Welcome to Alabama’s Black Belt,

Where the Culture is as Rich as the Land

The Black Belt of Alabama is one of the last places where you can still experience the true South.

From prehistory, through the antebellum and the War Between the States, to civil rights, the region embodies the South. Today, this beautiful place is home to a burgeoning cultural Renaissance and an emerging natural paradise.

The Black Belt Is...

Full of Wildlife

Swamps teeming with birds.

You can visit the vast swamps of the Tombigbee River at the Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge in Choctaw County. The swamps are full of many animals, especially birds.

Moundville

A Native American city.

Between 500 and 900 years ago, Moundville was a large Native American village and the capital of a chiefdom. The people who lived there shared the same culture, or way of life. Read more

A Gem of the Real South

Image: 

The Black Belt region of Alabama is one of the most unique regional areas in the United States. It was once a thriving agricultural economy, known for its fertile, black soil, that later led the nation in the Civil Rights movement. Stretching across the lower-central portion of Alabama, from the Mississippi to Georgia border, the 19 counties of the Alabama Black Belt region remain primarily rural and economically challenged. However, the geographic area sustains an abundance of natural resources, historical roots, and cultural diversity valued by residents and sought by tourists.

The Alabama Black Belt Heritage Area task force, in partnership with the Alabama Tourism Department and other state, federal, and local organizations, is working with the National Park Service, the Alliance of National Heritage Areas, and the Alabama Congressional delegation to pursue national heritage area designation.

Come explore the Black Belt of Alabama, where the stories are as rich as the land.