Occupying 696 picturesque acres just a few miles away from Auburn, Chewacla State Park is a gorgeous little sanctuary in Lee County, Alabama. This state park exhibits scenic human-made waterfalls, a 26-acre lake, and miles of terrain meant exclusively for biking and hiking. With an abundant display of flora and fauna and various wildlife species ready to take your breath away, Chewacla State Park is nature at its best. Picnicking and geocaching are a few of the many thrilling recreational options offered at the park. If you want to indulge in some water adventures, a grassy swimming beach is also located in the park to fish, boat, and swim until your heart is content.
Ideal for visits in the summer, spring, and fall, the park is open all year long. During football season, fans clamor to the park with their RVs, looking for a comfortable place to camp near the Auburn University stadium, making it easy to have the comforts of home close to all of the tailgating action. The RV camping facilities provided at the park are outstanding. They include 36 full-hookup sites and a dump station. If you are nearby and an avid RV camper, you should definitely stop by this little piece of heaven called Chewacla State Park.
Less than an hour away from Montgomery, Chewacla State Park sits in eastern Alabama and is a must-see if you're in the area. The park is located three miles to the south of I-85, making it easy to access even for big rigs. It takes approximately 10 minutes to drive from Auburn to Chewacla Park. The park is the closest recreational spot to Auburn University, located just three miles away. The park is also just a short drive away from the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area. There are no eateries inside the park, but plenty of options can be found nearby. Tuskegee National Forest is just a short drive away along I-85 and makes for a great day trip.
Once inside the park, roads are paved, and very few curves or sharp turns are present. The campground is situated in two loops off of the main park road, as are other areas of interest like the Chewacla Falls, the lake, various trailheads, picnic areas, and the beach.
Various parking options are scattered throughout the park, right from the entrance to the campsites and close to a few hiking trails. The maximum trailer and RV lengths are 60 feet. Riding on the exterior of vehicles inside the park is strictly prohibited.
The park features 36 full-hookup RV campsites divided into two separate loops. Each site is equipped with full hookups, satellite television, and gravel parking spurs able to accommodate rigs up to 60 feet in length. Both camping areas have bathhouses with showers, and one loop has a dump station. Two picnic pavilions and a half bathroom are also located on-site. Kid-friendly and pet-friendly sites are available if you require them. The campground is open year-round, and reservations can be made up to four months in advance. Reservations are recommended during the busy summer months, as well as when any Auburn University football games are taking place.
Situated on the bank of Chewacla Lake, six stone cabins built in the 1930s by Civilian Corporation Corps can be rented throughout the year. These cabins can accommodate up to six people. The cabins were renovated in 2003 to provide more luxurious and modern accommodations. The cabins can be rented up to four months in advance, whereas reservations for seven or more days can be made up to one year in advance. All cabins are luxuriously equipped with breakfast nook, shower, linens, and kitchen equipment.
For those looking to get out of the RV for a night or two, there are nine primitive campsites located between the RV campgrounds. These tent-only sites are equipped with picnic tables and a fire ring, and restrooms with showers are a short walk away. Reservations are not available for the primitive sites, so if you're interested in sleeping under the stars, head to the park office to snag a spot.
With no cars or heavy traffic blocking your way, you can fly your bikes through challenging terrains among the woods on your RV vacation to Chewacla Stata Park. It is, undoubtedly, adventure served at its best. If you are a passionate mountain biker who likes to ride in solitude passing by the trees and rocky stones, the park offers you plenty of biking trails to choose from, ranging in different difficulty levels and lengths. The one-mile Camp Trail is meant for the novices. A lot of short mountain biking races also take place here. Other trails include the half-mile Lakeside Connector Trail, half-mile Ranger Dell’s Trail, and one-mile Creek View Trail.
Chewacla State Park provides you a wide range of options to choose from when it comes to hiking. The park is replete with numerous hiking trails of various difficulty levels, ranging from easy to difficult and lengths, including both short trails and longer trails. Collectively, there are over 30 miles of scenic hiking trails where nature can be seen in its full swing. Stellar views of rocky structures, large trees, and various flora and fauna of the park appear in the background, making hiking in Chewacla a memorable experience.
If you packed your fishing gear along with you inside of your camper, you're in luck. A large number of fish species are found in the lake year-round. Common catches include largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, and sunfish. For those wanting to get a scoop of angling in Chewacla Lake, fishing is permitted during every season. The use of fishing methods like trotlines, set hooks, gigs, nets, and bows are strictly prohibited. Anglers must only use reels, rods, or poles for fishing. An Alabama fishing license is also required before you can cast out.
If you're traveling with a large group, Chewacla State Park offers a group campsite that can accommodate a group of up to 20 people. This group camp, once accommodated the Civilian Conservation Corps while they were building the camping cabins next door. Nowadays, its mostly utilized by Boy Scout groups, but it's open for anyone that needs a group camping area. Some of the original CCC structures remain, including a water tower, foundations of the original lodgings, and a chimney from the lodge. Other amenities include a bathroom, two pavilions with picnic tables, and a fire ring.
Animal lovers and nature photographers alike will delight in the wildlife that calls Chewacla State Park home. If you tread lightly, you might catch sight of hawks, squirrels, chipmunks, red fox, deer, great blue herons, or turkeys while on the trails. You'll also be treated to sights of massive white oak trees, staggering bluffs, mountain laurel, and native rhododendron as you explore the park. Wherever you wander, you won't want to leave the camera back in the Airstream.
Located on the backside of Chewacla Lake, Chewacla Falls is the most photogenic location in the park. Located a short walking distance from the Deer Rub Trail sits the majestic Chewacla Falls, ready to leave you stunned with its cascading beauty. This man-made structure is the park’s most popular destination, and you can take the most social media-worthy photographs here. Chewacla Falls is also marked as a symbol of the Civilian Corporation Corps. The CCC helped to build massive structures across the United States in the 1930s and employed people during a time when employment opportunities were scarce.
Chewacla State Park has various solutions for your outdoor picnicking needs during your RV vacation, ranging from general picnic areas to picnic pavilions. The general picnic areas, scattered throughout the park, provide single picnic tables with charcoal grills. There are a total of three picnic pavilions located at different sites. The Beach Pavilion, located near the lake, offers four picnic tables and a view of the swimming area from the back. Boasting the largest parking area as well as electricity, the Upper Pavilion is located closest to the waterfall, providing six picnic tables and two charcoal grills. If you are looking for a private party place, then Lower Pavilion is the one to reserve. It provides four picnic tables and one charcoal grill.
The 26-acre Chewacla Lake is usually booming with visitors owing to its scenic shoreline and opportunity for recreational activities like boating. If you didn't tow your own flotation device behind the Sprinter, boats, canoes, and kayaks can be rented from the park every day. Only non-motorized boats are permitted in the water, and no person younger than 18-years-old can ride in a boat alone. No boat ramp is built on the lake, so all watercraft must be hand-launched from the shore.
The tree-lined Chewacla Lake is a great way to beat the heat during the hot summer months. If you wish to swim, you can dive into the lake’s water, or just relax on the grassy shore with a good book while you soak up some sun. Swimmers should exercise caution in the water as no appointed lifeguards are on duty. The lake is open year-round for swimming, so don't forget to pack your bathing suit along with you in the motorhome.
