Wind Creek State Park

Lake Martin was created in the 1920s when Martin Dam was built across the Tallapoosa River to generate hydroelectric power, backing the river up into the hills to form one of the largest man-made lakes of its time. The rising water filled the valleys and left the hilltops standing as islands, giving the lake its famously irregular, deeply wooded shoreline and its many islands.

The land here is the Piedmont, the rolling foothill country between the Appalachians and the coastal plain, and it was long the homeland of the Muscogee, or Creek, people. Nearby, at Horseshoe Bend on the Tallapoosa, a decisive battle was fought in 1814 that led to the loss of vast Creek lands. Wind Creek State Park grew up on the lake's shore in the mid-twentieth century as one of Alabama's recreational parks, giving the public access to the water and woods.

Wind Creek is above all a camping park, and its campground is one of the largest run by any state park system in the nation, sprawling along the lakeshore under tall pines. Many sites sit close to the water, and the sheer size of the campground means room for tents, trailers, and everything in between, from a quiet weekend to a big family gathering.

The lakeside setting is the whole point: campers can step from their sites to the beach, the boat launch, or a shoreline path, and fall asleep to the sound of water and pines. The campground has made Wind Creek a longtime favorite for Alabama families, the kind of place people return to summer after summer.

Lake Martin is prized for its clear water, and swimming is a central draw, from the park's beach and swimming area to the countless coves and shorelines reachable by boat. The park has boat ramps for getting out onto the lake, and its waters are popular for fishing, boating, paddling, and every kind of summer play. The lake's islands make natural destinations for a day on the water.

On land, forest trails wind through the pine and hardwood woods and along the shoreline, good for hiking and biking and for spotting the birds, deer, and other wildlife of the Piedmont forest. Between the water and the woods, the park offers a full range of easygoing outdoor recreation in one place.

Summer is the heart of the season at Wind Creek, when the lake is warm and inviting, the campground fills, and the beach, boats, and swimming areas are at their liveliest. It is the busiest and hottest time, so weekends see the most people, and the water is at its most welcoming.

Spring and fall bring milder weather, thinner crowds, and pleasant conditions for camping and hiking, with spring greening the woods and fall touching the hardwoods with color. Winter is quiet and cool, the lake still and the campground peaceful, a good time for a solitary stay by the water, though swimming waits for the warm months to return.

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