Chilatchee Creek Park and Campground sits adjacent to the 27-mile-long Dannelly Reservoir.  The woods are a pine-oak mix of varying densities. The central part of the park is largely open, mature canopy with a grassy understory, while the periphery of the park is all-ages, with dense under- and mid-stories. Roland Cooper State Park, recently reopened with private management, offers cabins, camping and easy access to the water as well.

The outside world “discovered the women of Gees Bend in the 1970s. They made quilts with an almost impossible parallel to the American expressionist painting movement from which they lived physically and culturally worlds apart. To get close to the area with a kayak or canoe, consider staying at Roland Cooper State Park or the US Army Corps of Engineers parks at Millers Ferry or Chilatchee Creek for a full-service experience.

If a taste of wild is more to your liking, try US Army Corps of Engineers Elm Bluff Park. The closest place to use as base camp is right by the north ferry terminal at Gees Bend Park. It is a short walk from here to the ferry terminal (the nearby Gees Bend Ferry will transport your paddle boat, or your car, or just you). Visit the terminals because their are visitor center displays. The quilters work in the North Terminal on many days. The displays offer a look into the world of the Black Belt.

The ferry runs eight times a day the year around.

Plan your trip

From the nearby town of Camden, take Highway 41 North from downtown and turn left on Highway 10 West. At the 4-way stop, take a right onto State Highway 28 West. Then take a right onto Ellis Landing Road at the Gees Bend Ferry sign in sight of the big silos. Courtesy, Alabama Scenic River Trail.

Chilatchee Creek Park and Campground is also an Alabama Birding Trail site.

Directions: From Selma, take AL-22 west for 23.5 miles. Merge onto AL-5 and drive 4.6 miles. Turn left (south) onto Wilcox County Road 29 and travel southeast for 8.6 miles. Turn left (east) on Chilatchee Creek Road and continue for approximately 2 miles to the campground. Chilatchee Creek Road is an unpaved, clay road and passage may be difficult following heavy rains. Or From Alberta, Alabama, take State Route 5. Turn onto Wilcox County Road 29 and travel southeast for 11 miles. Make a left on Chilatchee Creek Road and continue for 2 miles to the campground.