By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM—For the second year in a row, Oak Mountain State Park was awarded the TripAdvisor.com Certificate of Excellence.

“(The TripAdvisor.com awards) are very special to us because they are rewarded based on customer comments and the positive reviews on TripAdvisor.com, which is a very popular website,” said park superintendent Kelly Ezell. “The positive feedback, to me, speaks a lot when our customers have enough good things to say about us.”

Founded in 2010, the TripAdvisor.com Certificate of Excellence is awarded to properties that consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews — four stars or better — on the website. Winners receive a congratulatory letter, a printed certificate and a window sticker announcing their status.

With 176 reviews, Oak Mountain State Park has an overall rating of 4.5 stars and is ranked the No. 1 thing to do in Pelham. More than 50 percent of the park’s reviews are five stars.

“We are just so happy that people give us those positive reviews,” Ezell said. “It’s always nice to get a pat on back.”

Oak Mountain is one of 10 Alabama state parks to receive this certificate of excellence, and at 9,940 acres it is the state’s largest as well. The park offers more than 50 miles for mountain biking and hiking, along with a pump track and BMX course.

Other park activities include: Flipside Watersports cable skiing, treetop nature trial, boat rentals, an 18-hole golf course and driving range, a demonstration farm and horseback riding facilities.

“Feedback lets us know what our customers are happy about using and the facilities they enjoy,” Ezell said.

All the feedback they receive, she said, allows her to communicate better with the public, determining what amenities are the most popular and which ones need upgrading.

Certificate winners who are awarded five years in a row are inducted into the Certificate of Excellence Hall of Fame, and Ezell said she plans on continuing this trend at Oak Mountain State Park.