$50/night
2 Bedrooms • 2 Baths (1 full, 1 half) • Sleeps 8-10
Wood Stove Forest (more...)

Turkey Track Retreat - private, quiet, off-grid, trails, wildlife, a creek, camping, authentic.
The Cabin sits in the middle of a ten acre property adjacent to the Talladega National Forest. It is located eight miles traveling North outside of the small town of Heflin Alabama which is about an hour and a half outside of the metro areas of Birmingham Alabama and Atlanta Georgia. Off of a small County road you go on a private gravel road a half mile to the end. The property is surrounded by hundreds of square miles of forest. To the West, directly behind the cabin, there is over nine miles of continuous forest before reaching a hard top road. And beyond that over six miles to the next road. To the North there is over sixty miles of continuous forest to the next road.

If you are looking for an off-grid experience in a forest, and a quiet place to get away, this is the place for you.

About the Owner

We are Jim and Lisa Albea. Originally we bought this remote ten acres as a place of our own just to camp on. One thing lead to another and now we have this beautiful cabin. It sits empty most of the time, which is a waste. So we decided to rent it out in order to share it, and as a source of extra income. If you've gotten to this point and decided not to book a stay, please drop us a line and let us know why. That could really help us as we launch this small business.

Property Type Cabin
Check-In Lockbox
House Rules
  • Maximum occupancy: 10
  • Children welcome
  • Infants welcome
  • Smoking not allowed
  • Wheelchair inaccessible
  • Minimum age of primary renter: 21
  • Pets not allowed
Setting & View
  • Forest
  • Rural
General
  • Wood Stove
  • Towels Provided
  • Firewood Provided
  • Basic Soaps
  • Paper Towels
  • Toilet Paper
  • Rain Shower
  • Clothing Storage (closet or wardrobe)
  • Portable Fans
Kitchen
  • Kitchen
  • Refrigerator
  • Stove
  • Oven
  • Dishes & Utensils
  • Coffee Maker
  • Freezer
  • Pots & Pans
  • Dining Table
  • Baking Sheet
  • Barbeque/Grill Utensils
  • Coffee
  • Wine Glasses
Bathrooms 2 Baths (1 full, 1 half)
  • Bathroom – Toilet, Tub
  • Outhouse – Toilet
Rainwater collected in the cistern is used to flush the toilet.
Rainwater from the cistern is also used for the tub. To use that water for bathing it will need to be sterilized. Instructions and chlorine are provided.
Note that there is no hot water available in the cabin.
Sleeping Arrangements 2 Bedrooms, sleeps 8-10
  • Downstairs – 1 Queen Bed, 1 Floor Mattress
  • Upstairs – 1 King Bed, 3 Floor Mattresses
  • Main living space – Couches Couch, 1 Floor Mattress

The "Floor Mattresses" are actually cots with a nice camping pad.

Please note: Guests are required to bring their own linens.

Outdoor
  • Outdoor Grill
  • Deck/Patio (uncovered)
  • Lanai/Gazebo (covered)
  • Lawn/Garden
  • Private Yard
  • Fire Pit
  • Outdoor Dining
  • Outdoor Seating
Vehicles
  • Parking
  • Free Parking
  • Free Parking On Premises
Theme
  • Family
  • Tourist Attractions
Attractions
  • Museums
  • Winery Tours
Leisure
  • Bird Watching
  • Eco Tourism
  • Horseback Riding
  • Wildlife Viewing
Sports & Adventure
  • Fishing
  • Hiking
  • Mountain Biking
  • Swimming
Safety
  • Carbon Monoxide Detector
  • Deadbolt Lock
  • Emergency Exit Route
  • Fire Emergency Contact
  • Fire Extinguisher
  • First Aid Kit
  • Medical Emergency Contact
  • Police Emergency Contact
  • Cleaning Products
Expectations
  • Requires Stairs
  • Limited Amenities
Check Out Tasks
  • Return Keys
  • Turn Things Off
  • Throw Away Trash
  • Lock Up
  • Gather Towels
  • Additional Requests

The ten acres is mostly forested and all of the surrounding properties are forested.  The back side of the property is bordered by a year round creek. There are two open meadows, one of which is a Pawpaw orchard. There are trails and a covered pavilion down by the creek. In season there are blueberries, blackberries, and muscadines. Because the property is so remote and also because the surrounding properties adhere to the International Dark Sky Standards you can see the stars on clear nights.

The cabin has two private sleeping areas that can accommodate four comfortably but there is enough room to handle up to ten. There is a fully functional kitchen/dining area and a comfortable main space. In front of the cabin there is a covered porch and out back is a deck reaching out into the forest. (Click the images below to see floor plans.)

Main Floor Plan Upstairs Floor Plan

The cabin is completely off grid. Electricity is provided by solar power. There is only enough power for lights in the evening and to keep devices charged up. Rainwater is collected in a cistern which is mostly used for flushing the toilet. Instructions are provided for sanitizing cistern water for other uses. We will provide drinking water but also recommend that you bring a supply of potable water. In the kitchen the stove utilizes a 9-volt battery for ignition. There is a refrigerator/freezer, a grill on the front porch, and a vented space heater in the cabin.  All use propane from an off-grid tank.  In the colder months heat is provided by a wood burning stove and the space heater. Note that there is no Air Conditioning, however the cabin is well shaded and naturally cooler from the nearby forest. Battery powered fans are available to keep the air circulating. Also there is a campfire area close to the cabin. The Piggly Wiggly grocery store is just 8.5 miles away in downtown Heflin if you find the need for additional provisions.

Cel service is good. So using your phone for Internet connectivity works well. There is more or less unlimited parking space. And there is an RV parking pad that can handle any size rig, however there are no RV utilities set up at this time.

What to bring

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See Photos