First time to the Talledaga National Forest...advice?

[tallman_20]

Hello, everyone! 
A few friends and myself are planning a camping trip for next weekend and are excited to make our first trip out to the Talledaga Nat. Forest!  I've been scanning the internet looking for a good place to go and think I've found it, but would like to get some input from you guys.  I'm sure your experience in the area will be a great help. 

We basically want to setup a campsite on Friday night and then fish/hike around the area all day Saturday and then return to the same campsite Saturday night.  We want the seclusion of the wilderness.  We aren't looking for a developed campground experience, but we don't want to do the full backpacking thing either.  (I hope to come back in a few months for that kind of trip with my brothers.)

So, we are planning to "car camp".  I've been looking at topo maps and various trail maps I've found here and other websites and I think we'd like to go to the Cheaha Wilderness close to Lake Chinnabee and probably hike some of the trails that are in the area that loop off of the Pinhoti.  It looks like there are some access roads off of Hwy 281 that we can use to get back close to the lake and find a spot to camp.

Any advice?  Anyone think this is a terrible idea?  Thanks a bunch for you input!

[squidbilly]

Not sure if you can just car camp anywhere you like along the FS roads, but I may be wrong. There are campgrounds at Chinnabee Lake and Turnipseed Hunters Camp right off of 281. Camping Info
Check with the Talladega Ranger District Office

Also, there is Coleman Lake,Sweetwater Lake and Highrock Lake. Coleman has a developed campground though. Sweetwater has primitive camping. Highrock is about a mile and a half down the Pinhoti Trail from Pine Glen Campground. The Pinhoti runs past all three lakes. These are in the Shoal Creek Ranger District, on the north side of I-20.

[tallman_20]

Thanks for the reply.  I did call the Ranger office last week and they told me that it was ok to just park, walk into the woods and find a place to camp. 

Does anyone else know for sure if this is right or wrong?  It could be that the person I spoke to was misinformed.  Its not that we are antisocial people or anything, but we really want to stay away from any kind of developed campground.  Even "primitive" campgrounds have a concrete pad and grill. 

[Mountain Dog]

I think you were told correctly.  Camping is allow throughout the forest, not just on trails and cars frequently park all night during hunting season.  I've left my car on FS roads for 1-3 nights without any problem, other than worrying about vandals.

[stevebo]

  Check if its open , but turnip seed camp is right on the Chinnabee silent trail----------lots of great hiking within 2 miles of the campsite.  (I think they have pit toilets, but no potable water---looks like a nice place to car camp!)  Also,  cheah falls is only a very easy hike from turnipseed trail head--------not sure of the milage, but its not more than 2 miles.  Turnipseed is a developed campsite, but if you park at the turnipseed trailhead, and  take the Chinnabee silent trail a mere 1/8 of a mile towards the pinhoti intersection, (on the same side of the road  as the parking lot ) there is a really nice wooded medow--looks like it may have been a field at one time, with a good sized stream running next to it--might be more what youre looking for. 
  Last fall I parked my car at the cheah trail head, and as I started my hike, noticed there were several people car camping in the woods near the trail head.   Also, Im not sure if its a good place to hangout on a weekend (lots of beer cans last time I hiked there--and not sure what the road is like)  but scotts lake, on the Pinhoti  between porters gap and bull gap has a forest service road running right by it----(no idea where the road starts, but it looked sort of passable to me, maybe with a pickup truck or jeep)     Good luck!  

[Mountain Dog]

If you want to get away from all civilization then don't go to Lake Chinnabee.  That Lake has a campground around it.  There are a couple of watershed lakes between Coleman Lake and Rabbit Town road which are accessable by car but just how you get to them is a wonder to me.  I've seen people fishing in both.  Scotts Lake at the foot of Rebecca mountain is also accessible.  Again, I don't know the roads, just trails but there are rough roads to Scott's Lake.  High rock will be the easiest to find and probably absent of people during the week.  Weekends will be a different story.  I personally would pick Highrock and go as far away from the road (across the dam) as possible and find a secluded site.  That is a pretty area and soem neat places to explore, such as the old Church.

[stevebo]

  Mountain dog, what if they drove up the forest service roads toward wormys pulpet and the horn mountain tower?  I dont know what the roads are like, but I really enjoyed hiking thru the area---very beautiful!  Do you know if there are places to park alongside the forest service roads?   

[squidbilly]

  Mountain dog, what if they drove up the forest service roads toward wormys pulpet and the horn mountain tower?  I dont know what the roads are like, but I really enjoyed hiking thru the area---very beautiful!  Do you know if there are places to park alongside the forest service roads?   

That would be FS 600. Plenty of places to park and camp along that road, many with scenic views. Downside is, the sites are very popular and will probably be occupied.  The road is generally in good shape, but has some washed out spots where you'll need a high clearance vehicle. Plus, no lakes for fishing.

[Mountain Dog]

I do not know just how bad the road to the top of Horn is now.  At one time it was good and then it started to deteroriate.  I've seen motorcycle clubs playing on it and they created some really bad washes at one time.  Still, I'd give it a go if I had a truck.  There are several places to camp.  There is a spit of land basically north east of the fire tower that offers a lot of flat spaces to camp.  But unless people have cleaned a place recently, it would take a little time to clear a place for a tent.  The hike down to Scotts Lake to go fishing would make the trip a good hiking and fishing trip. 

[squidbilly]

If you want to get away from all civilization then don't go to Lake Chinnabee.  That Lake has a campground around it.  There are a couple of watershed lakes between Coleman Lake and Rabbit Town road which are accessable by car but just how you get to them is a wonder to me.  I've seen people fishing in both.  Scotts Lake at the foot of Rebecca mountain is also accessible.  Again, I don't know the roads, just trails but there are rough roads to Scott's Lake.  High rock will be the easiest to find and probably absent of people during the week.  Weekends will be a different story.  I personally would pick Highrock and go as far away from the road (across the dam) as possible and find a secluded site.  That is a pretty area and soem neat places to explore, such as the old Church.

#1 on this advice

Here's Sweetwater Lake. You can drive right up to the beach area on the west side of the lake. I've marked an awesome campsite in the pines. As you might guess, it is popular, but most just camp at the beach.