Monte Sano State Park occupies 2,140 acres atop and along the slopes of Monte Sano Mountain east of Huntsville, Alabama, and is valued for both outdoor recreation and its historic character. The mountain gained a 19th-century reputation as a health retreat, most notably through the Hotel Monte Sano, which opened in 1877, and a railway that carried patients uphill from 1888 to 1896. The park itself was developed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps and opened on August 25, 1938, with rustic Arts and Crafts buildings that still define the site. Today it blends those historic features with trails, campsites, cabins, scenic overlooks, and an observatory.