Golf
is a year-round activity at Gadsden’s
257-acre Twin Bridges municipal golf course (named in Golf Digest’s
2004 list of America’s Best New Courses) and at the Hidden Oaks,
River Trace, Wills Creek and Gadsden Country Club courses. The 36-hole
Silver Lakes championship golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones
is a 20-minute drive from downtown. Golf Digest’s Metro Golf
Survey ranked Gadsden as the #9 metropolitan area in the nation for
being golfer-friendly.
Noccalula Falls Park, three
miles north of downtown, features a
90-foot waterfall. Nestled among the trees in the park is a pioneer
village, a group of rustic, hand-hewn log buildings representing
a display of
pioneer living conditions. Included in the village are a country store,
grist mill, pioneer home, smoke house, blacksmith shop, schoolhouse,
covered bridge and more. Other park attractions include a botanical
gardens, hiking trails, sightseeing train, playground, carpet golf,
picnic pavilions,
war memorial, law enforcement memorial, campground and meeting facilities.
The James D. Martin Wildlife Park is located on the 300-acre Lake Gadsden
in the center of the city. It contains a boardwalk, bicycle and pedestrian
trails, and pavilions. The wide range of upland, wetland and open water
habitats support a variety of species including water fowl, songbirds,
birds of prey, amphibians, fish, small mammals, insects and native plants.
The Gadsden Sports Complex
consists of a five-field softball complex, a twelve-court tennis
center, a combination football/soccer field,
a baseball field, a one-mile lighted walking track and a sports coliseum.
The complex has hosted numerous local and state-level competitions
in
softball, tennis, soccer, football and basketball. The coliseum is
home for the city’s Therapeutic Recreation Department.
Other municipalities in
Etowah County also have sports complexes, and throughout the county
are public parks, playgrounds and community centers.
Local sports activities include Little
League, Babe Ruth and Pony League baseball; youth football, basketball and
soccer associations; adult softball
leagues and tournaments; tennis tournaments; bowling leagues; swim
meets; and water skiing. There are private schools for gymnastics,
martial arts
and other pursuits, three health clubs and a large YMCA, plus many
non-credit, leisure-activity classes at Gadsden State Community
College.
Gadsden’s Riverside
Bait Shop on the Coosa River is host each year to many local, state
and national fishing tournaments. The city
has co-sponsored such events as Crappie USA, the Bass Federation, Bass
Anglers Sportsmen Society, and the Women's Bass Fishing Association.
Information about hunting seasons and bag limits for deer, dove, quail,
duck, goose, turkey, fox, rabbit, squirrel, raccoon, bobcat, beaver,
wild hog and coyote is at www.outdooralabama.com. There are local ranges
for bow, pistol, rifle, muzzleloader and skeet shooting.
Racing fans will enjoy our
Green Valley Speedway and the Alabama International Dragway. The
Alabama International Motor Speedway and the Barber Motorsports Park
are less
than an hour
away. For hobbyists, there are local go-cart, slot car and R/C race
tracks.
The Chamber of Commerce’s Riverfest is held each summer. More
than 80,000 attend the family-oriented, weekend event, which features
national recording artists, many vendors, children’s events and
other outdoor activities. Click www.gadsdenriverfest for details.
And, for weekend getaways, the Smoky Mountains and Gulf Coast beaches
are within a half-day drive.
