Perched up on Mount Chandler, a region of the Appalachian foothills, is an unusual named place known as Horse Pens 40. Here, located among Alabama's Blount Mountain Range, is a natural wonderland of unusual sandstone formations spread across the mountaintop. A natural amphitheater was found in a section of the park, offering some incredible acoustic qualities in an outdoor setting. Over the years this natural arena set the stage for a variety of southern gospel, bluegrass and country music concerts. A long list of entertainers have thrilled the crowds at Steele's Horse Pens 40, including well known artists such as Emmy Lou Harris, Charley Daniels, Allison Krause, Ricky Skaggs and Bill Monroe.
   The name of Horse Pens 40 dates back to the early 1900s when three 40 acre land tracts were claimed by a young Hyatt couple. Early history had shown that inhabitants used this area as a corral, leading to this 40 acre plot to be named Horse Pens 40. The Creek and Cherokee tribes were the last Native Americans utilizing the Horse Pens area. As word spread that these Natives would be forced onto western reservations, many Cherokee left their homes and came to the Horse Pens to hide. Some stayed long enough to settle in the remote hill country, eventually mixing with the local population. Many of the Cherokee descendants still live in the region today.

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