Alabama man turns rustic site into camping adventure for all to enjoy
Case Rock Eco-Retreat offers a remote, off-the-grid experience within minutes of urban Birmingham. (contributed)
Special Valentine’s getaways available through February.
Glenn Evans said he never backs away from a challenge. That’s how his dream of turning his riverfront home and property into an off-grid Airbnb became a reality.
Evans’ brainchild, Case Rock Eco-Retreat, located on the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River, offers guests a back-to-nature experience, yet it’s only a short 30-minute drive from downtown Birmingham.
“It’s just beautiful here, and I thought it would be a cool spot to share,” said Evans, whose day job is an electrical field support manager at Southern Company.
“My buddy said you’ll never get anything built like that. But I specialize in the difficult. The impossible just takes me a little longer,” Evans said.
Evans has transformed his rugged 105-acre property, which features six creative and distinct accommodations, into a retreat of sorts. Three areas are off-grid and not accessible by car. Guests are driven to their selected spots via a utility task vehicle (UTV) by Evans or one of his two employees.
Along with a unique camping experience, fishing, 3 miles of hiking trails and kayaking opportunities are among other highlights at the retreat.
“We get lots of families who don’t want to stay at state parks because of the crowds,” Evans said. “It’s sort of a cathartic experience being dropped off in the woods and having nothing but a wood stove to keep yourself warm.”
Enjoy a little whimsy with your camping? How about bedding down in a 1966 Mercedes military vehicle? (contributed)
The Airbnbs are each the centerpiece of an area of the property that Evans’ daughters, Shelby, 17, and Nora Kate, 14, named for locations in author J.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series – books that captured their imagination when he and their mom read to the girls when they were small.
The retreat, Evans said, is overflowing with history. It is named for two massive rocks that sit on the northern border of the property and old, abandoned coal mines that have left their indelible scars on the site.
“The rocks were the landmark for the skiffs that would come down the river to collect the coal,” he said. “They would moor their boats at Case Rock, load them with coal and wait for the rains to come and float the coal downriver to sell.”
A quiet turn on the Black Warrior River at Case Rock Eco-Retreat. (contributed)
Years in the making
Evans said it all began in 2009 when he bought a 35-acre plot of land in the area. There, he built a barn and turned it into a three-bedroom home for his family.
“Here at Case Rock we live like it’s 1900,” Evans said. “We have four fireplaces in the barn, and half the time, we don’t turn our heat on. I’m outside summer and winter.”
During the next few years, Evans continued to buy contiguous pieces of property until he had amassed 105 acres between his home and the Warrior River. Because the land was rugged and dotted with rock formations and old coal mines, he decided it would be a perfect camping spot to share with the public.
In 2018, Evans started the retreat with his first off-grid Airbnb, Case Rock Cabin. He built the rustic 400-square-foot tiny house by hand, and his wife, Rachel, decorated it.
Evans’ next addition was a 1966 Mercedes Unimog, a military truck that he knew he had to purchase after learning it had been used as a prop in the Hunger Games and the Walking Dead. He turned the truck into a one-bedroom camper and built a 20-foot treehouse above it. The treehouse serves as a sleeping loft for guests who want a bird’s eye view of the surrounding area.
A mini-camper is the third Airbnb, which, like the other two, is off the grid and inaccessible by car. All three are heated by a wood stove or propane, have solar power and include a rainwater system that provides water for washing dishes and taking showers.
Evans has also designed and outfitted two accommodations equipped with electricity, including the Tin Can, a three-bedroom mobile home that often draws business travelers, and another camper nestled in a secluded area that can still be reached by car.
Another, the Motorcoach at Case Rock, sits near the barn, now known as base camp.
The 7,000-square-foot barn has become “the working area,” Evans said. Along with his home, it houses automotive, welding and carpentry shops.
Case Rock also has an on-site sawmill, where it produces lumber from its own trees and those provided by a local nonprofit, Shepherd’s Heart.
There’s even a small pottery studio at base camp. Evans and his staff fire and create hand-made pottery, which they plan to begin selling to guests. They will also offer pottery classes as part of the “Airbnb experience,” he said.
Visitors come from far and wide
Evans said the retreat has drawn people from “all over the U.S.”
“When we first started this, we thought we would get people from the area or who are just passing through,” Evans said. “Then, we started getting requests from people who would be driving 14 hours to get here. It became a destination for a lot of folks, and I thought that was so cool.”
Evans said he truly loves meeting his guests and welcoming them to Case Rock.
“The people who want to stay here are my kind of people,” he said. “They have dreams. They say, ‘I’ve always wanted to live in a barn or cabin.’ I love to teach them and share what we do here. It’s neat to make friends and influence people.”
Evans said there have been some guests who didn’t fit that mold.
“We usually get people in Patagonia jackets and carrying their camping gear,” he said. “But one time, a guy showed up in a nice tuxedo, with his fiancé, who was also dressed to the nines. I told them it was muddy out there and had been raining, but they said they didn’t care. When they came back to base camp the next day, their clothes were trashed from hiking, and I think they had even gotten in the river. But they said they had the time of their lives.”
Evans remembers another time when a woman booked the cabin without realizing that she and her two young children would be dropped off in the middle of the woods, more than a mile from civilization.
“She decided to stay anyway and when I picked her up the next day, she said they had a great time,” Evans recalled.
He recently bought an old flatbed military truck and is converting it into another camper, with bathroom facilities, Murphy beds, kitchen appliances and even a rear deck.
Although he has already picked out a site for the camper, Evans said he is considering taking it on the road to help promote the business.
Evans, who tests and troubleshoots electrical equipment for Southern Company, said working amid the beauty of Case Rock provides a different kind of satisfaction.
“During the day, I live the fast-paced, complicated engineering life,” he said. “But I love nature, and I miss it. Case Rock keeps me balanced; it keeps me centered.”
Evans said with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Case Rock is offering a “special getaway.” Anyone reserving a stay during February will receive a complimentary bottle of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries.
“If you have forgotten to get anything for your sweetheart for Valentine’s or want to plan ahead, you can book a night or two with us, and we’ll do the rest,” Evans said.
Click here for more information about Case Rock Eco-Retreat.
