Cheaha State Park

When I think of Alabama's most beautiful places for landscape photography, Cheaha and the surrounding Talledega National Forest are not at the top of the list. There are some scenic views atop the mountains at sunset and at the few waterfalls and streams but it's mostly ordinary, uneventful woods. You could walk for hours in the Talledega National Forest and not find a photo worth taking unless you happened to be at the right place at the right time. On the other hand, one of my most memorable and beautiful photography trips ever, was at Cheaha State Park.

Back in the winter of1997 my "girlfriend" and I drove to Cheaha. That afternoon we discovered snow was in the forecast. There was a prediction of possibly a half inch in Birmingham and I expected to get some that night while staying at the state park's newly remodeled hotel. The forecast for snow increased and the roads were closed off leaving only essential staff. We didn't see any other visitors so it seemed we had the whole place to ourselves.

The next morning we woke to a winter wonderland of five inches of snow and it was beautiful everywhere you turned. (The snow photos in this article are all from that trip.) Later we dined at the restaurant, all to ourselves but the waitress, while looking at the picturesque view down the mountain into the valley.

Cheaha State Park includes over 2,800 acres of pristine wilderness and offers visitors activities such as hiking, camping and fishing. The park is situated on top of Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in Alabama, and is surrounded by the Talladega National Forest. One of the park's most popular features is the Cheaha Trailhead, a 7.5-mile hiking trail that winds its way through the Talladega National Forest and offers views of the surrounding countryside. The trail is well-maintained and suitable for hikers of all skill levels.

The park offers a variety of campsites, ranging from primitive sites to RV hookups, and visitors can enjoy a range of amenities, including showers, restrooms, and fire pits. For those who enjoy fishing, the park's Lake Chinnabee is stocked with bass, crappie, and catfish. For those who prefer to relax and enjoy a picnic, the park has several picnic areas,

As far as the nearly 400,000 acres of the Talladega National Forest, most of it is not old growth but second generation forests due to massive logging before it was bought by the federal government in the 1930s. Back then, it represented some of the most abused, eroded wastelands in all of Alabama. One interesting find within the national forest today is Salt Creek Falls. My two photos are from the top of it. I have yet to make the steep climb down to the bottom.

The photo below was taken from along the roadside in the Talladega National Forest and used for the cover of my book, The Natural Beauty of Alabama.

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