- William B. Bankhead National Forest
Infobox Protected area
name = William B. Bankhead National Forest
iucn_category = VI
caption =
locator_x = 193
locator_y = 116
location = Winston, Lawrence, and Franklin counties,Alabama , USA
nearest_city = Decatur, AL
lat_degrees = 34
lat_minutes = 14
lat_seconds = 14
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 87
long_minutes = 20
long_seconds = 4
long_direction = W
area = convert|181230|acre|km2|0|lk=on
established =June 17 ,1942
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = U.S. Forest ServiceThe William B. Bankhead National Forest is
Alabama 's largestNational Forest , with convert|181230|acre|km2|0|lk=on, [ [http://www.fs.fed.us/land/staff/lar/2007/TABLE_6.htm Table 6 - NFS Acreage by State, Congressional District and County] -United States Forest Service - September 30, 2007] and is home of Alabama's onlyNational Wild and Scenic River , the Sipsey Fork. It is located in northwestern Alabama, around the town ofDouble Springs ; it is named in honor ofWilliam B. Bankhead , a longtime U.S. Representative from Alabama. [cite web|url=http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/alabama/forests/|title=National Forests in Alabama|accessdate=2008-10-05|work=USDA Forest Service|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture]Known as the "land of a thousand waterfalls," this vast monument to nature and man is popular for hiking, horseback riding, hunting, boating, fishing, swimming, canoeing and more. Within the forest lies the
Sipsey Wilderness with a host of wildlife and an abundance of swift streams, limestone bluffs, and waterfalls. Native American relics abound in Bankhead, one of the Southern United States's premier sites forpetroglyph s, prehistoric drawings, and rock carvings.The forest is headquartered in Montgomery, as are all four National Forests in Alabama (Conecuh, Talladega, Tuskegee, and William B. Bankhead). There are local ranger district offices located in Double Springs. Bull sharks have been seen in Clear Creek, located near Camp Mcdowell.
The forest was established as
Alabama National Forest on January 15, 1918 with 66,008 acres. On June 19, 1936 it was renamedBlack Warrior National Forest , which in turn was renamedWilliam B. Bankhead National Forest on June 17, 1942. [citation|title=PDFlink| [http://www.foresthistory.org/Research/usfscoll/places/National%20Forests%20of%20the%20U.S.pdf National Forests of the United States] |341 KB|date=September 29, 2005|author=Davis, Richard C.|publisher=The Forest History Society]References
External links
* [http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/alabama/forests/bankhead/index.shtml William B. Bankhead National Forest]
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