Cheaha State Park has opened a new $28 million lodge with 32 bluff-side rooms spread across three hotel guest towers, replacing the aging lodging facility that had stood atop Alabama's highest point since 1973. The dedication marks a milestone for the park in Delta, Alabama, which sits more than 2,000 feet above sea level and is recognized as the state's oldest continuously operating state park.
According to WVTM 13, Alabama State Parks Director Matthew Capps said all 32 rooms will have bluff-side views, along with a restaurant, rooftop bar and conference area. Reservations for the new lodge are expected to open online next week, per the station's report. The lodge was designed to be distinctive and inspired by nature, and construction faced challenges along the way from rock removal and water intrusion at the mountaintop site, the station's report notes.
Elsewhere, ABC 33/40 reported that the dedication marked the opening of the 32-room lodge, describing a four-story structure that sits atop Cheaha Mountain with private balconies, panoramic views and a rooftop bistro. The lodge also includes a bluff-side observation pavilion and space intended for weddings, corporate gatherings and other events, according to the same outlet. That report put the lodge's cost at $28 million and said it replaces the park's previous lodging facility, which was built in 1973.
Built From Alabama Timber
The new lodge incorporates mass timber construction using Alabama-sourced southern yellow pine, ABC 33/40 reported, using renewable materials in place of more conventional building methods. Architecture publication The Architect's Newspaper described the project as potentially the largest cross-laminated-timber construction project in the state upon completion, and said each of the 32 planned guest units was oriented to take advantage of the park's landscape and topography.
Chambless King Architects led the design work, with Jared Fulton serving as firm principal and lead project architect, according to Outdoor Alabama. That agency account also notes that Cheaha Mountain, Alabama's highest point, rises to 2,407 feet. Outdoor Alabama says the project was supported by an $85 million bond measure approved by voters in 2022, though the Architect's Newspaper separately reported the bond issue, approved by voters in May 2022, provided $80 million — the two accounts differ on the exact figure.
A Years-Long Build With a Shifting Timeline
Site preparation for the lodge began in December 2024, with the project expected to be completed in early 2026, according to Construction Equipment Guide. The lodge's own promotional website, The Lodge at Cheaha, had advertised an opening in fall 2026. Cost estimates for the project also shifted over time — a 2025 report from WVTM 13 put the project at $25 million, describing a four-story building with a rooftop lounge and sky deck, before later coverage settled on the $28 million figure cited at dedication.
To handle day-to-day operations, Alabama State Parks entered a 10-year concession agreement with Guest Services, Inc., which will manage food and beverage services, retail operations, event management, reservations and guest services at the park, per Outdoor Alabama. The company is also managing operations at the park's existing Bald Rock Lodge while assisting with preparations for the new lodge's opening.
Alabama's Oldest Park Gets a Modern Draw
Established in 1933, Cheaha State Park is Alabama's oldest continuously operating state park, according to ABC 33/40. The park typically draws between 200,000 and 300,000 visitors annually, and Outdoor Alabama has reported that more than 259,000 people visited Cheaha during the 2022-23 fiscal year alone, part of more than 5.4 million total visits across Alabama's 21 state parks that year, according to the Gadsden Times. Cheaha remains far behind Gulf State Park, the system's busiest, which the Gadsden Times reported draws more than 2 million visitors a year thanks to its Gulf Shores beachfront.
For now, the new lodge gives Cheaha a fresh amenity to match its scenery, with every room facing the bluffs that have long made the mountaintop park a draw for hikers and sightseers. With reservations expected to open online next week, travelers hoping to book a stay overlooking Alabama's highest point won't have to wait much longer to find out what a room with that view actually costs.
