SPANISH FORT, Ala. — The Alabama Hiking Trail Society wants you to take a hike!

The society will be celebrating National Trails Day June 7, from 9 a.m. to noon at Blakeley Historic State Park.

National Trails Day was created by the American Hiking Society as a day set aside to celebrate the nation's many foot paths that lead to beautiful landscapes that otherwise could not be seen by the average person and also to educate the public about the health benefits of hiking.

The Alabama Hiking Trail Society, the state's nonprofit hiking and trail organization, selects a location each year for the state celebration, and according to the group's vice president of publicity, Joe Cuhaj, Blakeley was a natural choice.

"Our Gulf Coast chapter recently helped Blakeley recover some of their trails after the devastating hurricane seasons of the past few years. It is an amazing park with an amazing history that everyone should visit at least once," Cuhaj said.

The event will highlight the park's history as Blakeley's director JoAnn Flirt gives a short history lesson that dates back to a Native American presence more than 1,500 years ago to the last major battle of the Civil War.

Then attendees will hit the trail with a short hike along the breastworks and redoubts that were built during the Civil War, and then along the beautiful boardwalk for a look at the second largest river delta in the country — the Mobile-Tensaw Delta.

After the hike there will be a presentation on Leave No Trace, a set of practices that you can use to help protect the environment not only on the trail but in everyday life as well. There will also be information about AHTS who is getting ready to help the Forever Wild program build new hiking trails on the agencies property along the Perdido River in Baldwin County. Cuhaj encourages families to join the hike.

"Hiking is a great family activity. There is so much a parent can share with their children while out on the trail. And hiking doesn't have to be a long, 15-mile walk. Something as simple as what we will be doing for Trails Day brings families together and makes memories," Cuhaj said.

AHTS will also have free hot dogs and drinks for attendees of the event. There is a $3 park admission fee. The Alabama Hiking Trail Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing, promoting, protecting, and maintaining hiking trails for all to enjoy across the state. Locally, AHTS has helped with trail maintenance at Little River

State Forest in Atmore and Blakeley. The group also organizes hikes and a wide variety of activities across the state throughout the year.

To learn more about the National Trails Day event at Blakeley, contact Joe Cuhaj with AHTS at 251-533-1812 or by email at publicity@hikealabama.org. To learn more about AHTS, visit them online at hikealabama.org.