Chewacla Sate Park gets glamorous with new…

Timberline Glamping introduced the concept to the park in June.

Located just past the park entrance, the glamping location is an easy walk to Chewacla Lake and the waterfalls, but still gives campers hotel like amenities.

“Basically, it’s getting outdoors and enjoying all the things that the outdoors still has to offer, but still having the luxury of a high-end hotel,” said business owner Michele Danielly. “You don’t have to go pitch a tent, you don’t have to do anything. It’s all there for you.”

Glamping— a combination of “glamorous” and “camping”— has been popping up around Alabama and Georgia in recent years. Timberline Glamping opened its luxury safari tents at Chewacla in June.

All the tents are thick canvas and set up on raised wooden beds. They have air conditioning and heating, lighting, electrical outlets, a minifridge and keuring coffee maker and come fully furnished and decorated. Three of the glamping tents also have full bathrooms. All five safari tents also have chairs, hammocks, grills and fire rings outside.

“We try to make it as comfortable as possible,” Daneilly said. “You don’t have to bring anything with you. You just go and enjoy it. You don’t have to do all the work.”

Danielly and her family are former Auburn residents who currently live in the Atlanta area. The mother of two said her and her husband, Lee, have always loved traveling. They like to find unique lodging opportunities for their family instead of staying in hotels when they vacation. It was this mentality that led them to open a glamping site at Chewacla State Park. Daneilly called Auburn a fantastic area.

“It needed to happen in Auburn,” she said. “Auburn is near and dear to our hearts… when we had the opportunity to take it to Chewacla, we jumped on that.”

Nathan and Rebeka Self created Timberline Glamping seven years ago in Georgia. The first location was planted at Lake Lanier. The business has since franchised out to 15 parks across the Southeast. Wind Creek became the first Alabama location back in April. Chewacla State Park, Lake Guntersville State Park, Monte Sano State Park, and Cheaha State Park all soon followed.

Danielly said the company was expecting to grow to 20 locations extending up to Williamsburg VA by the end of the year.

“Glamping is something we’ve always been drawn to and wanted to do,” Danielly said. “Auburn doesn’t have anything like this, so we thought it’s something different and unique and fun to do in the area.”