If you're in the mood for an adventure that's both spooky and scenic, then Jackson Lake Island is your bone-chilling idea of paradise.
Tim Burton targeted this grassy island in the Alabama River as the set for his 2003 movie "Big Fish." In the film, characters traipse through an enchanted forest to a town of seemingly perfect homes, storefronts and streets, with an eerily haunting twist.
Film crews built sets for the movie, but neglected to tear them down afterward. As a result, Jackson Lake Island boasts a village of dilapidated dreams that has weathered with time.
Photographer Johnny Joo took a visit the island recently, and came away with some haunting footage.
"It's almost whimsical... it is one place that I had thought only existed within the film," he told HuffPost. "It's a fun place, really."
Indeed, travelers may be surprised to find that Jackson Lake Island isn't all doom and gloom. It's actually a bright and sunny recreation spot most of the time, famous for the original "big fish" that await fishermen.
Visitors can also kayak, camp overnight, and mingle with friendly goats who roam this unexpected patch of bliss.
"You don’t think about going to an island when you think about Alabama," said Bobby Bright, who co-owns the island with his wife Lynn. "You think about a lot of things, but not an island."
Explorers can visit any day of the week through Jackson Lake Island's unmanned entrance gate: They just need to call Bobby for the gate code and leave $3 in the vintage collection box.
Bobby plans to build a treehouse on the island this year, in addition to repairing some of the deteriorating "Big Fish" houses, he told HuffPost. A virtual tour on the island's Facebook page reveals goats, fish and some seriously serene sunsets.
You can find more footage of Jackson Lake Island, as well as photo prints for purchase, on Johnny Joo's website.
H/T Country Living
Related
Before You Go
