Bunker Tower

Cheaha Mountain rises above the surrounding countryside as the highest point in Alabama, and Bunker Tower sits right at its summit. Though modest by the standards of the great Appalachian peaks to the north, Cheaha is the crown of the state, and standing atop the tower puts you higher than anywhere else in Alabama.

The name Cheaha comes from a Muscogee (Creek) word often translated as high place, a fitting name for the summit of the state. This ridge country was long part of the homelands of the Muscogee people before their forced removal west, and the mountain's name is a lasting trace of that heritage on the modern map.

Bunker Tower and much of Cheaha State Park were built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the New Deal program that put young men to work on public lands during the Great Depression. Using local stone, the crews raised the tower, a lodge, cabins, and trails, all in the rugged, handcrafted style that still gives the park its character.

The tower's thick stone walls and sturdy construction have let it stand for the better part of a century, weathering storms atop an exposed summit. It remains one of the most tangible legacies of the CCC's work in Alabama, a piece of Depression-era craftsmanship that thousands of visitors still climb every year for the view.

The whole point of a lookout tower is the view, and Bunker Tower delivers. From its platform, the southern Appalachians spread out in overlapping ridges and wooded valleys, and on a clear day the sight stretches for many miles. Autumn, when the hardwood forests turn color, is an especially spectacular time to make the climb.

The tower is one stop in Cheaha State Park, which is laced with trails ranging from short summit strolls to steep, rocky routes down the mountainside, along with other overlooks like Bald Rock and Pulpit Rock. Hikers can link the tower to these viewpoints for a fuller day on the ridge.

Bunker Tower sits within Cheaha State Park, which charges a small day-use fee and offers a historic stone lodge, cabins, a campground, and a restaurant with valley views, making it a base as well as a viewpoint. The park is surrounded by the Talladega National Forest, so its trails connect to a much larger network of backcountry.

Being high on the ridge, the summit is noticeably cooler than the lowlands, a welcome escape in the Alabama heat, and it can be windy and chilly in the colder months. Between the tower, the overlooks, the lodge, and the surrounding forest, the mountaintop is one of the most rewarding outdoor destinations in the state.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.