With the many challenges this world has faced this year, sometimes you simply need to get away, even if it is just for a weekend. It is no mystery one of my favorite places to spend time in Huntsville is at Monte Sano State Park, so this is where my story begins. I have enjoyed so many fun-filled times bonding with my friends and family over the years at Monte Sano, it is impossible to say which time I loved the most. This last camping trip proved no exception. Along with my boyfriend Brandon, I simply could not stand being quarantined to the degree I had been any longer. So, we took to Monte Sano, this time cabin camping being the only option.
Monte Sano, meaning “mountain of health,” has many visitors that enjoy a variety of activities. These activities include mountain scenery, hiking trails, 14 rustic cabins, 11 original CCC cabins erected by the Civilian Conservation Corps, primitive camping, buildings for business meetings, open air grilling and fireplaces, family and friendly gatherings, weddings, and a waterfall near the scenic perch right as you enter the park on the right, when Huntsville receives a lot of rain. Although I hoped for better weather, as any camper knows, the weather sometimes is what it is. So, as we ascended the mountain, I felt as if we were in a Robert Frost poem. It was as if we were in a cloud, everything around us surrounded by fog. However, it was simply amazing.
Despite the rain, and that my car got stuck in the front yard in the first 30 minutes of arriving, in which I had to be towed, Brandon and I had such a relaxing trip. It ended up being an eerily cozy time, nestled up there in the fog, overlooking the skyline of Huntsville’s twinkling, city lights. We stayed in Cabin 1 for the entire weekend, with all the amenities of a hotel but with the atmosphere and charm a cabin in the woods has to offer.
With just the two of us, Brandon and I burned all the firewood we had just because we could. We enjoyed cooking camp food in the kitchenette, eating our weight in beef jerky, as well as admiring the stone architecture, drinking wine, and gazing into the fireplace for hours on end. Ironically, after my parents and I visited Monte Sano over six years ago, and upon choosing to stay at Monte Sano instead of a hotel, that I decided to give up the hustle and bustle of New Orleans and move to Huntsville and start a different life. One could say that Monte Sano has always called to me at pivotal times in my life. The cabin we stayed in, Cabin 1, offered two beds, a kitchenette, silverware, cookware, a refrigerator, cable T.V., a bathroom with all the towels and amenities you would need for a weekend getaway.
The generous staff were extremely accommodating, offering firewood delivery, allowing privacy, and the camp store offer any amenity or food items you might forget. There is also a coin operated laundromat if you need to wash your clothes, perfect for make packing a little lighter. It really is the perfect couples retreat or an individual’s paradise if solitude is needed. As they have a new online camping reservation tool, it is extremely convenient to see what dates are available for cabin reservations online, although it is always fun to go into the camp store, to get a quick hike in, and see exactly what is available in person. The cabins go very quickly, so if interested be sure to strike while the iron’s hot, just remember to not park in the yard at any cost while unloading supplies. I hope you can enjoy the low maintenance of cabin camping just like I did, enjoy the serenity the mountains have to offer, and that you continue to support our beautiful Alabama State Parks.
Website: Monte Sano State Park at alapark.com
Location: 5105 Nolen Ave. Huntsville, AL 35801
Phone Numbers: (256) 534-3757, (256) 534-6589
Hours: Office Hours 7 days a week 8am-5:00pm, trails close 30 minutes prior to sunset.
Guest blogger for We Are Huntsville. Are you interested in writing a post for our site? Email katelyn@wearehuntsville.com.
