the loblolly pines and reforesting the area with the native, and much hardier, longleaf.
Peace and tranquility are the norm at Deerlick Creek Campground. You’ll find plenty of space between campsites, so you’re guaranteed a good amount of privacy, plus it is very quiet.
Hikers will find several short trails, including one on the lake’s western bank and another leading to a swimming beach. A road biking trail also provides recreation. And if you like to fish, anglers can choose from four piers.
The campground offers 46 sites altogether, and guests won’t find limits on the number of tents that can be pitched per pad, unlike most facilities.
Sites 1–40 offer power, water, a picnic table, a lantern post, a fire ring, and a grill. The tent pads are compact crushed gravel.
If you like to camp with a view, check out sites 5–9, 13–18, and 34–39. All are located high enough above the lake to take it all in. These sites also provide room for two vehicles to park.
But for my favorite spots, seek out the Settler’s Camp, sites 41–46. Tent-only sites are normally an afterthought, as operators bank on making their money on RVs, but the primitive sites at Deerlick are phenomenal.
The sites are located just below the campground road on a bluff overlooking a finger of the lake. A short set of wooden stairs leads down to the wide dirt tent pad, picnic table, lantern post, and fire ring with grill. Although called primitive, each site has power. Maybe they should be called semiprimitive? In any case, the view is wonderful and the solitude unbeatable. You’ll find a paved parking area just above the sites big enough for two vehicles.
The campground has a spacious and clean central bathhouse with hot showers. A laundry is available here as well. And Deerlick is gated, so there is excellent security. The gate is locked 10 p.m.–7 a.m.
The only downside to spending a night or two at Deerlick Creek Campground is that it’s closed November–February—the prime time to view bald eagles in the area.
:: Getting There
From Tuscaloosa take Lurleen B. Wallace Boulevard North 0.6 mile. Turn right onto Fifth Street/County Road 30. Travel 0.1 mile and turn right, continuing on Fifth Street/CR 30. In 2.4 miles Fifth Street becomes Rice Mine Road. Continue 3.4 miles and turn right onto CR 87/New Watermelon Road. Travel 3.5 miles and turn right onto CR 42/Lake Nicol Road. Travel 3.4 miles and turn right onto CR 89/Deerlick Road. Travel 3.6 miles. The entrance will be on the left.
GPS COORDINATES N33° 16.295' W 87° 25.895'
6
Lake Chinnabee Recreation Area
“Those who love to explore nature while camping in a rustic setting will find everything they seek at Lake Chinnabee Recreation Area.”
:: Ratings
BEAUTY:
PRIVACY:
SPACIOUSNESS:
QUIET:
SECURITY:
CLEANLINESS:
:: Key Information
ADDRESS: Lake Chinnabee Rd., Delta, AL 36258
OPERATED BY: US Forest Service
CONTACT: 256-362-2909; tinyurl.com/chinnabee
OPEN: March–December 1
SITES: 8
SITE AMENITIES: Gravel pads, picnic table, fire ring with grate
ASSIGNMENT: First-come, first-serve
REGISTRATION: Self pay at kiosk
FACILITIES: Vault toilets, creek swimming, fishing
PARKING: At each site
FEE: $8
ELEVATION: 760'
RESTRICTIONS:
Those who love to explore nature while camping in a rustic setting will find everything they seek at Lake Chinnabee Recreation Area. Located only 6 miles from Cheaha State Park in the Cheaha Wilderness, Lake Chinnabee puts you in closer proximity to nature than the park does, providing easy access to several of the forest’s most popular hiking trails.
The recreation area was named for famed Creek chief Chinnabee. He and his tribe adapted and worked with white settlers, ultimately becoming an important ally of General Andrew Jackson during the Creek Indian War of 1813.
The lake that bears the chief’s name is relatively small, about 17 acres. It is dammed on the north side by a picturesque spillway. Cheaha Creek, a beautiful mountain stream to the west, feeds the lake. For the anglers among you, this is a great little fishing hole for largemouth bass (an Alabama freshwater-fishing license is required), as well as a great paddling lake with plenty of interesting geology, plant life, and sloughs to explore. You can cast your line from the grassy bank near the campground or put in your nonmotorized boat.
The area is also a prime location to explore the wonders of the Talladega National Forest. Several hiking trails ranging from easy to difficult converge at this spot, providing access to even more trails that you can connect to make loops. The forest’s most popular hike is the Chinnabee Silent Trail. The silent part of the name pays homage to a group of Boy Scouts at the Talladega Institute for the Deaf and Blind who helped build the trail.
The Chinnabee Silent Trail begins near the Cheaha Creek inlet at the western end of Lake Chinnabee and travels along the creek’s banks. The creek is rather slow moving in this section, but about 0.5 mile farther the water begins
