09/02/2026
Rising high in the Talladega National Forest stands Mount Cheaha, the highest point in all of Alabama, crowning our state at more than two thousand four hundred feet above the sea. At its summit sits Cheaha State Park, the oldest state park in Alabama, a beloved mountain retreat since the 1930s when the Civilian Conservation Corps built its handsome stone tower, cabins, and lodge that still stand today. From the top of that old stone observation tower, the view stretches for miles and miles across endless blue ridges rolling away to the horizon, a sight that fills the heart and takes the breath away. The name Cheaha comes from a Creek word meaning high place, and high it surely is, the very roof of Alabama. For generations, families have made the winding drive up the mountain to picnic, to hike the rugged trails, to watch the sun rise or set over the ancient Appalachian foothills, and to feel the cool clean air of the heights. There is something special about standing on the highest ground in your whole state, looking out over the land you call home spread wide beneath you. The mountain wears every season in its own way, from spring blooms to fiery autumn leaves to the rare dusting of winter snow. Those old stone buildings, lovingly crafted by hand during the Depression, give the park a timeless charm that modern places can never match. Cheaha has been making memories for Alabama families for the better part of a century now. The cool air up there feels a world away from the valley heat below, fresh and clean and still. To stand atop Mount Cheaha is to feel on top of the world, and to be grateful for the simple, soaring beauty of our own home state.
