Car camping advice (state park)

[greened]

I know this isn't hiking or backpacking and trust me, if it we're up to me we'd be about 7 miles from a trial head but I'm going camping this upcoming weekend with my family and another family and my friends wife isn't much of a camper so she'll need a bath house. I'm trying to get advice on Chewacla and Cheaha state parks. Is there a decent amount of distance between sites and are the campgrounds decently kept. I've been to Cheaha and seen the campsites down near the lake and wasn't very impressed. Is the campground up top (isn't there one on top of the mountain?) any better? Any advice would be great!!!

[greened]

Chewacla is out of the picture but Oak Mtn has sites so any help there would be great.

[dogwood]

Cheaha's spots at the top aren't too bad.  A better location is DeSoto State Park near Ft. Payne.  Much nicer sites, and the campground has gone through a recent renovation.  Also, lots of good hiking and biking trails(long and short) with easy access.

[Lostsheep]

Oak Mtn isn't bad. Plus, you can hop in the car to the trailhead and go hiking pretty easily. I'll be there the weekend of 11/14 if that's the same as you. If so, we'll definitely need to meet up.

Anything in particular you're looking for?

[WolfVanZandt]

I was sorta impressed with Payne Lake - not terribly exciting but pretty and well kept. It's within an easy distance to Montevallo, Pea Ridge, and the waterfalls around there (not to mention the best milkshakes I've been able to find in Alabama.

Cloudland Canyon, just across the state line into Georgia on Lookout Mountain is gorgeous (especially the gorge), but beware - Georgia State Parks will strangle you to death on rules and regulations.

Joe Wheeler is nice but rather too crowded for me.

Paul Grist State Park near Selma is a beautiful place (again, not terribly exciting but pretty well developed) and you can camp right next to the dam. There are some nice hiking trails there - nothing too difficult but hilly and nicely wooded. The Appalachians start here.

BTW, I liked the lower campground at Cheaha, but I never stayed there. We used it for a base camp to range around the area. If you do decide to go there, tell Pop, the camp host, "Hi," for me and check out the big, friendly monster dog he has that ran a pack of coyotes through our camp the last time we were there. I sorta miss Cheaha.....

[greened]

Thanks for all of the good advice guys. For several reasons we've decided to go to Wind Creek. Don't ask, I only work here,,,

[WolfVanZandt]

I've done some hiking around Lake Martin and there are some really interesting things - especially in terms of plant life and minerals. There are some azalea species that are specific to the area and I've noticed a lot of garnet in the area. Within, say, 50 miles radius there's  lot of mineralogical diversity.

[Lostsheep]

Wind Creek is a beautiful area. While you're there, would you mind doing something cool?

Go toward the beach. At the back corner of the parking lot, there is a footbridge over a washout. Would you mind checking to see how beat up it is now?

It was built by my scout troop back in 1996. I go check on it, but unfortunately, it out of my hands now.

Hope you have fun. I've been going there since I was a little tyke and haven't looked back yet!

[greened]

LS - Sorry man. I was gone before I read your message..

In a nutshell, Wind Creek is a really nice park. The bathrooms were very clean and there were surprisingly few campers (maybe 70 sites taken out of 600+). Most of the sites are really crammed together. I mean really crammed. But I scoured the park and found a couple of really really nice car camping sited. D82 and D83. If you get these together you have a point all to yourself and you can camp as far out on the point as you'd like which puts you about 80 yards or so from the cars and nothing but water on either side of you. It worked out quite nicely.

[Lostsheep]

Nice location Green! Our scout troop usually gets the area there on the inside of the turnaround in that section. Great for containing them, and they usually aren't near the water.

Makes it work out pretty well.

Glad you had fun! Again, that's the park I grew up in!