Campground Review: Joe Wheeler State Park Rogersville, AL

Slipping further south from Tennessee to try to avoid the cold weather (unsuccessfully) I pulled into Joe Wheeler State Park just west of Rogersville, AL off US 72 in northwest Alabama.

Alabama parks have BIG signs.

General Joesph "Fighting Joe" Wheeler (September 10, 1836 – January 25, 1906)  was a Confederate cavalry commander during the Civil War.  For most of the war he served in the Confederate Army of the Tennessee and fought mostly in the Western Theater.  During his career in the Confederate States Army, Wheeler was wounded three times and had a total of 16 horses shot from under him.  The state of Alabama created the 2400 acre park along Wheeler Lake in 1978 and named it after the General. 

Lake Wheeler from one of the hiking paths.

The park has 116 full service campsites set up in three loops (I stayed in B loop) among 100 foot pine trees most with views of the lake.  Each loop has a bath/shower house and the one in my loop was very clean.  Unlike most parks here they take your money and then let you go pick out whatever campsite you want that is unoccupied.

View from site B-22.

I couldn't experience everything in the two days I stayed but the park offers a resort lodge, an 18 hole championship golf course, a 140 slip full service marina, a restaurant, a small country store with laundromat, lakeside rental cottages, 7.5 miles of hiking trails, tennis and basketball courts and a partridge in a pear tree.

Most of the trails keep the lake in view.

Verizon cell service came in at 1 bar of 4g and Millenicom  internet came in at 3 out of 4 bars where I camped.  Being chock full of groceries I didn't visit the restaurant but campers near me said it was pretty good food.   

A trail through the trees.

The park was huge and my two days were inadequate to get the full experience (where was the dang kayak when I needed it?).  I'll have to come back some time and bring my golf clubs, tennis racquet, basketball, kayak, fishing gear.....

Thanks for reading!