If you’re looking for something fun to do with your family in the final days of summer, check out Flat Rock Park on Harris Lake. The park is one of 68 free, public-use spaces called the Alabama Power Preserves across 12 company reservoirs.

Preserves sites offer hiking trails, fishing piers, boat launches, picnic tables and more where you can soak up the great outdoors year-round.

Adventure on the playground

Preserves playgrounds, considered “Adventure Playgrounds,” are designed to encourage creativity and ingenuity to engage children and unlock their inner confidence. All Preserves playgrounds are also Americans with Disabilities Act accessible.

Take a dip

Flat Rock Park offers about 4,000 feet of shoreline water access for swimming. There is a beach area where you can wade in or sit in the shade on the sand to enjoy the water.

Take a hike

Preserves hiking trails are a great way to experience the beautiful landscape and learn about the wildlife and natural resources in the area. Educational and interpretive signs are strategically placed throughout the parks to help foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the state’s natural resources.

Dig in

Enjoy a picnic or snack with your family under three group pavilions or one of the 42 smaller pavilions with picnic tables. There are also charcoal grills and restrooms on-site.

Experience the ‘Flat Rock’

The most unusual feature of Flat Rock Park is the massive granite rock that juts out into the lake. It’s an excellent spot to fish or look for wildlife in the water. Harris Lake has a wide variety of fish, like largemouth and spotted bass, crappie, catfish and bluegill. You may also notice other types of wildlife along the shoreline – reptiles, like turtles, and birds including herons and ospreys.

The Preserves are protected lands around Alabama Power lakes created to enhance natural resources and allow the public to enjoy the rich, ecological diversity of the state. With lands along the Black Warrior, Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers, there are Preserves within driving distance for everyone in Alabama. To find a Preserve near you, visit apcpreserves.com.