Best Cabin Camping near Fruithurst, AL

Cheaha was such a pleasant surprise. More like a resort, this park had tent camping, RV camping, a pool, a lake, cabins, a playground, and a restaurant with a view. We had a little trouble with the upper tent sites not being level because we have a roof top tent, but we were able to switch our site to one that was more level without much hassle. The views were just amazing, and it was lovely to have access to a pool.

This park is located on the highest point in Alabama. It has a great camp store with most basic groceries, hotel, cabins/chalets, group lodge, restaurant with gorgeous views, pool, 6 acre lake ALONG with great hiking trails. There is also a dog park and in general this is a very pet friendly 🐶state park. (Bring the groceries you need- closest grocery store is a 20-30 min drive)and know that the restaurant is decent but it may have varying hours during off seasons.) . 🚍⛺️campground- there are two campgrounds with full hookups. The Upper campground at the top is the mountain near all the major trailheads, restaurant, camp store and pool. The Lower Campground at the bottom of the mountain is near the small lake with swimming area and walking trail around the lake. We stayed at the Upper and in February we had the whole campground to ourselves most of our 2 week stay. All the sites are updated and have water, 30/50 amp electric, sewer, picnic table and fire ring or grill. Bathrooms at upper level can be an uphill or downhill walk. *💲this state park has a $4.75 reservation fee and a 3.75% daily “resort fee” on your base campsite rate. Both of those are not deal breakers but good to know. (Especially since the pool is only open for a limited time)

🏡 there are chalets and cabins. I felt the cabins had the better views than the chalet and more private but these are smaller and more rustic. When you are making reservations for a cabin or chalet be sure to check the occupancy rate for the cabin you choose- some are limited to 2 people and look👀 at the amenities of each cabin/chalet- some are quite rustic but descriptions are given. Good news is that they do have pet friendly cabins.

🏕there are semi/primitive and backcountry style sites. ✏️Note that the semi primitive camp sites (the ones on Tower Road) don’t have a shower house for you to use- there is a bathroom available. If you plan to hike a lot and don’t want to drive your car- try to get sites on the upper part of park. (My personal pet peeve is driving daily to a trailhead when I am camping)

📌There is also a hotel with motel like rooms (near the pool and restaurant) and you can even rent an entire lodge for groups that was very attractive from the outside (this was located at top of mountain near the overlook trail-not really walking distance to pool and restaurant)

🥾hiking - 10.5 miles of hiking in the boundaries of the park with connectors to the Pinhoti. The hiking trails had spectacular views on both sides of the mountain. Hiking poles were helpful! While the .3 mile wooden boardwalk to Bald Rock is stroller and mobility challenged friendly, most of the other hikes were moderate to strenuous for the average person. For example- There is a one mile trail straight down the mountain to the lake and lower campground. That said, we loved the hiking here. Next time we plan to bring our larger back packs and do an overnight on a section of the Pinhoti. Did I mention how awesome the views were hiking?

🚵 mountain biking- there are 5 trails that are multi use... and hikers must yield to bikers on these. While we were here there was a mountain biking race. 🚴‍♀️road biking- the roads in the park had some incline...but I was glad to have my bike to roam the upper part park where we camped. (We don’t bring a tow vehicle) My husband biked outside of the park and you can decide for yourself if you would have fun road biking here after you drive UP the mountain roads to the Visitor Center. *It is 3 miles from the visitor center/park entrance to the lower campground/lake area via non park roads. 🛶- we didn’t paddle here, it was not near our campground and it is only a 6 acre lake/pond. There is a swimming/wading.

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

We had a two day primitive camping trip at site P109. Nicely shaded site. Water spigot between out site and P107. It had stone fire rings. No picnic grill. Only problem for me was very rocky terrain. The primitive campgrounds only have toilets, if you want a shower you will have to purchase a shower pass for improved campground bath house. Looking at surrounding sites I believe P108 and P120would have been great sites. P108 for a great sunset and P120 for a great sunrise. We stayed in Cabin 3 next two nights. Cabins 1-4 &16 are in one area and provide the best views. For a great sunset view from your patio while cooking out or just chilling, choose cabin 1. There are lots of hiking trails and 3 waterfalls in the park. There is a rich history with the Civilian Conservation Corps here and if you want to learn more there is a quest that begins at the store and takes you around the park. The CCC built the observation bunk house, the custodian cabin and garage, the water reservoir, several cabins, Cheaha lake and the bath house at the lake. All built by hand in the 1930s. An amazing place with amazing views and an amazing history.

This is a great campsite for anyone who wants to check out this amazing peak but doesn’t have an interest in backpacking. They have many options including cabins and villas as well as RV sites and tent only. There are also several trails that leave right from the campground and some easy walks to beautiful views. This is definitely one of the most beautiful places in Alabama and one of my favorite to visit.

Great memories have been had here.

They recently renovated the upper loop.

It has a store, cabins, lodge, pool ,etc

Down in the valley there is a lake with a playground and day activities areas

This area has so many hiking trails. Trails and waterfalls. This park is the highest point in Alabama. We went MLK weekend it was busy but by Monday we had the campground to ourselves for 4 days. Great trails and waterfalls. Trails are easy to difficult. Bathrooms and showers are separate which was kind of nice to have a whole single room for each shower. Camp store was well stocked. Nearest store was 30-45 min away. Park has a lodge, restaurant, cabins, and a motel. We stayed in upper campground but there is a lower campground closer to the small lake. Alabama is finally putting money back into the parks and remodeling and improving areas. Camp sites are open and some are rocky. The views at the park are amazing!!! This is one of my favorite places!!

nice new state park along the Chatahoochee River. walk in sites along the river are nice and quiet. 2 campground loops can get full on weekends in season but a pretty quiet place usually. they have just built cabins this year.

We

WWe stayed on one of the cabins and for about a week. This place has amazing views from the park and drive in. It has long, short, easy and difficult trails. A big variety for all. The restaurant has good floor for an affordable price and it also has an amazing view. I would recommend this park to any family.

Home of Alabama's highest point, this state park offers great camping and hiking. Sitting at 2,407 feet, Cheaha Mountain is a great spot to get some nice views of Dixie Land. As a kid growing up in the state, we used to camp here each fall with our extended family.

The park offers a variety of camping options from campgrounds (primitive and improved), to cabins and chalets and even a hotel. So this park really has something for everyone. Some sites in the improved campground have hookups, but not all of them do so be sure to reserve the appropriate spot for your needs. There are nice bathroom facilities in both improved campgrounds that are well maintained.

The hiking here really is top notch and this location is great for exploring the area. In just under an hour you can Explore DeSoto Caverns as well as Little River Canyon National Preserve. For more info check out: https://www.nps.gov/liri/index.htm

Campground Review:

Overall summary: A great campground with sites for tents, RVs, and even cabins. Well organized so that different camping experiences have designated spaces making for better experiences for everyone.

My wife and I stayed at this campground with another couple who are friends of ours from Atlanta while bike packing parts of the Silver Comet Trail. We spent the whole day covering about 35 miles on our bikes with gear on the back having an amazing time. We were even able to stop for lunch in Rockmart and take a nice break. Since I knew it was going to be one of the first beautiful weekends of fall and that there would probably be a crowd I emailed the campground in advance to make a reservation. They told me that they don’t have staff on the premise working over the weekend but that they would hold a site for us. When we arrive that afternoon we found many sites available along the road so we just went and grabbed and envelope to pay and set up camp in a semi-private area next to what looked like a vacant small cabin.

Getting settled we were also able to explore around the site a little more and found that it was set up to have several different campground areas divided for different purposes. There is a huge field right along the main entrance that is designed for groups of bike campers where you can set up wherever then use the picnic and gazebo area for cooking and hanging out. This is also the area with the bathrooms (a retrofitted trailer) and there are several benches and swings. Continuing along the main road in the ground to the right are many small campgrounds for private groups interspersed with a couple small cabins. On the other side of the road are RV sites for people wishing to stay for a couple nights only. If you continue on and head up the hill there is a whole separate section of the camp set up for long term RV sites with monthly rental options. Additionally, right across the road from where we stayed were 2 small shower rooms that have a sink but no toilet and hot water for showers.

After getting settled in we began working on getting a fire going and were trying to use a small knife to break down some larger logs we found. The gentleman staying in the cabin saw us struggling and offered to grab his chainsaw and break down the wood for us. We happily obliged and got to chatting with him. He told us that it is actually his father-in-law who owns the place and that he stays in the cabins sometimes when they aren’t being used. Later on the owner came by to pick him up and I cannot express just how wonderful, welcoming, and friendly they both were. It was an amazing experience and they could not have been more gracious hosts. The only downside was that many of the tent sites are close together but everything else about the site is very well managed and organized. You can tell that the owner really takes good care of everything and values the environment he has built.

We had a restful night sleep and continued on our trek the next day. If you are in the area and have a chance to spend the night here I would highly recommend it!

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Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to try out new and interesting products at campgrounds I visit. On this trip, I tried out the Renogy E.TUNES Solar Bluetooth Speaker. My takeaways from using the combo speaker/solar charger are:

1. The solar panel actually works and is effective if you have full sun and can leave it out to be exposed for a while. I found a great spot was on the dashboard of the car while we were biking for the day. It has an indicator light that lets you know if you have it angled correctly and if it is charging. Then there are lights that blink and fill in as it charges so you can know when it is done. A couple hours out in the sun is enough to recharge the battery completely and give you several hours of music time.
2. Wow the speaker has some serious umph. I will be honest that I wasn’t expecting much from this speaker. I thought it would be a small thing that would be good for those occasions where I want to listen outside on a short hike or at a campground in the evening but the sound from this thing is no joke. It actually has a separate bass built in so you get really loud high quality sound. The speaker itself doesn’t have volume control so you will need to use the bluetooth connected music device to adjust that. However, you can skip songs and pause/play so that is a nice feature. I have actually started using this speaker at home in parallel with another when we project movies outside since it gives such a nice addition to the sound.
3. USB outlet for phone charging. This was a wonderful feature for a car camping trip where we weren’t worried about the extra weight but didn’t want to have to bring along another battery pack to keep up with at the campground. We could just charge our phone and play music all in one device.
4. Finally, the speaker is very well built and durable especially with the additional rubber bumper you can add on. I have accidentally dropped it a couple times already with not even any visible wear let alone effect on the functionality.

Overall, I would say this speaker is well worth the value and an amazing addition not only to your camping gear but also perfect for around the house or just a day at the beach. It charges quickly, puts out some wonderful sound, and comes with a slew of extra features.

The primitive sites (for tents) were a bit close and not as private as I like. 

They offer platform camping and those sites seem a bit more secluded (and are in a separate area from the tent sites). 

There are 4 cabins available to reserve and they have great amenities (running water, electricity)

We looked at them once there and think next time we will do this with the kids. 

2 rangers live in the park full time and there is a large welcome center/ gift shop with basics for sale should you forget anything.

Chattahoochee Bend state park is located about 30 minutes west of Newnan, GA. It's located on the Chattahoochee river and is a surprisingly large area. The park has a number of trails for hiking and mountain biking. There are cabins and tent camping sites separate from the rv sites. Rv camping area has large, level gravel sites with water, 30/50 amp electric and cable. Two dump stations help eliminate waiting in long lines when you're ready to hit the road again. Bath house looks like new and is well cared for. On site host is keeping the place in tip top shape. We'll definitely be returning to this park. Highly recommended. Only negative - no cell service while we were there.

We stayed in the Lower Improved Campground - the campground itself has been renovated in the last few years, so the amenities are relatively new and updated. Power, water, and sewer (for those in RV's). The campground was clean and well patrolled by park staff. Note to tent campers like us: some of the sites are more intended for RV's, and the pads are extremely compacted, making it very difficult to drive stakes. 

The real charm here is the remoteness and the feel of the park - it feels like step back in time to when a summer campout was a step away from civilization. While the park expects to add wifi in the future, you won't find it here (or anywhere close) at the moment. Cell phone coverage is fairly spotty. The park is surrounded on all sides by the Talladega National Forest and the Cheaha Wilderness, with easy access to a multitude of hiking and biking trails. Several waterfalls can also be accessed, making for a fun day on the trail coupled with a nice swim! (Note - NFS sites are closed at the time of this review, so some of the trails have limited access or significantly longer hikes than usual to see the waterfalls).

The lake area by the lower campground is perfect for the summer. fishing, swimming, and paddle boating in a mountain setting - just like the summer camps of old!! Makes for a fantastic time. 

the main park on top of the mountain includes additional campgrounds as well as a restaurant, deck, pool, and hotel that overlook the mountain. Also are several cabins, chalets and other park structures originally built in the 1930's by the CCC. Most are in remarkable shape and lend a rustic and timeless feel to the place. 

Several trails lead to scenic overlooks, with varying degrees of difficulty. Heads up - the topography is STEEP, especially the Lake Trail. Particularly to note here - there is an ADA compliant boardwalk leading to the Bald Rock overlook, so the views are accessible to all. A great addition from my younger years!

All in all - a good place to get away in the mountains for a few days!

Chattahoochee Bend State Park is located on bend of the Chattahoochee River southeast of Atlanta, near Columbus GA. This is one of Georgia’s largest and newest state parks, with five miles of river frontage on the Chattahoochee. The campground has about 40 sites, some pull-they, but little shade. There are also some walk-in tent sites, and platform sites. The standard sites are water & electric, there is a bathroom/shower, and a dump station. There are cabins if you are not a camper. This is mostly a fishing/hiking park. A boat ramp provides access to the river for boaters and canoeing and there are six miles of wooded trails are open for hiking. There is an observation platform with views of the river and forest, but visibility was limited because of the trees. There isn’t much here but the river trail. But it is close to Columbus, GA, there are some zip-line places near by, and Roosevelt’s Little White House are close.

Great get away camping. Nothing nearby. Talledega is 45 minutes away. No Verizon signal at all couldn’t even make a call. There is a cell phone tower on top of the mountain but not sure of the carrier. We stayed on the top campground elevation 2474ft.

On our trip to Cheaha State Park we stayed in the lower campground, which features very roomy RV sites, some with really nice views, and all with full hookups including power, water, and sewer.  There is no cable or wifi available however, and cell service is pretty spotty.  There is also an upper campground with RV sites in the park and separate tent and primitive camping sites available.

The lower campground is right next to Cheaha Lake, which is a small lake, but large enough for some kayaking and features a sandy beach swimming area and a nice playground (see video).  There are also pavilions and picnic areas around the lake.  There is a nature center by the lake that has some interesting nature exhibits and a few live animals to check out.

There are lots of great hiking trails, mostly toward the top of Mount Cheaha in the park itself, and there are several different overlooks with spectacular views.  The main overlook has an easy boardwalk trail that leads to it from the parking area and is wheelchair accessible.  There's also a pool, lodge, cabins, and a restaurant on the mountain in the park.

The main road that leads to the park and campgrounds has some pretty steep and long uphill and downhill sections.  Nothing too crazy, but I would suggest that you make sure your tow vehicle can handle it without overheating the engine or transmission, especially in the heat of the summer.

Cheaha Lower Campground Tour:

https://youtu.be/iH4gYju0YRE

Cheaha Lake Fly Around:

https://youtu.be/IOGloJ\_Ob6E

This campground is park of the Noccalula park system and a great weekend get away. Located on what we call “The Mountain” it sits next the Noccalula falls and the gorge with trails for hiking, bike riding and running. The camp ground is very clean and people are very nice

Nice facilities, clean and well laid out. Very crowded right now due to people looking to get outdoors during this crisis. Family friendly with a ton of kids running around so maybe not the best place for a quiet getaway. We bought a Forest River No Boundaries 10.6 today and wanted to give it the inaugural run and this spot was about the only available one near Atlanta, so here we are!

General: Two improved campgrounds (Upper and Lower), two primitive campgrounds, chalets, cabins, and a motel. We camped in the improved Upper campground, so this review is focused on that. I would recommend you arrive during daylight hours as it was challenging for us to find our site in the dark! There is very limited cell service in the park and none in the campgrounds. 

Site Quality: Gravel and pavement; most looked level. They are all rated tent/RV and small- medium– large and they mean it! We have an 18-foot campervan, and we were pretty snug in Site 19. Also, it was hilly and the angle to back into the site was somewhat challenging. All of the sites are FHU. We were warned that freezing temperatures were expected during our stay and that we could not stay connected to water or the spigot would break if not drained and that we would be charged a $125 repair fee. Each site has a metal picnic table, a BBQ grill, and a fire ring with a grate. 

Bathhouse/Shower: Basic but clean. No hooks to hang toiletry bags but it looks like there used to be some. The showers looked a bit sketchy but since it was so cold during our visit, I didn’t feel the need to check them out. Plenty of toilet paper but hubby reported that in the men's room, there always seemed to be toilet paper unraveled all around the restroom! 

Activities/Amenities: Several short hiking trails and longer forest service ones nearby. Mountain biking, although I read on the All Trails app that the trails are extremely challenging for biking. I agree that with so many leaves covering the roots and rocks, the trails were more challenging (hubby slipped and fell on one hike). There is a small store and a pool for in-season. Rappelling is also popular in this park but requires a permit. There was a small informative CCC museum (there was significant evidence of the work of the CCC in the park). There was also a small “fairy garden” near the entrance that was quite adorable. There was a postcard in the store that showed an impressive waterfall but it was completely dried up in November! There used to be a restaurant/bar but it has been closed indefinitely due to staffing issues. 

Cheaha State Park prides itself on being a Leave No Trace Park (one of about a dozen in the US) but while there were two large dumpsters by the campground, there were no recycling bins.

Price is a bit high considering electricity is not included. They also charged $25 per person a month above 2 people which adds up when you have 3 children. They have a pool, playground, activity center where they do arts and crafts and activities, clean laundry and bath facilities, and some other amenities geared towards children and families. However, the downside was the high cost of electricity and the issue I had at check out. When coming in as a monthly rental they do background checks on every adult. They offered to wave the fees for me and my husband but when it came time to check out the manager was very confrontational and acted like I was lying when he tried to charge me and I told him I was told the fees were waved. After being treated so poorly he called around to other employees and discovered I was actually not supposed to be charged. No apology or change of temperament, just justified his actions by saying “I’m the boss and supposed to ok things like that around here.” Management could definitely be improved.

Cheaha State Park is a absolute must visit if you're living in Alabama or visiting. I finally had the opportunity to explore the highest point in Alabama and the beginning on the Pinhoti Trail, which connects Alabama to the Appalachin Trail. However, I am going to describe my hiking and camping experience on the Rock Garden Trail. The trail can be done at the bottom of the mountain or from the top. I started from the top and enjoyed some beautiful views. There were places were I could repel and places where I can set up my hammock and enjoy the beautiful Alabama sunset. This experience has been one of my best thus far since I have not hiked outside of the south eastern area of the country, it was hot during the day, but very cool during the night which allowed me to sleep spectacular. The hike was difficult in areas because there were parts that were straight incline going up the mountain. I would definitely go back.

This campground is located at the highest point in Alabama. You are surrounded by beauty with plenty of opportunities for hiking. The sites are not crowded and very quiet. You can sit and enjoy looking at the stars and listening to the sounds of nature.

Bugspray and a screen tent are a plus because Alabama grows an abundance of mosquitoes. Headlamps or flashlights are a necessity because the ground is not level and has many toe catchers. The area for the camper or tent is fairly level and has well placed water and electricity hookups.

The Mountain Laurel was in bloom and was breathtakingly beautiful. Well worth the trip. The store was well stocked

I have hiked the back country here and lots of good sites with adequate water make it a good backpacking adventure for beginners. The lodge is good for a meal when you are done and some amazing north Alabama views

The kids love hiking around Alabama’s highest peak! There is a lake at the base of the mountain that stays busy in summer but it’s not terribly crowded. The laundry facilities need to be updated - located just outside of the park and in a sort of scary one room shack...

Camped in the upper primitive site while mountain biking at nearby Coldwater Mountain. Good campsite with great views. Good separation between sites, but the are very close to the road. Only complaint, site (#124) was on a decent slope and spots flat enough for tents were almost in the road. However, great spot in Alabama to camp. Very convenient to the great mountain bike trails in Anniston (http://neaba.net/home.html).