Best Glamping near Talladega National Forest

So many things are fantastic about this place. It’s close to the interstate (easy to get to), is mostly surrounded with water (and there are big swings to sit and enjoy the water views), has 3 clean pools (one an infinity pool) and an amazing splash pad, has a laundry, hosts are super friendly and upbeat, it’s clean, showers and restrooms are air conditioned, well lit and clean, well behaved pets are allowed. It would be especially fantastic for folks that are traveling with small children (up to young teens) or with no children. The only thing that we wished for were bigger sites. The sites around the water are very large and beautiful, so I’m referring to the interior ones. Ours would have been narrow for a pop up (all other RVs there were conventional hard sided self contained ones), except that the host put us in one with another empty one next to it (see how thoughtful and accommodating they are!) The gate is locked after 8pm, but you can get a key for a deposit of $10, which you get back when you leave. This means it is pretty secure at night. Lots of folks come and stay for several days, and return year after year, but ours was just an overnight, on our way home from the beach. We have a very good impression of this place.

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!

The Chief Ladiga Trail is a rails to trails bike path running from Piedmont, AL to the Georgia state line then continues almost to Atlanta as the Silver Comet Trail. My wife and I decided to try out bike camping on this trail since the wide flat paved path makes it easy to carry a bunch of gear on the back of your bike. The paid campground is located a couple miles before you hit the state line and makes a great spot to sleep at after 1 full day if you start at the Alabama trailhead. The campground is in the middle of the Talladega national forest and when you arrive it has a path directly off of the trail. When we were there in mid April the campground was only about 10 percent full so we had a lot of privacy which was really wonderful. Most of the sites are fairly spacious but there is no trees or other dividers since they are mostly organized in an open field. The nice thing is though the sites are along a little stream that is large enough to go swimming in and helps to cool off after a long day of biking. The facility also has bathrooms and showers if you prefer though they were a short walk from where we stayed. The people at the campground were super friendly and didn't have an issue with the fact that we didn't pay till the morning after we camped. The cost was $25 which was on the more expensive side for a campground but would be worth it if you bring a group since the cost is not per person. Another advantage to this campground is its proximity to the Pinhoti trail.

My 3 kids and I pitched a tent at the camp ground and then took a dip in the lake. Lake was a short walk from our tent, we stayed an hour and all enjoyed the refreshing water. Beach area was not crowded but me most enjoyed the doc where my kids could jump off. I swam as well and loved it. View of the mountains was very nice. 

We cooked dinner at our tent and scored a spot very close to the bath house which included a utility closet with a sink for cleaning dishes, etc. Tent site was well marked and orderly. Including a fire pit with grill attachment. Beautiful canopy of trees making for great shade. Beautiful evening, very quiet and orderly.

Enjoyed cooking breakfast the next morning followed by hiking and a trip to Peavine Falls. Very nice and highly recommended.

Staffing at Oak Mtn was great. Plenty of folks patrolling and looking after the camping community ☀️⛺️

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

My best friend and I camped for Mother's Day in 2017. We loved it. We were in the semi primitive area. Some sites were smaller than others and not all sites had flat spots to set up the tent but they are within walking distance to the bathroom and the pavilions. It was quiet and the staff were helpful. The only real downside are the showers. You have to buy tokens to use the showers and they're only open until (I believe) 6 p.m. The showers were pricey considering most places offer them for free. The pavilions are great! They're huge, have plenty of picnic tables, a fireplace on both sides and outlets. We set up our coffee pot and ate breakfast then rode around to explore. A few minutes drive from the park is a great hiking spot with 3 waterfalls. I'm looking forward to visiting again with my family.

PROS 

Senior discount 

Reserved 363 days prior to arriving 

Very friendly check in staff H

Huge park…very nicely landscaped and neatly mowed 

Quiet 

Regularly saw ranger driving through campground 

A30 level site and nearly full shade coverage 

Moveable wooden and metal picnic table 

Metal fire pit with cooking grate 

Campfire wood for sale at park office 

Don’t miss the TREE TOP NATURE TRAIL! 

Good food at The Grille at Oak Mountain State Park inside the Pro Shop at The Oaks Golf Course 

All major shopping and eateries just beyond the park boundaries in Pelham, Hoover and Birmingham 

CONS

$5 reservation fee for making my own on-line reservation 

Street lights throughout campground 

Toilet/shower facility heavily used which badly needs updating 

Campground trash dumpsters are beyond the campground gate…not walkable 

Poor signage upon entering Park. We stopped at the first building on the right, as it was marked RANGER OFFICE with a large, rig-friendly parking area, but it was not a check-in for campers. Then we went through another gate on the main roadway and it wasn’t the campground check-in either. Campground directional signs after we got through that gate. Glad we didn’t arrive in the dark! 

Limited and very tight rig parking at campground gate check-in 

No notice by park on the south entrance roadwork and roundabout construction...horribly tight to maneuver... recommend North entrance/exit until construction is completed…that’s how we departed. 

Never saw a camp host 

No WiFi 

2 bars Verizon