Sherling Lake Park is a camping and fishing-oriented park located less than 5 minutes from I-65, just 3 miles west of Greenville in Butler County. The park features rolling hills well-stocked with mature, open pines along the ridges and all-age mixed pine-oak woods in the valleys and bottoms. The understory varies, but in spots there are thickets of Wax myrtle and smaller shrubs. There are two lakes ' designated upper and lower ' connected by a walking trail.

Begin with the emergent second-growth acreage that lies to the north (across AL-263) from the park entrance. You will find Prairie Warblers, Indigo Buntings, Blue Grosbeaks, Northern Bobwhites, and Common Yellowthroats from spring through fall. In colder months, look for Gray Catbirds, American Goldfinches, Palm and Orange-crowned warblers. Year-round you can spot Field Sparrows, Eastern Towhees, and Eastern Bluebirds.

Just past the entrance and the small headquarters building, the park road forks. The left fork proceeds to the campground area, and the right fork leads to the lake(s) and trail.

This is one of the rare campgrounds to allow non-campers passage into the camping areas. Check for birds around campsites; for instance, look for hummingbird feeders (and the attendant hummingbirds) in late summer and fall, and for seed feeders that may attract uncommon visitors in the winter.

The right fork passes through picnic grounds by a shelter and a restroom building. The habitat here consists of gently rolling hills; the ridges are forested in mature pines and intermixed oaks with an open understory. The lowlands are stocked with hardwoods and shrubs. This portion of the park is one of the better spots for many miles to find spring and fall migrants. This is a good area for woodpeckers, including breeding pairs of flickers and Pileated Woodpeckers. Red-headed Woodpeckers are residents. They're most numerous near the water at the end of the road, as well as in the campground area. Brown-headed Nuthatches and Pine Warblers are numerous in the pines. Look for Golden-crowned Kinglets from October through early April.

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Listed in:

• Ecotourism