zip-lining and hiking to the annual Eagle Awareness Weekends. This kayak launch expands waterway access for our campground guests, creating yet another wonderful way to stay, play, and explore in Alabama State Parks.”

Local community, business and government leaders joined Alabama State Park leaders and officials from both groups at Friday’s ceremony.

“This is an outstanding example of excellent execution of this waterway enhancement program award, and we are excited to see the positive impact this new kayak launch will have,” said Martha Grace Mize, director of growth and development for the Alabama Scenic River Trail. “Alabama Scenic River Trail’s Waterway Enhancement Program is designed to expand safe, welcoming access points like this across Alabama, helping more people discover and enjoy our state’s incredible waterways.”

Lake Guntersville State Park has two other kayak launches – one at Short Creek and another at Town Creek – and adding another at the campground makes the lake more accessible for campers and anyone using nearby day-use amenities, such as the beach.

The new kayak launch also features the ability to rent single, tandem and children’s kayaks, as well as paddles and life vests.

A sunset paddle, using the new kayak launch, is scheduled for Saturday at 5:30 p.m., and will be led by the Lake Guntersville State Park naturalist.

“We want the State Parks System to be better than ever, and the addition of a new kayak launch at Lake Guntersville State Park helps us achieve that goal,” Capps said. “This new launch will be especially convenient for our campground guests.”

Online campground reservations for Lake Guntersville and all 21 state parks are available at Alapark.com through the “Plan Your Alabama State Parks Adventure Online” portal. Guests are reminded to make reservations in advance to secure their preferred dates.

About Alabama’s State Parks System

The Alabama State Parks is a division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and maintains 21 state parks encompassing more than 50,000 acres of land and water in Alabama. The parks range from Gulf Coast beaches to Appalachian Mountains and provide opportunities and facilities from basic day-use activities to resort convention lodging, restaurants and golfing areas. These parks rely on visitor fees and the support of other partners like local communities to fund the majority of their operations. Learn more at alapark.com.