DELTA, Ala. – Visitors to Cheaha State Park will soon see the completion of ongoing renovation to the campgrounds that will result in an almost brand new experience for campers at our state’s highest point.
Paving of both upper and lower campgrounds will involve reshaping the pads, outlining the pads with new timbers and gravel and the milling and paving of campground roads.
“This $1.1 million project is the culmination of several projects at Cheaha State Park,” said Greg Lein, Director of the Alabama State Parks System. “We have completed the smaller projects and this final paving work comes after we’ve been able to build up the necessary funds for larger jobs.
“We have been working with a funding schedule where we can undertake one of these bigger renovations every other year. This allows us the funds to keep up with the smaller projects.”
Tim Haney, Operations Supervisor for the North Region of the Alabama State Parks System, said several less-noticeable projects have been completed over the past two years at Cheaha. “Many of the improvements were infrastructure projects that visitors would not see,” he said. “We installed all new sewage grinder pumps throughout the park, upgraded components of water system, replaced numerous 30-year-old heating and air units, replaced mattresses and bedding, replaced water heaters, replaced kitchen equipment, refurbished the pool and installed new roofs on most of the facilities.”
Cheaha also installed 50-amp service to the campsites and upgraded water lines, and in 2014, demolished the old bathhouses and built new ones.
“Two years ago, we built a new shelter over our 9-foot-tall carved ‘Big Foot’ statue. Our staff is using this shelter for environmental education,” Haney said. “We recently dedicated the Mike Bosarge Memorial Dog Park in that same area, thanks to the funds donated by the Bosarge family.
“Cheaha is a gem that is filled with natural beauty. Our staff strives to upgrade the facilities for guests to use as a hub as they enjoy the area.”
About Alabama’s State Parks System
The Alabama State Parks is a division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The division maintains 22 parks encompassing approximately 48,000 acres of land and water. These parks rely on visitor fees and the support of other partners like local communities to fund the majority of their operations. Download the State Parks app at pocketranger.com. For more information about Alabama State Parks, go online to www.alapark.com. Partners Pay the Way.
###
