DeSoto State Park in Alabama is for the Birds!

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When we say DeSoto Park is for the birds, we mean in a good way. There are lots of beautiful birds flying around. We've seen summer tanagers and bluebirds and lots more we don't know the names of.

What a nice park! We moved over here early this morning, just to get out of the sun, into some shade, and to check this place out. It's great! DeSoto State Park, a 3500 acre park, is on Lookout Mountain in the northeast corner of the state of Alabama. It was only about a 10 mile drive from Wills Creek RV Park and it was well worth it to move over to the state park. Wills Creek doesn't honor the Passport America rate on the weekend, so the cost is close to the same. You get a whole lot more park for the money at the state park. We're hoping it will be cooler with all the trees around the sites, providing shade. We found out that the state park charges 3.00 more on the weekend, starting on Friday, so it ended up being about 31.00 after taxes for tonight's stay. And it IS a little bit cooler, about 7 degrees compared to being back in town at Fort Payne. We've got plenty of shade at our site which is great--the AC doesn't have to work nearly as hard to keep us comfortable.

DeSoto Park

This is a Civilian Conservation Corps park that was developed in the 1930's, so lots of native stone and logs are in the park's design. All original furniture in the rustic cabins and the country store/nature center on the premises were made by the young men of the CCC back in the '30's. There is a motel in the park, there are rustic cabins, log cabins, and chalets as well.

The campground was updated and fully improved in 2008. FULL hookup sites, terrific, asphalted, spacious, pull thru sites--all have cable TV service as well! All that for 28.50 a night during the week! There are comfort stations with restrooms and showers, there's a laundry as well. It has a volleyball court and tennis courts-but no nets(!). The Lodge and Mountain Inn Restaurant serves meals three times a day and a buffet every Sunday. There is primitive camping available, tent camping, there are backcountry campsites, a handicapped accessible boardwalk trail, an Olympic sized swimming pool (fees charged for that), and a country store and information center...

country store sitting area

There are over 20 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, and the usual picnic and playground areas. The park is not far from the DeSoto Falls, 7 miles northeast of the park, which has about dried up for the summer, and the Little River Canyon National Preserve, which begins 10 miles south of the lodge. And, did I mention there are LOTS of beautiful bluebirds here? (Yes, you did, says E., patiently) They've got birdhouses for them all over the place. This place is for the birds! Maybe Sparky will get more into bird watching. (That's a great idea, it's FREE! champions E.)

And...did you know that Fort Payne is the hometown of the country western band, "Alabama"? Yessiree....they have a BIG fan museum in town, and a cool park with bigger than life size bronze statues honoring their native sons. Very cool!

Sparky and Eldo wish we could stay longer to explore the park, but we have to be in Sevierville, TN on Saturday, to meet up with Eldy's grandkids and head out on our "vacation" with the grands to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But we will definitely come back to DeSoto Park on our way to or from Florida this winter! It looks like a really wonderful place to stay for awhile, to hike and bike and explore.....There is LOTS to do in the northern half of Alabama but Eldo is on the MOVE!.....See you in Sevierville, TN tomorrow.......