This is a nice state park. I took off a star because I found it confusing to navigate and there were no maps or markers I could find. I did alot of driving around and checking out various trails and landmarks. I think it could do with more staff and signing. read more

I absolutely love this place--based on the beautiful trails leading to lookout points where you can see eagles soar above, the gorgeous waterfall in the middle of the woods that temps you to at least dip your toes in, or the undisturbed wilderness trails that will lead to an animal sighting or two, this is 5 stars. I'll emphasize that if you are a nature freak like me, you don't want to miss this place. I would also say that the campgrounds and the bathhouses within are well-maintained. My reasons behind docking a star were based on some negatives that affected my first trip but most can be avoided if you visit with them in mind. For one, there are no quiet hours posted at the campgrounds. We hoped to get to bed reasonably early once we returned to the campsite so we could hit the trails during the cool morning hours. Unfortunately, we also went during peak season and people nearby visited with children that were still playing and screaming until midnight and parties with music and lights lasting until about 4AM. Unless you're a deep sleeper, I'd pick the less crowded primitive site or get fancy with a cabin. Also the map and the paper with directions to some of the trails was at times confusing to me and my companions. It definitely takes some getting used to and I wouldn't be shy about asking for clarification before heading out. Lastly, keep in mind it is a LONG drive back down from the campgrounds to the nearest convenience store or Wal-Mart. And the people running the store up there understand that, so expect to pay dearly if you forget anything or run out of something. This should be a pretty basic thing all experienced campers understand, but of course there are some nice places that are less remote where you can get away with it. This is not one of them. read more

I stayed here at the lodge in 2012 and had a great time. I wanted to stay there again this year on a Saturday night on my way down to Florida, but they have a new rule - On a weekend there is now a 2-night minimum! This is insane and makes absolutely no sense that I can see. I'm not going to pay for a night I can't stay, so now I have to miss the whole experience. Too bad! And for what reason?? read more

We stayed in the lodge for 2 nights with a family reunion last march. View was amazing and it even snowed!

I've been camping here for over 20 years. The park has fallen to pieces. The campground is dirty and not kept up. The grass isn't cut, the camp sites aren't cleaned between campers, the bathrooms were disgusting- we wouldn't us them. The rangers flew through the campground giving no thought to the children playing and biking. The park staff went the wrong way on the one way road almost causing us to wreck. They have placed deep gravel in the campsites which makes backing your rig difficult. It's a shame such a beautiful place is no longer maintained and cared for. read more

We stayed in Cabin # 9. A few glitches were quickly resolved. The key did not work. We had unloaded some of our stuff. We went to the store and the maintenance person had fixed the problem and carried our bags in before we got back to the cabin. We had to trade the wifi modem in for another one. Those were the only problems and they were quickly resolved. The staff was courteous. The cabin was great. I agree with Lesa T's review. A short hiking trail starts there. The restaurant is beautiful and the food was pretty good. Sliders and nachos (barbeque brisket) were tasty and the view is great. The service was fine. We hiked the easier trails. Not bad. Rhododendron and Mountain Laurel should be blooming before too long. The Silent Trail at Lake Chinnabee nearby is awesome. I would recommend this park and will go back when i can. read more

We have been to Cheaha State Park many many times over the years and have held our family reunion there for decades. Unfortunately 2013 may be our last visit: the park has really gone downhill and the state of the Chalets where we stayed was pitiful. The kitchens were almost cleaned out of dishes, cooking utensils, etc., and there was mold and damp smell throughout the Chalet. They didn't even have the customary cards to leave comments about needed repairs, cleaning, etc. It seems that this beautiful old park has been left to decay. read more

I wanted so bad to love this park! I've heard so much about it. But this weekend we took our travel trailer to Cheaha to camp. We have been to several state parks in Alabama and this is by far the least maintained one we have seen. Parking pads for RV are almost nonexistent. Some sites you can't even tell where the site is due to weeds and lack of gravel. Luckily we did not need the bathhouse since the one peek I had today on the way out was nasty! Showers needed a pressure washer used on them. Mouse droppings in the toilet stall. Sewer hookups for campers are elevated and hoses did not drain properly because of that. Other state parks we have seen park rangers patrolling - none this weekend - not one! The only one we saw was filling the drink cooler in the camp store. As a result there was trash around campsites and the park volunteer on the lower loop looked like some homeless guy that had picked up a triler on the side of the road to bring to the park. His site was nasty with a picnic table covered in bottles and trash. The one bright spot was the park restaurant. Beautiful view from the highest point in Alabama, decent food - if not gourmet, good enough we ate there both nights! We asked the park super on the way out if there were plans to upgrade the sites and he said "not since the money ran out". A sad commentary on our times. We will not go back! read more

I'm spending one day at this park on my way to Birmingham and I don't want to leave. I spend so much time in north Georgia and it will forever be one of my favorite places in the world, but this park rivals all Georgia parks. It is so clean and beautiful with endless views of rolling luscious green mountains. This is the nicest state park hotel I have ever stayed in. It's actually more like a motel, but it is so clean and beautiful. It is not a resort. There is no real common area - just a small check in office. The fake plant and flowers in my room add to the experience. It is so Alabama. I am from Alabama, so I can say that. If you stay at this hotel, don't plan to eat healthy. The restaurant is a typical Alabama restaurant. I ordered what I thought would be the healthiest item on the menu - a fried shrimp salad. The salad consisted of a huge mound of fried shrimp, croutons, a tiny bit of lettuce and some really bad tomatoes. That's all. Nothing else. There is no other restaurant in the vicinity, so bring food if you don't want to eat at the restaurant. They do have a buffet. The views from the restaurant are beautiful though. There is a microwave and refrigerator in the king deluxe room. It would be nice if this park would invest some effort in a real map of the park, including the hiking trails. I asked for a map and they gave me a map of the campground. read more

This area used to be a nice place to visit and stay, the rooms were cheap but that has changed, the cost is now almost $150 as a local resident I can tell you it is not worth it, as one other visitor mentioned there are some serious maintenance issues that need to be addressed. I would certainly plan on visiting but stay at one of the hotels on the "other" side of the hill, you can get rates from $40 and up this ignorant "pseudo cabin bull crap is a waste of your time and money. read more

My wife and I decided to celebrate our one year anniversary by enjoying the beautiful views of nature. After some research, I picked Cheaha Resort State Park to be our destination. We booked a king suite at the hotel for two nights. The views from top of the mountain were absolutely spectacular; however trying to stay in the "hotel" was a terrible mistake. The beautiful room advertised online as a king suite in a hotel was no more than a motel room with a king bed. As soon as we walked in the room we were overwhelmed by a stale smell. It was as if nobody had been in the room for quite some time. The layer of dust in the room and the spider web in the bathtub, along with living spider, reinforced our suspicion. It was late so we decided to stay the night. When I turned on the shower to wash away the spider web I noticed that not only did it not drain but trash from the clog backed up into the tub. With all that being said, we endured the night and the following day we enjoyed a day of hiking awing at the beauty of God's creation. The staff at the park was amazing. I told the nice lady at the registration desk about our misadventure with the room. She was very helpful and refunded us the second night. (We found a different hotel.) The park was incredible, but I recommend staying a half hour or so away at one of the functioning hotels in Oxford. read more

This is a beautiful park with spectacular views and trails. BUT if you want food you'd better bring it with you because the restaurant leaves a lot to be desired. We ride motorcycles with a group of friends and we ate here about 9 years ago and were disappointed with the buffet at that time and put the restaurant on the "Don't Go Back" list. Well, today (Saturday June 8, 2013) we decided to give them a second chance. BAD IDEA!!! The buffet was not good at all. One of the guys asked the waitress what was on the buffet because he couldn"t tell what it was and her reply was "I don't know what it is either!" That should have been a red flag to us! Not many choices for a buffet and the foods that I picked were just NOT GOOD. As for the desserts, let me just say that they LOVE pudding... You would think that a state park would have some of the best cooks in their restaurants and treat the visitors to our state to some delicious, country cooking instead of throwing this slop out there on the buffet. The best thing I had there was TEA. Oh well, guess Cheaha State Park Restaurant stays on the "Don't Go Back" list :( read more