Things to Do at Lake Martin: Kayaking, Hikes & Family Days
Leave a little room in your Lake Martin weekend. Spend a morning following the wooded shoreline by kayak, or take the climb at Smith Mountain for a view across the water. Afterward, there’s time for lunch, an ice-cream stop, and deciding whether you feel like doing anything else. This guide brings together the outings worth planning around, with the access details you’ll need before leaving the dome.
Our home base is Auburn Glamping in Dadeville: a private geodesic dome on 26 wooded acres, with Lake Martin access and room for up to six guests. Pick an outing below, then leave yourself some time back here.
1. Follow the shoreline by kayak
A kayak gives you a reason to slow down along the wooded edge of Lake Martin. Stay close to shore, choose a manageable route, and leave enough energy for the paddle back.
At Auburn Glamping, kayaks are included with your stay, and a private trail leads to approximately 300 feet of lake shoreline. That makes a paddle an outing you can plan from the dome. Check the weather before setting out, wear a properly fitted life jacket, and watch for boat traffic.
Our Lake Martin glamping page has more about the stay and lake access.
Relax in the water hammock
For a slower afternoon on the lake, settle into the floating water hammock and enjoy the wooded shoreline. The water hammock is available for guests to use during their stay.
Getting from the dome to the water
It’s an easy walk from the dome to Lake Martin along the private trail through the property. With kayaks included in your stay, you can head down to the shoreline for a paddle and wander back when you’re ready.
2. Make a boat day your main event
If you want to explore farther across the lake, reserve a boat and give that outing its own part of the day. Packing lunch and choosing a few places to visit is easier than trying to fit the whole lake into one rental.
Chimney Rock is a well-known landmark to view from the water. Ask your rental operator to help you plan a route that suits your time and experience, including where to turn around.
For a nearby option, Blue Creek Boat Rentals offers pontoon rentals on Lake Martin from 397 Marina Point Road in Dadeville. Choose your dates and book directly with the operator, checking pickup details and rental requirements before your boat day.
3. Take the climb at Smith Mountain
For a morning on foot, head to Smith Mountain outside Dadeville, off Youngs Ferry Road. The historic fire tower gives you a different perspective on the water you may have been paddling the day before.
Choose your trail before leaving the parking lot. The tower route starts with a steep 0.4-mile climb to the tower’s base; the full route, including the marked return, is about one mile over rugged ground. Short mileage still calls for sturdy shoes, water, and a pace that works for everyone in your group.
Use the Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail Association’s trail descriptions and map to check the route. The longer trails have different distances and difficulty levels, so don’t treat every turn as an easy extension of the tower walk.
Another option: Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail
For another Lake Martin hike, explore the Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail at Overlook Park. Use the trail map to choose a route and distance that suit your group.
4. Pack a picnic for Wind Creek
Wind Creek State Park is a useful choice when the plan is a beach, a swim, and lunch without moving the car between activities. Its swimming and day-use area has picnic tables, grills, and volleyball nets, with some covered spots for a break from the sun.
Pack what you’ll want for the afternoon and remember that picnic tables are first come, first served. Check the park’s day-use information and fees before going. The park entrance is at 4325 Alabama Highway 128 in Alexander City.
5. Leave time for Russell Crossroads
Russell Crossroads works well when everyone is ready for food and a change of pace. Browse Catherine’s Market for groceries, take a break on the Town Green, or plan your visit around a meal.
It can also be a stop for picking up dinner ingredients before heading back to the dome. If you’re hoping to catch an event, choose the date first: the official Russell Crossroads website lists dining options and links to what’s happening. Navigate to Russell Crossroads itself, at 17 Russell Farms Road in Alexander City.
Horseback riding at The Stables
Plan a guided horseback ride with The Stables at Russell Crossroads. Call 256-794-1333 to arrange a ride and check availability and rider requirements directly with the provider.
Guided rides are booked separately from your Auburn Glamping stay.
6. Learn the history at Horseshoe Bend
Set aside time at Horseshoe Bend National Military Park to understand the place and the people whose lives were changed there. The park preserves the site of the 1814 battle and tells an essential part of Creek history.
The three-mile tour road follows the battlefield and the bend of the Tallapoosa River. For a longer visit on foot, there is a 2.8-mile nature trail. This is commemorative ground; use the designated picnic areas if you bring lunch.
Read the National Park Service’s route information and visitor information before setting out for the park in Daviston.
7. Spend part of the day in Auburn
A campus walk, a stop at Toomer’s Corner, and lunch downtown can make a manageable Auburn outing between lake days. Auburn University is approximately 25 minutes from Auburn Glamping under normal driving conditions; allow more time for traffic around major events.
If football is the reason for your trip, build the day around parking and kickoff before adding anything else. Our Auburn football gameday guide can help you plan that part of the weekend.
8. Book a round of golf
Choose a course that fits the rest of your day. StillWaters Golf is in Dadeville, Lakewinds Golf Course is another local option, and Grand National is near Opelika.
Check tee times directly with the course, then allow for the drive and a full round. If the family is splitting up for the morning, agree on lunch plans before everyone heads out.
9. Coffee, dinner and an ice-cream stop
For coffee before an outing, we recommend Nirvana Latte in Dadeville or Wild Flour Bakery in Waverly. Keep dinner easy with Lake Martin Pizza Co.’s Dadeville location, or plan an evening at The Waverly Local or SpringHouse. Our restaurant and coffee recommendations also include Auburn stops for a day in town.
One of our family’s Lake Martin finds is Wake House. We enjoyed the lake views and friendly service, the kids loved the sandy beach area, and our favorite order was the brownie sundae.
Keep a stop like this in mind for the space between your main outing and heading home. Check opening hours before making a special trip, particularly outside summer. The Lake Martin restaurant directory is a useful starting point for finding places around the lake.
10. Give yourself a day at the dome
You can leave the car parked for this one. Have coffee on the little footbridge over the creek, then see what everyone feels like doing. There’s a private trail to Lake Martin, kayaks included with your stay, and a 180-foot kids’ zipline for another bit of adventure back on the property.
Our own family spends time here exploring the creek and woods, kayaking, and tending the orchard. You don’t have to fit all of that into one day. Make dinner in the dome’s kitchen, leave time for the hot tub, and gather around the fire pit when the evening comes.
Take a look through our property photos to get a feel for the dome and grounds.
A Lake Martin weekend with room to spare
Friday: After check-in, unpack and settle in. Bring dinner ingredients if you’d like to cook, and keep the evening free.
Saturday: Choose one main outing: a boat rental, the Smith Mountain hike, or a beach day at Wind Creek. Add lunch or an ice-cream stop if it fits, then head back with time to enjoy the property.
Sunday: Keep the morning simple. After checkout, stop in Auburn or visit Horseshoe Bend if either fits your route home.
Swap the days around the forecast and any reservations. A boat booking needs a time slot; an afternoon with no plans doesn’t.
Choosing when to visit
Summer suits a trip built around swimming and boating. Reserve rentals and lodging early for busy weekends, and check the forecast before committing to a day on the water.
Spring and fall give you more reason to mix lake time with walking, hiking, and evenings at the dome. Auburn football can make fall weekends busy even when your own plans are mostly outdoors.
Winter is a quieter option for a stay built around walks, cooking, and the hot tub. Check seasonal business hours and current lake conditions before planning water activities.
Stay near the outings you want to do
Auburn Glamping sleeps up to six in a private dome with a kitchen, bathroom, heating and air conditioning, and a private hot tub. With woods to explore and Lake Martin access from the property, there’s something to come back to after the day’s outing.
Use our location page to plan your drives, or check availability when you have a weekend in mind.