The Chewacala State Park located near Auburn, Alabama was on our state park bucket list. We choose Chewacala as our first Alabama park to camp in our new RV in because it was near our home (only 2 hours away) and because of their massive amount of mountain biking trails. My husband and I got new mountain bikes for Christmas and we are determined to break them in good… or break ourselves… whichever comes first, I guess.
Chewacala State Park is located at 124 Shell Toomer Parkway Auburn, Alabama 36830. Their office hours are 8am-6pm and their phone number is (334)887-5621. You can make reservations at 1-800-ALA-PARK. Chewacala has 696 acres of beauty. You can really enjoy the great outdoors with all that this park has to offer. Camping, biking, fishing, swimming, hiking… you don’t want to miss out on all that Chewacala has to offer.
Mountain Biking At Chewacala State Park
There are so many trails at Chewacala State Park. There are trails for beginners, and trails for those that want obstacles with jumps, ramps, berms, and just down right ridiculousness. There are trails ranging in distance from .5 mile to 8 miles (maybe even longer).
When you first arrive to the Chewacala State Park and head in the gate you will see the ultimate Wall of Chewacala. Even from the back of this massive beast you can imagine the number of absolute wipeouts that must take place there… maybe they put it at the entrance/exit of the park with good reason. (Not a bad idea to Google directions to the nearest ER before jumping on this beast.)
When we arrived at Chewacala we had been battling some light, yet annoyingly consistent sprinkles of rain. We were told at check-in that we had to wait a few more hours before we could get on the trails. It gave us plenty of time to get camp set up and let some of the trail dry up some. (They aren’t concerned with wet trails because you will get muddy… but its for the longevity of the trails… and once you see the amount of work that has obviously been put into them you will also appreciate protecting the trails from unnecessary damage. )
You can get trail maps when you arrive. Many of the trails connect to other trails. My daughter is just learning to ride without training wheels, so getting off paved or smooth roads is a challenge to her. She did plenty of riding around the campground loop and we did a small section of the CAMP trail. And DON’T forget your helmet! (There are many signs saying they are required!!)
Camping
We are new to RVing, (but we have high hopes for going full-time RVing this fall) so it was nice to see that their facilities were to easy to get into and out of. There are pull-through spaces, but mostly back-in spots.. even the back-in spots look simple enough. The campground has loads of shade trees, but the branches are all cut back and we didn’t have a single problem maneuvering. The roads to the campground are all well kept and the sites are plenty big enough for slides.
The campground is 2 loops. Both loops have a bathhouse. The loops are separated by the primitive area. (but connected by bike trails) There are 10 primitive sites that have easy access to the bath houses. The second bathhouse also houses the laundry facilities.
There are 36 improved camping sites. 34 have full hook-ups. 2 have water & electric only. There is a dump station located in the 2nd loop of the campground. All of the improved camping sites have 50&30 Amp hookups. Each camp site has a fire ring, grill, and picnic table. The sites are gravel and are well spaced out so you don’t have to hear your neighbors alarm clock in the morning.
Both improved loops have a small playground for children. I didn’t think much of it, but with all the kids in the campground descending on it, it was clearly the hotspot. Taking turns on swings and slides really seems to be the way to make new friendships blossom.
Camping rates start at $41 per night, 218 weekly and $711 monthly. If you are planning to camp during college football season to catch a local Auburn University game you will need to plan way in advance and be willing to pay a much higher rate.
Chewacala Lake
The Chewacala Lake is a 26 acre lake that offers fishing, boating (there is no ramp, but you can bring your own non-motorized boat or rent a canoe for the day at the office), swimming (swim at your own risk, and enjoy jumping off the high dive), and check out the water fall.
Chewacala Falls is an amazing water fall built by the Civilian Conservation Corps back in the 1930s as a part of FDR’s New Deal. (Check out our history lesson tie-in). You can access the falls by bicycle or on foot down the trails. There are many ways to get there, but make sure to leave yourself plenty of time. It is beautiful and you don’t want to rush this incredible view.
Next to the lake you will find plenty of bike/hiking trails, swing sets for the kiddos, and of course picnic areas. The lake is beautiful and I can’t wait to get back here in warmer weather and take advantage of it.
Chewacala Cabins
Chewacala has 6 cabins inside this park. The small cabins can sleep up to 4 people and rates begin at $132. The large cabin can accommodate up to 6 people and that rate begins at $176. 5 of the cabins were also a part of the CCC project and have the beautiful stone look that is so often seen in Alabama State Parks. While they have a rustic look on the outside, the inside has all the comforts of home. The cabins were renovated in 2003. The cabins host a wood burning fireplace, bathroom with linens provided. The kitchen has an oven/range, refrigerator, toaster, microwave, coffee maker (the maker of life), and basic cookware/eatware.
Check-in is at 4:00Pm unless the cabin is ready earlier. Even if you can’t check in earlier, I would still get there early and take a hike or go on a bike ride… just begin exploring all the park has to offer. Check-out time is 11.
Have you gone to Chewacala State Park? (We are already checking our calendar for our next visit and this time we are taking the grandparents with us!) Or do you have any Alabama State Parks to recommend? We LOVE our Cheaha State Park, and have plans to visit Desoto State Park in a few weeks (our first time back there in 6 years).
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