Lodging

Payne Lake is a 110-acre manmade lake inside the Talladega National Forest, Oakmulgee Ranger District. The Payne Lake Recreation Area provides opportunities to kayak, canoe, boat fish, bird watch, hike, and bicycle. The recreation area also contains two camping loops.

The Payne Lake area offers two hiking trails. One trail follows the east shoreline of the lake. Starting at the boat launch, this trail is 1.1 miles and winds through the forest with several access spurs to the lake's edge for fishing. The other trail is at the north end of Payne Lake and is approximately 1.5 miles long with interpretive signs along the way. The trail meanders along the ridges and the drainages of the north end of the lake.