Plenty of locals may not know about the big park filled with little cabin getaways nestled against a lakeside bluff in southwestern Cullman County. But plenty of people from across the United States do.

Since its beginnings as an undeveloped rural lot in 2008, the Smith Lake Rv & Cabin Resort has grown into a destination for lake lovers from throughout Alabama, the Deep South, and beyond. Founder Larry Harris, who owns and operates the resort with his wife Sandy, says the resort’s first two phases of development have topped out at 94 existing properties. And thanks to the start of development on a new Phase 3, that number’s set to nearly double in the months and years to come.

Joined Saturday by local economic development officials, resort residents, supporters, and family, the Harrises looked on as longtime friend and financier Robin Cummings cut the ribbon on the resort’s new expansion — an enormous swath of ready-to-build lots that, when fully occupied, will add an additional 78 new properties.

Harris said the initial construction investment in Phase 3 adds up to a little more than $3 million. Once the lots all have been developed, the total capital investment in the resort’s new expansion will likely fall somewhere between $80-$100 million. And farther down the road, there’s still enough undeveloped property at the resort to plan a 4th and final development phase. 

Designed as a close-knit neighborhood of single-family cabins and long-term RV spaces, the resort is home both to year-round residents as well as those who come from all corners of the U.S. They come for the carefully manicured landscaping and ponds, the recreation both on-site and on the lake, access to a boat slip without having to leave the property, and even for Sunday outdoor worship at the Church on Smith Lake — a weekly shorefront assembly that attracts both pedestrians and boaters — who never even have to leave the water.

“We mean for this to be a pleasant place for people to come to live or to visit — without a bunch of stress. I’ve got the stress,” Harris joked. “All you have to do is show up and relax.”

For more information on the Smith Lake RV & Cabin Resort, visit the property’s website.