Home of the University of Montevallo Bass Anglers Association, the campus lake was developed in the late 1940s and early 1950s and continues to be a source of student learning and recreation today. The University of Montevallo wishes to develop a student retreat area on the campus lake. UM has proposed to build a lodge with classroom space which can be utilized by both UM teachers and students as well as students and teachers from secondary schools across the state.

The retreat area will also feature study areas, a walking/running trail, with a 9-station Par Course, a beach front area near the picnic pavilion, an amphitheater for student productions, music shows, concerts, graduations, etc., and a boathouse where students will have access to paddleboats and kayaks.

The study areas will provide students with a quiet, scenic place to study or rest without the distractions of everyday campus life. The amphitheater will offer a unique and exciting outdoor venue for hearing music and watching plays, while the walking/running trail will give students a place to exercise in the fresh air. UM believes this “green space” will be attractive for incoming students as well as highly congregated by current students year-round.

Update – Installation of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama Fitness Trail at UM’s University Lake has recently been completed. The trail is a 10-station par course that winds through the woods next to the 16-acre lake, providing a great opportunity for participants to enjoy a scenic route and fresh air while exercising. The trail is a spur off the existing hiking trail that begins at Orr Park, winds through the UM campus and continues to the University Lake area and on to Stephens Park.

The par course combines scientifically designed exercises with walking or jogging to provide a well-balanced physical fitness routine. Individual exercise stations with apparatus are spaced along a 1.3-mile walking/running trail loop. Participants proceed from one exercise station to the next and perform the exercise illustrated at each station. A written description showing how to perform each exercise, as well as a diagram showing the exercise from start to finish, is displayed at each station. The exercises are easily adaptable for all ages and can be modified to accommodate individual fitness levels and physical limitations.

View photos of Eco Park.