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3 Tracing Martin Luther King, Jr

33 Georgia & Alabama Backroads

34 Coon Dogs & Unclaimed Baggage: Only in Alabama

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TRIP 36

Talladega & Cheaha National Forests

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TIME

2 days

DISTANCE

45 miles

BEST TIME TO GO

Aug – Nov

START

Talladega, AL

END

Heflin, AL

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WHY GO Alabama’s highest point soars above the verdant Talladega National Forest in Cheaha State Park, through which scenic lookouts, unspoiled hiking trails and rustic woodsy getaways coalesce along the Talladega Scenic Byway, a 29-mile stretch of breathtaking ’Bama backdrops and pristine wilderness.

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It’s a little known fact that the Appalachian Mountains stretch far into Northern Alabama at their southernmost point, carpeting a northwest pocket of the state with a 250,000-acre patch of protected woodland that makes for a pristine playground for nature lovers. Alabama’s kin to Bobby Alison, Hank Williams and Bear Bryant are all documented – welcome to Alabama’s greener side.

The logical starting point for the Talladega Scenic Byway, which cuts through the Talladega National Forest to Cheaha State Park and beyond to Heflin, is the city of Talladega, more known for NASCAR than nature. Here’s where you’ll want to stock up on any serious outdoor supplies (there’s a Wal-Mart, at any rate) and hunker down with a meal of grilled catfish at Fincher’s, an old Southern hole-in-the-wall. Heading out of Talladega to Ashland, pick up Hwy 77 (eastbound) and follow the directions to the beginning of the Hwy 281 (also known as the Byway), crossing into Talladega National Forest along the way.

Heading north, the Byway begins at the Adams Gap Trail, which connects to the 130-mile Pinhoti Trail that eventually connects up with the Appalachian Trail. Continue along quiet and winding Hwy 281 a few miles to the trailhead for the Chinnabee Silent Trail. This day hike (5 miles, 3½ hours one-way) leads to the National Forest Recreation Area at Lake Chinnabee. Along the way, you’ll pass two small waterfalls, Cheaha Falls and Devil’s Den; the latter makes for a nice swimming hole.

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“Alabama’s kin to Bobby Alison Hank Williams and Bear Bryant are all well documented: welcome to Alabama’s greener side.”

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Back on Hwy 281, near mile marker 474, take a left on Cheaha Rd 2 miles down to Cheaha Lake, a 6-acre swimming hole with a small beach. The Cheaha State Park Improved Camping is also here amid a slew of pine and oak trees. The best camping in the park offers electricity and old-but-clean bathrooms with hot water. On the lake, you can rent paddleboats and generally relax away the day. If you want to fish, there’s bass, crappie and catfish, but you’ll need a fishing license from the Cheaha Country Store, a few miles southeast on Hwy 281. Alabama residents pay $12 while residents of other states pay a higher rate depending on where they’re from (foreigners aren’t even on the radar). The store is also your last chance to grab some food and beer, and the spot where you will need to register and pay for camping inside Cheaha State Park. If you pay admission here, you don’t need to pay again at the lake and vice versa.

If you’re not up for camping, take a left on Bunker Loop, the small roundabout road that takes in the attractions of the park, where there’s the basic Cheaha State Park Hotel, made more appealing by a pool jutting out over a vast, scenic view of Talladega National Forest. The Cheaha State Park Restaurant is also here. As it is the only eatery around, it’ll have to do, but don’t expect culinary wonders. Continue around the Bunker Loop to enjoy the best of the park. The high point – quite literally – is the base of the 75ft-tall Observation Tower, which at 2407ft is the highest point in the state of Alabama. You can go up for stupendous 360-degree views.

Continuing along the one-way Bunker Loop, you’ll pass the entrance for Bald Rock Lodge on the right, a woodsy, 12-bedroom retreat with hickory headboards and slate floors