A view of Weiss Lake from the sandstone boulders at Cherokee Rock Village: Glynn Wilson
Tales From the MoJo Road –
By Glynn Wilson –
CHEROKEE ROCK VILLAGE, Ala. – Always on the lookout for cool, historic and scenic places to camp these days, on a recent trip scouting new places in Alabama I ran across this gem in Cherokee County not far from Gadsden and Noccalula Falls.
Cherokee Rock Village is a 200-acre public park near the town of Leesburg. also known as Sandrock, Little Rock City or Sand Rock. It is hidden on a bluff 1700 feet above sea level on the southern end of Lookout Mountain and overlooks Weiss Lake.
There’s not much in the way of historical information available at the park, but according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama, it is made up of narrow slot canyons that meander among the high cliffs where there are natural arches, shallow caves and large freestanding sandstones that rise above a maze of passages and overhangs, perfect for rock climbing enthusiasts, who packed the place this weekend from Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and even Louisiana.
Its most notable features are massive sandstone boulders and stone formations up to 200 feet high that date back 300 million years to the Pennsylvanian Period. Some of the formations appear perfect for a place to live to escape heat, cold, wind, rain and other elements of nature for the Creek and Cherokee Native Americans who lived here 10,000 years since the last Ice Age. Evidence places them here as long ago as 8000 years BC. It also looks like a perfect natural hiding place for those who hid out from Andrew Jackson’s army here in the 1830s trying to escape removal from the land in what would come to be called the “Trail of Tears.” Some did escape and a few of their descendants still live in the area.
The place got famous back in 2006 when scenes for the movie “Failure to Launch” starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker were filmed here.
The area was home to Native Americans continuously from 8000 BC until 1838, when the resident Cherokee and Creek Indians were forcibly removed by the Indian Removal Act. The site was believed to be of religious and ceremonial importance to these indigenous people, and lies along an old Indian trail that later became a route for European settlers. The site and trail were used by both northern and southern troops during the Civil War, and it is now known as Lookout Mountain Trail.
Before the 1970s, the general public had no easy access to the site, but many rock climbers were drawn to the opportunities afforded by the huge rock faces and boulders. Local officials came to recognize the tourist potential of the area, and in 1973, then-president of the Cherokee County Historical Society, Col. Robert N. Mann, was authorized by the Cherokee County Commission to negotiate with the landowner, the Georgia Kraft Company, to purchase the site.
After much negotiation, in 1974, Georgia Kraft donated 20 acres of land that encompass the major sandstone formations, with the stipulations that the site be developed into a park and a road built for public access. Talks resumed with Georgia Kraft when the county sought to acquire additional acreage to protect as many of the natural sandstone formations as possible.
According to some online reviews, the facilities were minimal for much of the park’s history, with the exception of a few hiking trails and a large number of primitive campsites as well as a limited number of portable toilets and trash dumpsters. A long-time Alabama climbing institution, “Sand Rock has had a colorful and sometimes dubious history,” according to one online review.
“For many years, it seemed that lowlifes were in direct competition with climbers. Sand Rock was a destination for ATV riders, drunken late-night partiers and other examples of southern stereotypes. Broken beer bottles and overturned port-a-potties were common sights, and the cliffs were despoiled with spray-painted graffiti.”
An example of graffiti marring the impressive sandstone rock formations at Cherokee Rock Village: Glynn Wilson
The Nature Conservancy became involved in the negotiations in 1976 and in April 1977 purchased 200 acres from Georgia Kraft for $15,000. The Conservancy then transferred title to the land to Cherokee County. With the completion of an access road in the 1980s, the site quickly became very popular with hikers and campers and emerged as one of the Southeast’s most popular rock-climbing destinations.
In 2010 an effort to expand recreational opportunities resulted in the county government constructing bathrooms, a picnic pavilion, playgrounds, a storm shelter and a camp store. A helipad provides access for medical emergencies. Campsites remain first come, first serve and a fee is required, at present $19 a night per vehicle, $18 for seniors. There are no electric, water or sewer hook-ups for RVs, although fresh water is available for drinking and camping use.
The park is apparently owned by Cherokee County and administered by the Cherokee County Parks and Recreation Board, although a local employee said it was a city park, so maybe the city got involved and put some resources into developing the campground and bathhouse too. The area has been unofficially “adopted” by the Southeastern Climbers Coalition (SCC), and SCC volunteers have picked up litter and cleaned parking areas. Additionally, the SCC sponsors an annual competition that typically attracts more than 100 climbers.
The East Coast Rock Climbing Championship is scheduled for May 15, 2025, according to an event on Facebook.
Weiss Lake View
The “village” dominates the high ridge, affording spectacular panoramic views of Weiss Lake in the valley below. On weekends, climbers from Alabama and neighboring Tennessee and Georgia dominate the vertical rock walls, coming from as far away as South Carolina and Louisiana too. The variety of climbing routes and rock faces provides challenges that accommodate climbers of every ability level, from novice to the hard-core expert. Some routes have permanent anchors bolted to the rocks. Some of the more popular sport climbing routes have been named by first ascenders and are well-known to climbers, including Champagne Jam, Comfortably Numb, White Gold, Split Cracks, Whammy and New Wall.
The site has everything from gentle rising broad boulders that may be enjoyed by a novice to vertical rocks for the experienced sport climber. There are over 200 top rope routes, trad climbing and bouldering.
More Photos
Climbing a rock at Cherokee Rock Village: Glynn Wilson
Watch for rocks overhead while hiking among the sandstones at Cherokee Rock Village: Glynn Wilson
Tab Gilbert hiking among the shallow caves at Cherokee Rock Village: Glynn Wilson
Tab Gilbert hiking among the shallow caves at Cherokee Rock Village: Glynn Wilson
A shallow cave at Cherokee Rock Village: Glynn Wilson
Taking a break resting in a hammock after a day of climbing the rocks at Cherokee Rock Village: Glynn Wilson
A view of our campsite at Cherokee Rock Village: Glynn Wilson
A view of our campsite at sunset at Cherokee Rock Village: Glynn Wilson
A view of the cliffs at Cherokee Rock Village: Glynn Wilson
A shallow cave at Cherokee Rock Village: Glynn Wilson
A view of Weiss Lake from Cherokee Rock Village: Glynn Wilson
Tab Gilbert taking a hiking break in one of the many shallow caves where you can imagine Native Americans living before the 1830s when they were removed from their land by the U.S. government: Glynn Wilson
A view of the impressive sandstone structures at Cherokee Rock Village: Glynn Wilson
A view of the impressive sandstone structures at Cherokee Rock Village: Glynn Wilson
A view of one of the many passages in the maze of rocks dating back 300 million years to the to the Pennsylvanian Period at Cherokee Rock Village: Glynn Wilson
Many of the rock formations at Cherokee Rock Village have earned nicknames. This one might be called frog rock: Glynn Wilson
An example of graffiti marring the impressive sandstone rock formations at Cherokee Rock Village: Glynn Wilson
A young climber making it to the top of a rock formation at Cherokee Rock Village: Glynn Wilson
Tab Gilbert taking a contemplative break from hiking and taking in the view of Weiss Lake from a cliff in Cherokee Rock Village: Glynn Wilson
Rock Maps
The rocks are mapped and named. These are posted on the information board at the park.
Other Helpful Links
