Cheaha State Park
Ranking: Easy Pie to Moderate
The foggy and oh so mysterious Cheaha State Park. At least that was our first impression when we arrived, which was early in the day. Due to our early arrival, the park itself was blanketed with a thick coverage of fog making it a bit hard to see at times. As you arrive to the park, there is a VC (visitor center) as well as a check-in booth off to the right. If it is your first time visiting like it was for us, then let the nice gentleman that is running the booth know. Instead of sending us on our way, he pulled out a map and went over every area of the park for us. That awesome gent also told us which spots were best to see and which ones weren't. I can only speak from my own experiences but most employees at state parks are super helpful. So don't be afraid to ask them questions, that is what they are there for!
After receiving such fine wisdom from our check-in man, we kept it moving. At this state park, you can either drive to each hiking location or park and walk. We chose to drive between the hikes due to we didn't really know how far everything was. While there though, we did see a few people walking the entirety of the park so that part is up to your preference.
We completed all the hikes except the Lake Trail Hike. Unfortunately I was still recovering from a foot injury so I was unable to finish them all. Although we didn't hike every trail we did hike the majority in a single day and so can you. The trails aren't bad, in fact each one is under 2 miles. Most of which are actually not even a mile long. The Mountain Laurel and the Lake Trail (so we heard from a shirtless dude we ran into) are more difficult. We hiked the Mountain Laurel trail and the terrain is very rocky so be careful. I definitely slipped on a rock as I was crossing a stream and thank god I do squats on a daily- I saved myself from busting it! The guy we ran into said the same thing about the Lake Trail so just keep that in mind. Like I mentioned earlier though, most of the trails are very short and easy.
The Bald Rock Trail in particular stood out in my mind due to it being stroller and handicap accessible. This trail has the unique option to either stay on the platform trail or walk alongside it on a well beaten path. The platform has on and off sections where you can either walk above or below, the choice is yours. At the end of the trail there is a viewing area as well as a ton of rocks you can climb if you're feeling adventurous. It was too foggy for us to see the entire view however here and there we did get glimpses of rolling hills. This is a fantastic park especially if you are looking for somewhere to bring your family. The park also offers a restaurant, cabins, and other outdoor activities. If you are looking for a weekend of outdoorsy entertainment then this park might be a great fit.