Chewalla Lake Recreation Area Trail

This easy 4 mile out and back winding track offers scenic views of a spring fed lake, large trees and meadows. This trail follows the shoreline of Chewalla Lake, a 260 acre spring fed lake located in the Holly Springs National Forest Chewalla Lake Recreation Areas name is from the Choctaw word Chiho-la, meaning Supreme Being. Like Owl Creek, this was a special place for Native Americans, who once built a ceremonial mound where the lake now stands. A small mound commemorating the site has been reconstructed near an overlook of the lake. This recreation area offers a beautiful and tranquil setting for enjoyment of the outdoors. Visitors can enjoy a cool and scenic view of the 260 acre lake, which is popular with fishermen and swimmers in the warmer months. Facilities include 36 campsites (9 have electrical hookups), 40 picnic units, boat ramp, mooring dock, accessible fishing pier, swimming beach, childrens playground, group picnic pavilion, restrooms with flush toilets and showers, drinking water, 1 mile walking trail, and a sewage dump station. a spur trail crosses a covered bridge to an island near the swimming area. A longer trail hike is available as the trail continues past the swimming area through a a nice mixed forest setting including some very large white oak trees and shortleaf pines. The forest is made up oaks, hickory, pine, beech, tulip poplar and some very large dogwoods. At the trail intersection with Chewalla Dam road, follow the road for 300 feet and a spur trail leads right down to the rocky steam below the dam. Follow the trail to the spillway and then follows the creek for a few hundred feet and then turns back toward the dam and follows the meadow/forest setting until the the end of the dam. You can follow the trails through the forest but these trails are not mapped. At the trail intersection on the east side of the dam turn left and to to the top of the dam and follow the dam for some really nice views of the lake on the way back out. Chewalla Lake Recreation Area is open year-round unless weather conditions require the area to be closed. Chewalla is a fee area. The fee station is located just beyond the entrance gate. No attendant will be on duty. Therefore, users should make sure that they have correct currency before arriving at the recreation area.