Because it's the fall season, there's no better time than right now to experience Alabama's natural scenic beauty. One of the best ways to do this is to take a scenic drive. Several scenic drives are located across Alabama, including the incredible Talladega Scenic Drive. It happens to be one of the best scenic drives in Alabama.
Alabama's Talladega Scenic Drive, which stretches for 26 miles, is one of the state's best fall drives. It follows State Route 281 near Heflin, and it ends at Adams Gap.
While taking this Alabama scenic drive, you'll experience spectacular views of the Talladega National Forest. It's such a beautiful place this time of year.
If you wish to stop and explore the Talladega National Forest, you most certainly can. During your hike, you'll encounter several rock outcroppings, streams, wildflowers, waterfalls, and so much more.
The incredible Talladega Scenic Drive will also take you to Cheaha State Park, which is located atop Cheaha Mountain - Alabama's highest natural point.
Cheaha Mountain has an elevation of 2,407 feet above sea level, and it offers one of the finest views in Alabama. You'll be able to see for many miles while atop this majestic mountain.
Another place you'll encounter while taking Alabama's Talladega Scenic Drive is the historic Kymulga Grist Mill and Covered Bridge. These two historic sites are approximately 200 years old and attract history lovers from near and far. The Kymulga Covered Bridge is one of two 19th-century covered bridges in Alabama that's currently in operation.
There's no denying that this Alabama scenic byway is one of the state's best-kept secrets. To experience the drive for yourself, don't forget to add it to your fall bucket list. It'll be an adventure like no other!
Have you ever taken the Talladega Scenic Drive, one of the best scenic drives in Alabama? If so, please share your experience with us in the comments.
If you feel like experiencing more of Alabama's great outdoors, you'll want to take this road trip. But before you hit the road, take a look at our Ultimate Road Trip Packing List for everything you'll need for the ride.
Ah, if every day could be a lake day! So why not take a week this summer for a road trip to Alabama's best lakes and lake towns?
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Few things are better than time spent on an Alabama lake, sharing a toast over otherworldly magenta and gold sunsets with people you love. One of my favorite memories was from just a few years ago, catching up with longtime friends who live on Smith Lake near Jasper, Alabama. The entertainment that day mostly consisted of watching their young, feisty dog teach my giant, water-shy puppy to swim. I am not sure who loved it more. My pup didn't want to just fetch but to stay in the lake and swim circles. I completely understood he'd not want to get out; who would want to leave that kind of moment?
That's the power of a good lake day in Alabama. While you may not have lake friends yet, I'd wager you'll make some with this eight-day road trip to Alabama's best lakes. No one is insisting you do it all in eight days. The map is linked below, so it's up to you where you plan to go or choose to linger! We completely understand if you plan a one-week vacation and decide to spend it all at just one.
Grab your swimming and fishing gear, buckle up, and let's go.
Our road trip begins at Guntersville Lake, Alabama's largest at over 69,000 acres. The reservoir stretches diagonally northeast to southwest from Bridgeport to Guntersville. A smart stop to stay and experience this lake is Lake Guntersville State Park on the southern end. Camp or stay at the lodge and enjoy boating, fishing, and exploring the lake's shoreline, where bald eagles are a common sight. From Guntersville Lake, head northwest for approximately 70 miles to reach Wheeler Lake, where you'll discover stunning views and fantastic fishing opportunities.
Wheeler Lake is a massive impoundment of the Tennessee River stretching from the Decatur area west to Rogersville. Known for its beautiful scenery and excellent fishing (and big tournaments), this is a great place to cast a line for bass or catfish – or rent a boat to enjoy the stunning views from the water. Wheeler Lake is named after General Joseph Wheeler, a Confederate cavalry leader during the American Civil War who lived in nearby Hillsboro. If you're planning a stay, check out Decatur's newest hotel, Fairfield Inn & Suites, which is in the heart of the city's historic downtown.
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If you want to travel on a bit, set out on your 64-mile trek northwest to Wilson Lake, and stop for a stay at Joe Wheeler State Park on the western end of Wheeler Lake in Rogersville.
Your next stop is Wilson Lake, and the Wilson Lake Public Boat Ramp (indicated on the map) is in Town Creek near the western end of Wheeler Lake. This 15,500-acre paradise with crystal-clear waters stretches west into the Shoals area to Florence. There are many places to take to the water by boat, dive in for a refreshing swim, or fish for bass, catfish, and crappie.
From Wilson Lake, your next lake stop is about 80 miles southwest at Lewis Smith Lake.
Day 4: Lewis Smith Lake – Near Cullman & Jasper, AL
To reach Lewis Smith Lake, you'll skirt the eastern edge of Bankhead National Forest as you travel south. Known as one of Alabama's cleanest lakes, this one is also the state's deepest at over 500 feet at maximum. Lewis Smith Lake is popular for fishing for striped bass, plus swimming, boating, paddling, jet-skiing, and the like. There are numerous rural communities surrounding this lake, with the largest cities being Cullman to the east and Jasper to the south. Start your day very early for the next stretch of this road trip to Alabama's best lakes. This jaunt is the longest of the lot – a 235-mile drive southwest over to Walter F. George Lake, also known as Lake Eufaula, along the Alabama-Georgia border.
The time spent in the car will be worth it when you arrive in the late afternoon and then see an incredible sunset over Walter F. George Lake. This 45,000-acre reservoir in southeast Alabama justifies its lake city of Eufaula, claiming the title "Big Bass Capital." Besides fishing, you can enjoy boating and other water sports. We recommend Lakepoint State Park Lodge for an overnight stay and trails worth exploring around the lakeshore. From Walter F. George Lake, you'll begin your loop back toward the northern section of the state with a 110-mile drive up to Lake Martin, which is just north of the university town of Auburn, Alabama, and near Dadeville and Alexander City, Alabama.
Since this drive takes a couple of hours, consider stopping just north of Auburn in Waverly for a bite to eat at Wild Flour Bakery for breakfast or brunch or The Waverly Local. Soon after, you'll reach Lake Martin, which covers over 44,000 acres and has more than 750 miles of shoreline with endless activities on the water and off. Boat, swim, hike, float, or rent a lakeside cottage and fire up a grill while watching the spectacular sunsets. Your next lake is about 60 miles north in Pell City, where you'll find Logan Martin Lake.
For your next-to-last stop, visit Logan Martin Lake, a 17,000-acre reservoir popular for boating, wakeboarding, waterskiing, and fishing for bass, crappie, and catfish. Each May, Logan Martin hosts the state's largest in-water boat show, where people can test drive boats, luxury pontoons, and more in a festive setting that includes a big fireworks show.You'll set out to the northeast for about 75 miles to your final lake adventure, Weiss Lake.
Your last stop on your Alabama Lakes road trip is Weiss Lake – the "Crappie Capital of the World." Get in touch with a local outfitter like Weiss Lake Crappie Times Guide Service and try your hand at catching these popular fish ... or simply enjoy a leisurely day on the water. Don't forget to explore the lake's serene surroundings and take in the beautiful scenery. The Coosa, Chattooga, and Little Rivers feed this lake, which covers more than 30,000 acres and has over 447 miles of shoreline. acres, fed by three rivers – the Coosa, Chattooga, and Little Rivers. The lake is almost entirely contained in Cherokee County, which is mostly rural, with a few small towns that have charming spots to shop and places to eat. People love this lake for its preserved natural surroundings and true sense of getting away from it all.
With that, you are about an hour's drive back to the northwest to your starting point of Guntersville State Park. And so you know, these eight lakes are only some of the best among our 20! We have over a half-million acres of ponds, lakes, and reservoirs. (No wonder it's so humid here! At least we can go jump in a lake when we need to.)
Be sure to use our ultimate road trip packing list to make sure you are well-prepared before you head out on this road trip to Alabama's best lakes! And tell us all about it when you do. We'd love to hear about your experience and welcome any tips you may have about these lakes or other favorites.d
It seems the stars align with Buc-ee's in Athens, Alabama, partly because of its proximity to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in nearby Huntsville, Alabama. More specifically, it's close to Space Camp, a magnet for young people with stars in their eyes – sometimes the offspring of stars – who want to study the cosmos with the best in the world.
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At least that was the case in June 2024 for country music star Keith Urban, who picked up his daughter from camp and stopped by our Athens Buc-ee's along I-65 on their way home to Nashville, about two hours up the highway. Urban chatted and posed for pictures with the few who recognized him, like Tyler Clark, his wife, and baby daughter, Emerson.
Earlier this spring, actress Elizabeth Berkley paid a visit. I am not sure what brought her to this part of our state and only guessing it may be a similar reason or she'd been on location filming a movie in Alabama – we have a lot of that here, too. While Lenny Kravitz made headlines in March for his Daytona Beach, Florida, Buc-ee's stop, I suspect this is more than a celebrity trend and just because Buc-ee's is Buc-ee's.
To that end, I can only tell you my non-celebrity but local experience at our Athens Buc-ee's. While it's not even a monthly must-do to have one so close to home, I cannot deny its appeal. It's even more interesting to discover how important we Alabamians have been in building the company that is now in seven states.
If you are from Alabama (or travel through it often) and love Buc-ee's, celebrate yourselves. Did you know Alabama customers have been pivotal in building this Texas-born brand that now has dozens of locations throughout the country? While most of the company's stores are in Texas, Alabama's Baldwin County was the first choice for expansion. The Robertsdale, Alabama store near our premier Gulf Coast destinations opened in January of 2019.
The second location opened in Leeds, east of Birmingham two years later. Athens was next in November 2022. A fourth opened in Auburn, Alabama in April 2024. Other locations outside of Texas have opened in Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina, and Kentucky since that first Alabama expansion.
I'll start by saying I recommend you put Buc-ee's on your road trip maps through the South for everything you may have already heard about it, like super-clean, semi-private restrooms. Do expect your ears to be confronted almost immediately with the brisket question about barbecue in the South. This is a Texas company that takes it seriously and demands its team to scream, "FRESH BRISKET ON THE BOARD!" when the meat hits the counter at the central carving station.
Aside: Brisket being the real barbecue is some tough talk in the Deep South, but that's Texas. While I have had the real deal in the Lone Star State, I've not tried it at Buc-ee's. I understand it has legions of fans. Share your thoughts.
Despite hearing the shouting over brisket about five times during my first and second visits, the real magnet to my once-6-year-old eyes was the Buc-ee's cookie dough cooler, which is a gleaming Pandora's box presentation of cookie dough bites.
Spoiler: You will find these same cookie dough cups in other parts of the store. They are delicious and somehow more satisfying if you snag them from this cooler than just buying cookie dough bites at your local market.
And around the counter from the cookie-dough cooler, you'll find a fudge display that rivals any 1980s-90s Appalachian mountains vacation pitstop. This counter speaks pure nostalgia to me, and I know I am not alone. While there is nothing exactly like finding a tiny-town fudge shop in an old-school mountain town, Buc-ee's has done a fine job of being almost as great.
Now, the famous Buc-ee's Beaver Nuggets I can get behind fully, and I understand why it's a line that has expanded into scented candles. They are similar to a major brand's corn-puff cereal many of us knew in childhood, but better as a snack and without a 7 a.m. school day start.
As soon as I shook the quick Buc-ee's Beaver Nuggets addiction, my niece in Georgia with little Buc-ee's fan offspring and students told me about the Buc-ee's Nug-ees snacks in savory flavors like white cheddar and assorted varieties. Also good, maybe even better.
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I have also tried the famous pralines, which are good and yet not something I have visited to buy again. Along the same lines is what I was told is a top seller at this Buc-ee's in Athens: sampler packs of roasted and coated nuts – not just pecans but cashews, peanuts, almonds, etc. You can find the sampler packs on displays around the store.
The bakery section will knock you out with big-as-Texas cinnamon rolls. But anyone can do that these days. Meanwhile, the Buc-ee's kolaches are my favorites, partly because I haven't seen them in North Alabama before. I was disappointed to not see any available on my last visit. I also wish they'd offer a vegetarian kolache.
And after all these decadent things, you can also find fresh salads, Keto meal boxes, fruits, and vegetables in large cases at Buc-ee's in Athens. I've had the chicken Caesar salad, which was good overall – and superior for most road-trip options I've ever known.
If you are on a diet, just don't look up and around the shelves, where you will see a lineup of cups containing banana pudding, cookie dough, and fruit parfait cups adorning the end caps. Stay focused for fruit and yogurt cups and salad dressing options straight ahead.
You perhaps didn't think you'd shop for anything beyond road snacks at Buc-ee's, and yet the delightful mascot is everywhere, luring you to things you probably don't need and others you might. How can you not acknowledge the cuteness of a vintage truck full of Buc-ee's.
If you do need to shop, Buc-ee's probably has it, especially if you are on a road trip in the South and forgot something. If you need almost any vacation accessory or gear, it's here. It may or may not have a beaver face on it. The brand mark isn't on everything – the stores also carry many high-end outdoor brands for clothing, outdoor gear, etc.
In the boutique gift section, there are cute things to browse while the rest of your family or friend group agonizes over the best Buc-ee's jerky or nostalgic candy for the road.
Have you visited this Buc-ee's in Athens, Alabama? It seems uniquely positioned to show Alabama's best to the world. I have observed many families from countries all over the world making road-trip pit stops and getting a peek into this brand of Southern culture. Tell us about your experience and must-try buys.
