ROGERSVILLE, Ala. – Looking for fun on the water this summer? You don’t have to head to the Gulf Coast to enjoy watersports of all kinds. Joe Wheeler State Park offers swimming, fishing and boating for water-lovers.
You don’t have to spend all your time on the water to enjoy Wheeler, either. There are spectacular outdoors vistas, a championship golf course, a new disc golf course and plenty of other fun ways to enjoy your stay.
Here are just 10 of the great outdoor activities you can enjoy at Joe Wheeler:
1. Fish for largemouth and smallmouth bass, white bass, hybrid striped bass, crappie and bream. Wheeler Lake, formed by the mighty Tennessee River offers all kinds of opportunities for anglers, whether they are professionals or just folks who like to wet a hook from the bank. Spring and fall brings organized bass tournaments, such as those sponsored by the Alabama Bass Trail. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources partners with Governor Kay Ivey’s office, the Alabama Tourism Department and the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association to provide great fishing spots for the Alabama Bass Trail and the Alabama Student Angler Bass Fishing Association. Several boat ramps are available. Learn more at alapark.com/Joe-Wheeler-State-Park-Fishing.
2. Camp at one of the 116 campsites. There are improved camping sites as well as primitive sites located in a wooded setting surrounded by towering pines and hardwoods. There are three bathhouses located in each camp section. Call 256-247-1184 or visit alapark.com to make reservations online.
3. Stay at the waterfront lodge and enjoy the magnificent sunrises or sunsets. All 75 rooms are lakeside with a balcony facing the lake. Children under 12 stay for free! Call 256-247-5461 for more information or book your stay online at alapark.com/Joe-Wheeler-State-Park-Lodge.
4. Play on the championship golf course, The “General.” This 18-hole Earl Stone course is set in rolling hills that tie in with the river. The course is inside a game sanctuary, so wildlife is abundant. Several greens fee options are available. Call 256-247-9308.
5. Take a cruise aboard the 36-foot Nautical Wheeler. Wheeler Lake Scenic Cruises offers guided cruises along the shoreline of Joe Wheeler State Park, the lower section of Wheeler Lake and Lake Wilson. Trips from one to eight hours are available to private groups almost every day – even at night! – year-round. From June to November, cruises are scheduled every weekend and are open to all. Call 256-247-2187 for weekend schedule or reservations.
6. Bring your business group – or your family reunion – to Elk River Group Lodge. Great for reunions, church retreats or fishing clubs. The lodge is within a cove off Elk River with 13 bedrooms and a commercial-type kitchen. Call 256-247-5466 for reservations or to set up a tour.
7. Spend a day at the beach. The Beach Area at Joe Wheeler offers sand, sun and cool (river) water. The Beach House has restroom facilities and an outside sand shower. Fort Hampton Outfitters offers kayak and stand-up paddleboard rental.
8. Play disc golf on the new disc course. James Burton and Jack White have designed a par-57 disc course through moderately hilly and heavily wooded terrain. The Scratch Scoring Estimate is 52.4. The Joe Wheeler State Park Disc Golf Course is located in the Day Use Area across from the basketball courts.
9. Rent a pontoon boat – or a fishing boat. Spend the day on the water with up to 14 of your friends on a deluxe pontoon boat powered by a 60-horsepower four-stroke motor, or a smaller pontoon that holds up to a dozen boaters. You can also get a bass boat or a paddle boat. Call the marina at 256-247-6971 for more info.
10. Bring your own boat and dock at one of 64 transient slips. Call 256-247-5461 or 256-247-6971 to reserve a spot that offers 50 amp – 120/250 volt service or 30 amp service, water hook-ups and cable TV hook-up. There’s access to showers and a coin laundry, too!
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