HANCEVILLE — Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series highlighting each of Cullman County’s administrative departments. Look for more stories on county departments in upcoming editions of The Cullman Times.



The Stoney Lonesome OHV Park is thriving — it’s been around now for two years — but this Fall the park will see some additions to its amenities that officials believe will solidify its role as one of a very few regional destinations for off-road enthusiasts.

The 1,500-acre park, encompassing more than 100 miles of trails for off-road activities of nearly every type, continually plays host to locals with all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, four-wheelers, mountain bikes — even horses — but it’s rapidly becoming the regional venue of choice for out-of-town organizations seeking a challenging but accommodating location for competitive off-road events.

Park manager John Sellers said Stoney Lonesome — which was created out of appropriated federal money and continues to see improvements based on renewals of annual grants — filled a recreational niche that transcends local interest from the moment it opened in late 2008.

“Better than 60 percent of the traffic we get right now comes from outside the county,” said Sellers. “I think the benefits we can see from that is one of the reasons the commission chose to go forward with the park — they saw the potential for people from outside the county to come here and generate sales tax; to generate other revenues for the county.”

The park, named for one of two creeks that flow through the property, sits on the site of a former hunting lodge that, along with other contiguous pieces of land, the county purchased prior to receiving the first infusion of more than $2.5 million in grant funds — to date — that have grown the park into a destination for off-roaders.

“This was formerly land that was leased to a hunting club,” said Sellers. “When the county first started looking at locating a park, they had considered two different sites — this one, and another — and they ended up with this site because of its size, and the fact that it met all the criteria for the federal grant to establish the park. It was money that was not being used, and Cullman County had historically done a good job with grants, so after some meetings with the county commission, we received the grant monies.”

The money that has gotten Stoney Lonesome off the ground has incrementally funded further development and maintenance at the park. The latest improvement to come online is the park’s environmental center, a single-story cabin that serves as an air-conditioned area where all riders are required to receive instruction on the park’s guidelines and off-road safety before taking to the trails. The center, which opened about a month ago, also offers park information, restrooms and refreshments.

The safety emphasis continues in other aspects of the park’s operation. A deputy with the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office, Shane Chambers, is assigned to Stoney Lonesome as part of a county-wide park patrol, and large events at the park have a waiting EMS vehicle ready to assist in case of mishaps. At closing time each day, the guest logbook is reviewed to ensure that all visitors who’ve checked in have also checked out — if someone hasn’t, staff begins a sweep of the trails to ensure there isn’t an injured guest in need of help.

Since the park first opened, its popularity has climbed. Having played host to the annual tri-state Jeep Jamboree USA event last Spring, park officials have since received word that the event’s organizers, along with sponsors of several other major off-highway vehicle events, are interested in returning in force.

Another particularly noteworthy gathering is expected to bring engineering students from schools throughout the country to Cullman County for a weekend-long competition to design, build and then test endurance vehicles, all on-site.

“The college event, called the SAE [Society of Automotive Engineers] Baja competition, brings in 100 different colleges from around the world to build Baja-style endurance buggies starting with a standard Briggs & Stratton engine,” explained Sellers. “That includes colleges like MIT; Auburn; UAB — schools not only from Alabama, but from across the world. They scouted out the park, and decided they like it enough to rotate it into their schedule every three years.

“So it does draw people from outside,” continued Sellers, “and, regardless of what direct revenues the county sees from it right now, these are people who are going to be spending money in Cullman County. If we can continue to generate interest from the major events — the Jeep Jamborees; the Baja Alabamas and some other events, like the IronMan mountain bike event and things of that nature where people are showing an interest in coming here — I believe we can reach a point at which the park can generate revenues over its expenses. The people who come here — they have some expensive toys. These are not people who mind coming to Cullman County and spending a significant amount of money to pursue a hobby they’re passionate about.”

Assistant park director Cheri Hulsey agreed that the park is on track to grow into a venue that can accommodate the ever-increasing number of guests, many of whom will soon have more options for overnight stays.

“We just opened nine new guest cabins, and had seven of them rented out this past weekend,” Hulsey said. “There will eventually be a total of 20 cabins, and that’s in addition to the 100 RV campsites we’re working on right now. All of it is new construction; it’s things that are here that weren’t here this time last year. We’re also working with the Lions’ Club, which is providing the funding to build a picnic shelter down at the ‘Blue Hole‘ — that’s a water area down at the creek.”

While the big events are doing their part to put Stoney Lonesome on the map, park staff say the regular traffic that locals provide is both welcome and crucial to the park’s popularity and success.

Hours at Stoney Lonesome are currently 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The riding trails — divided into three color-coded levels of difficulty and designated for various types of off-road vehicle uses — are day use only.

The park maintains a website at www.stonylonesomeohv.us that provides current rate information, as well as park rules and safety requirements. One important benefit Sellers noted is the park’s $16 fee, one dollar of which is allotted to an insurance pool that guarantees injured riders will incur no added fees if — knock on wood — they are hurt and must be airlifted from the park.

Fortunately, said Hulsey, that’s never happened.

“We haven’t had to put it to use so far,” she laughed. “We hope we won’t have to. We just want people to realize what we’ve got in Cullman County, and to come out and have a good time at our OHV park.”



* Benjamin Bullard can be reached by e-mail at bbullard@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131 ext. 270.