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Mount Cheaha: Nature works potent magic
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They come to celebrate anniversaries and reunions, to hike along the top of Alabama's tallest mountain (2,407 feet), to canoe, fly-fish and hang glide. But for many, the opportunity to commune with nature in an awesomely hushed setting in the southernmost ranges of the Appalachians is attraction enough. Just 25 miles south of Talladega Speedway - where "Gentlemen Start Your Engines" signals thundering race cars and roaring crowds - Cheaha State Park basks in silence, broken only by birds' songs floating from every forested corner. Atlanta is just two hours away and Birmingham even closer, but Cheaha remains a mostly undiscovered treasure. Last year, the 2,719-acre park drew 272,000 visitors to its mountains, lake and forests. Compare that to the crowds that can throng parks in North Georgia - last year 1.2 million sampled the waterfalls and trails at 1,018-acre Unicoi State Park near Helen - and you realize why the Cheaha faithful praise the park's peacefulness. Richard Cooke of Pensacola, Fla., drove 250 miles with 16 other members of his Methodist church for "serenity and scenery, peace, calm and quiet." Cooke and his wife, Meredith, were making their second trip to the park for another reason, one that also attracts lots of visitors - bird- watching. Cheaha is home to 84 species, including 13 varieties of warblers, according to the National Audubon Society's Birmingham chapter. "The place is rich in bird life," Cooke said. "We see a lot of warblers we don't have in Florida." Bill and Martha LeVar of Douglasville, also second-time visitors, said Cheaha was the perfect choice to celebrate their 28th anniversary. "We enjoy the quietness," he said as they dined in the park's cliff-top restaurant. Looking out at the panoramic view through 20-foot-high windows, he repeated what many people say when they enter the restaurant for the first time: "The views are unbelievable." Every morning, mists rising from the lake below Cheaha Mountain set the tone for a day far removed from the cities, crowds and noise of home. In the evening, as the sun slowly turns pink and dips behind mountains surrounding the lake and woods, the evening air seems especially sweet and brisk. The park's centerpiece is Cheaha Lake. Sandy beaches, swimming, paddle boating and fishing for brim and bass make it popular in summer. Hiking is another attraction, for all ages and in every season. There are several short, well-marked trails in the park and along rock bluffs of the Talladega National Forest. And from Cheaha State Park south are 10 miles of the Odum Scout Trail, a part of the Pinhoti Trail System, said Lindell Graham, park superintendent. Pinhoti's 46 miles of paths, maintained by the National Forest Service, eventually will hook up to the Appalachian Trail in North Georgia at the state line, about 40 miles from Cheaha. For more adrenalin-pumping excitement, visitors also can hang glide from a cliff in front of Cheaha's restaurant, with a drop of 1,000 feet to the lake side below, or rappel on the same cliff. In summer, Cheaha's paths are ablaze with mountain laurel, rhododendron and white, cone-shaped wild hydrangea. Splashes of color dot the ridge lands among rock outcroppings. A wildflower garden with pink ladyslipper, flame azaleas and other native flowers is a relaxing place for hikers to rest, but visitors driving along the oval-shaped route around the mountaintop also can appreciate the floral spectacle. In autumn, Cheaha attracts leaf-watchers and backpackers who come to see the colorful oaks, ash, poplar, sourwood and maples. But the park's expansive acreage swallows up everyone easily, Graham said, so there's hardly a feeling of crowds. An observation tower and museum marking Alabama's highest point offer a 360-degree view of the Cheaha wilderness. The tower is a reminder of the park's Depression-era development when it, a reservoir, and the original lodge and cabins were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1934 to 1937. In the late '60s and early '70s, the motel, chalets and restaurant were added. Accommodations at Cheaha match the park's rural feel. Think rustic - nothing at Cheaha is splashy or Ritz-Carlton fancy. Accommodations range from a 30-room motel, which has a swimming pool, to Bald Rock Lodge for groups. There are 10 rustic stone cabins sleeping up to eight people, with kitchen, fireplace and outdoor grill, and five more modern, and more expensive, A-frame cabins. There are 43 campsites on top of the mountain and 30 near the lake, with complete hookups, a bathhouse, laundry and camp store. Most of the facilities are made of handcut stone from cliffs rimming Cheaha Mountain (the name is taken from a Native American word for high). The park's newest addition is a nature center, in its second season. It's a favorite with young visitors who view glass cages of soft-shell turtles (which are regularly returned to the wild), rattlesnakes, fish and occasionally an injured bird rescued from one of the trails. But don't look for much more development at Cheaha. The park's rangers know that it's the unspoiled beauty that draws visitors. "We want to keep it a back-to-nature park," Graham said. Tips for the trip Getting there: Cheaha State Park resort is about 90 miles from Atlanta. Take I-20 west and exit at U.S. 431 south (Exit 191). Go three miles and take Ala. 281 about 20 miles to the park (it's clearly marked by signs). Several scenic overlooks are worth a stop. Staying at the park: Nightly rates until Dec. 12: motel, $50.96 (single), $56.16 (for two); A-frame chalets accommodating one to six people, $74.88 a night; cabins accommodating one to eight people, $46.80-$70.72, depending on size. Cabins and chalets have fireplaces, wall heaters, air conditioning, linens and basic kitchen equipment. For reservations at Cheaha's cabins, chalets and lodge (for groups), call 800-846-2654 or 205-488-5115; for campsite reservations, call 205-488-5115, Ext. 149. Anytime except winter, reservations are recommended 90 days in advance, although cancellations can make space available on short notice. Other lodging: If you're touring outside Cheaha park, you'll have a choice of several bed-and-breakfast inns in the area: Governor's House, circa 1850; 500 Meadowlake Lane, Talladega, Ala. 35160; two miles south of I-20, Exit 165, six miles west of Talladega Superspeedway. Rates: $60 to $70 for two, including breakfast, picnic basket, and fishing on a stocked bass pond. The B&B is part of a farm with an antiques store and fishing pond on the property. 205-763-2186. Oakwood Bed and Breakfast, antebellum home built in 1847; 715 E. North St., Talladega. Rates: $55 single, $65 double, including breakfast. 205-362-0662. What else to see: While you're in the Talladega-Anniston area, take time to visit several other nearby attractions. At Fort McClellan, you can learn about the history of women in the military from the WACS to today's army at the WAC Museum. It's 10 miles north of I-20 on Alabama 21. Enter at the Galloway Gate (fourth gate, northbound). Free. Open daily 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays by appointment. 205-848-3512. DeSoto Caverns Park, was once the ancestral domain of the Coosa Indians. In 1796, the cave became the first recorded in the United States. The cathedral (main part of the caverns) is longer than a football field and 12 stories high. Open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sundays. Picnic and camping facilities are available. It's 15 miles southwest of Talladega. From Cheaha, take Ala. 281 west to Ala. 21; Ala. 21 through Talladega to Ala. 76; and 76 west to the caverns. Admission: adults $8.99; children, $5.50. 800-933-2283. Selwood Farm and Hunting Preserve is an 800-acre farm with a quail and dove habitat, and guides and hunting dogs. Its newest feature is a sporting clay range, the first in Alabama. Carolyn Hill, co-owner of the farm and preserve, serves lunch in a quaint dining room. You can eat what you hunt or have homemade soup and sandwich. Fees: $150 for a half-day of hunting, including lunch; sporting clays, 100 targets for $30. It's on Ala. 76 east of DeSoto Caverns Park. 800-522-0403. The International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum, off I-20 at exits 168 and 173, has a collection of memorabilia and cars from as early as 1902; some were driven by Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Marty Robbins and Dale Earnhardt. Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 205-362-5002. Talladega Superspeedway, site of NASCAR races, is also off I-20 at exits 168 and 173. Tours daily; no races until April. Main office, 205-362-2261; ticket office, 205-362-9064. Bryant Vineyard, a winery adjacent to Lake Logan Martin, produces sparkling wine and table wines from scuppernongs, muscadines and French hybrid grapes. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. Off I-20 at Exit 165 (Griffitt Bend Road). 205-268-2638. Antiques fanciers will enjoy browsing at the Gallery Antique Mall at East Oxford, south of Anniston. From I-20, turn north on Exit 188 and left on Ala. 78. 205-831-3100. Information: For Cheaha State Park: 800-846-2654. Alabama state tourism: 800-252-2262. Free-lance writer Sarah Cash lives in Atlanta. (This information was current at the time of publication, but hours and prices may have changed. It's always a good idea to call before you travel.)
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