Alabama’s highest peak will soon have a new landmark: the Cheaha State Park Lodge, a 26,000‑square‑foot hotel that is the state’s largest mass timber project.
Rising above the Appalachian foothills in Cleburne County near the town of Delta, the new lodge will offer panoramic views across the Talladega National Forest. Built from Southern Yellow Pine — a species prized for its density and stiffness and well‑suited to the mountain’s elevation and climate — the four‑storey retreat is scheduled to open in early 2026. It is already being hailed as a model for how modern methods of construction (MMC) can honour heritage, ecology, and place.
Wood Central understands that site preparation began in late 2024, following the approval of a US$85 million bond measure to modernise Alabama’s state parks. Since then, construction has advanced at a steady pace, with Mercer Mass Timber — one of North America’s leading manufacturers and major suppliers of mass timber — supplying cross‑laminated timber and glulam beams manufactured in Conway, Arkansas, from FSC‑certified Southern Yellow Pine, sourced in Alabama.
Designed by Chambless King Architects for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the lodge reinterprets the park’s 1930s stone structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the New Deal. Its architecture employs biophilic design principles that immerse guests in the surrounding landscape, featuring expansive glass windows, exposed timber beams, and wooden facades that frame sweeping views of Talladega National Forest.
“Designing the new lodge at Cheaha has truly been the project of a lifetime,” said Jared Fulton, AIA, principal at Chambless King Architects. “We sought to design the space as an extension of the mountain, cascading the building form to follow the site grades and connect visitors back to nature.”
“The material choices—specifically the inclusion of mass timber—celebrate renewable building materials in their raw, natural state and complement the distinctive features of Cheaha’s New Deal Era Civilian Conservation Corps structures. Beyond enriching the guest experience, we hope the new lodge becomes a meaningful asset to the local community and a lasting tribute to the mountain’s legacy.”
Meanwhile, Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, underscored the project’s importance to the state’s tourism sector. “We are very excited to announce the new Cheaha State Park Lodge as well as a few additional renovations to this iconic state park,” he said back in December 2024 during the project launch. “With this project, we are adding another world‑class facility to our growing list of exceptional overnight accommodations and amenities. We look forward to welcoming lodge guests in early 2026.”
The name Cheaha derives from the Creek word Chaha, meaning “high place,” a fitting description of a site long revered by Indigenous peoples for its elevation and spiritual significance. Mercer Mass Timber and its partners have emphasised their commitment to honouring this history while advancing low‑carbon construction. “We are proud to support Alabama’s embrace of renewable materials that tell the story of place through design, performance, and respect for the land,” said Ricardo Brites, Director of Engineering & VDC at Mercer Mass Timber.
“This four‑story project, featuring an extensive amount of exposed mass timber components, is made possible through our strong partnerships. We are thankful to The Westervelt Company, our fibre sourcing partner, and Carpentry Plus, Inc., the mass timber integrator, for their partnership in bringing this signature project to life.”
