Quick trip to Baldwin County, Alabama leads to ‘Crystal Lake’

Byrnes Lake in Baldwin County, Alabama

Crystal needed me to run some errands in Malbis and Daphne on Saturday, so I got up before daylight and set off early in order to take care of what needed to be done. I got finished around 10 o’clock and then began easing back towards the house. As I made my way north on State Highway 225, I thought about all the landmarks that can be seen along this 24-mile-long scenic highway between Spanish Fort and Stockton.

Not far out of Spanish Fort is the Historic Blakeley State Park. Its claim to fame is that it’s the site of the Battle of Fort Blakeley, which was the last major battle during the War Between the States. I’ve done some hiking and camping here in the past, and it’s a fine place to spend a weekend, especially if you like Alabama history.

I recently read in a book called “Native American Mounds in Alabama” by Dr. Gregory L. Little that there are some old Indian mounds in this park. I’d never heard of those mounds before, and Little’s book says you can see them by hiking the park’s Cockleshell Mound Trail. This trail will take you to a 30-foot-tall pyramid-shaped mound that has a base 100 feet long.

A little farther up the road is the historic Saluda Hill Cemetery, which dates back about 200 years. Among the graves there is the grave of Zachariah Godbold, the only known Revolutionary War veteran buried in Baldwin County. Just eye-balling it, I’d say that there are about 30 old graves there today inside a brick wall enclosure.

Just up the highway from there is the relatively new Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery. This cemetery is filling up quickly. The first burials there were made in April 2013 and in just 10 years, over 3,500 people have been buried there.

Between there and the Crossroads community, you’ll come to Byrnes Lake Road. I’d read about Byrnes Lake before, but had never seen if for myself. Not having anywhere pressing to be on Saturday morning, I turned down the paved road to the lake for a quick look around.

A few miles later, I got out of my vehicle and walked out onto the wooden dock at the boat landing. Several full-sized trucks with empty boat trailers were parked a short distance away, but no one else was around. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

It was then that I remembered that Byrnes Lake is somewhat famous because its where “Friday the 13^th Part VII: The New Blood” was filled in 1987. Those of you who have seen this movie will remember that it’s the one where a teenage girl unwittingly releases hockey mask-wearing Jason Voorhees from his tomb at the bottom of “Crystal Lake,” allowing him to go on another killing spree. The cast of this movie included Terry Kiser, who is probably most famous for his role as Bernie Lomax in the 1989 movie, “Weekend at Bernie’s.”

In the end, if you ever find yourself on State Highway 225 with a few minutes to spare, any of these landmarks are worth checking out. Aside from the state park, it doesn’t cost anything to visit the other locations. Of course, I wouldn’t suggest rewatching “Friday the 13^th Part VII” until after your trip to Brynes Lake.