Is Chimney Rock on Lake Martin Alabama for Sale?

If you have spent any time around Lake Martin lately, you have probably heard the same question over and over. People want to know if Chimney Rock is for sale. The short answer is yes, Chimney Rock Island is for sale, but not in the way most people think. Much of the concern I see online comes from misunderstandings, so it helps to slow down and talk through what is actually happening.

I also reviewed the publicly approved plans from Elmore County so this conversation stays grounded in facts rather than rumors.

Who I Am and Why This Perspective Matters

My name is John Coley, and I own Lake Martin Voice Realty. We are a small, independent boutique brokerage on Lake Martin. I have lived here my entire life and have sold real estate on this lake for more than twenty years.

I’m not affiliated with Russell Lands and do not work for them. I also do not know their internal plans. However, after decades of watching development happen on Lake Martin, I have a solid sense of how projects like this usually move forward.

Is Chimney Rock for Sale?

Russell Lands owns Chimney Rock Island, and yes, they plan to sell and develop parts of it. That fact alone has fueled most of the speculation.

The real issue is confusion about what Russell Lands actually owns and what they do not. Once you separate those two things, most of the worries disappear.

Clearing Up the Biggest Confusion About Chimney Rock

The most common concern I hear is that people will lose the ability to gather and jump off the rock that has become such a Lake Martin tradition.

Russell Lands owns Chimney Rock Island, which is a large island of roughly one hundred fifty-seven acres. That island includes the actual Chimney Rock formation. People do not jump from that rock. The jumping spot everyone is thinking about is Acapulco Rock, and it sits on a completely separate island.

Alabama Power owns Acapulco Rock. Russell Lands does not own it, and they cannot sell it. The rock where people jump is not going anywhere. Most of the confusion comes from people casually calling Acapulco Rock “Chimney Rock,” even though they are two different landmarks.

Septic System Concerns and Lake Water Quality

Another concern I hear often is that new homes on Chimney Rock Island will dump septic waste into Lake Martin. Based on how Russell Lands has developed The Ridge, that concern does not hold up.

The Ridge uses a private sewer system, not individual septic fields. Homes there pump waste into a centralized, certified system rather than into the lake. I have sold many homes in The Ridge and reviewed these systems during inspections. They work the way they are supposed to work.

I see no reason to expect a different approach on Chimney Rock Island. While it is fair to talk about development density on the lake, septic leakage is not a realistic issue here.

No Public Tax Dollars Are Funding This Development

Some people believe local or county tax dollars will fund this project. That is not the case.

This is a private development. Russell Lands pays for the infrastructure, and homeowners fund the systems, just as they do in the existing phases of The Ridge. The county and local municipalities are not paying for sewer or utilities.

The Bridge to Nowhere Finally Makes Sense

Most long-time lake residents know the bridge to nowhere that Russell Lands built years ago. That bridge connects the existing Ridge development to Chimney Rock Island.

The bridge was never pointless. This next phase of development explains exactly why they built it.

What the Approved Elmore County Plans Actually Show

I went to the Elmore County Commission to see what officials have already approved. That information is public, and anyone can review it. The plat approved in November outlines a proposed layout for what is currently called Ridge Island.

Out of roughly one hundred fifty-seven acres on Chimney Rock Island, the plan plats about forty-nine acres. The plan shows sixteen residential lots, most of them larger than lots in earlier phases of The Ridge. Several lots measure around an acre or more, which stands out compared to nearby development.

The Two Large Lots That Raise Questions

Two of the platted lots measure roughly ten acres each, and that immediately caught my attention. Russell Lands has not typically created residential lots of that size.

Those lots could serve as future HOA land, townhomes, amenities, or something else entirely. Because the plat shows them as individual lots, they likely hold more significance than standard open space. At this point, no one outside Russell Lands knows exactly how they will use them, but they are worth watching.

Will Homes Be Built Right Next to Chimney Rock?

Many people have asked whether homes will eventually sit right up against the actual Chimney Rock formation. While future plans can always change, I would be very surprised if that happens.

The narrow land leading toward Chimney Rock would make road and utility access difficult. More importantly, Russell Lands has consistently protected the character and major landmarks of Lake Martin. Chimney Rock stands out as one of the lake’s most iconic features, and building directly against it would go against how similar landmarks have been handled in the past.

The currently proposed lots sit around the corner, facing the channel and the existing Ridge development rather than the rock itself.

This Is Still a Proposed Plat

Even though Elmore County has approved the plat, it remains a proposed plan. Developers revise plats all the time as projects move forward. If Russell Lands changes the layout or adds future phases, those updates will become public, and they will be worth revisiting.

Final Thoughts on Chimney Rock Island

Chimney Rock Island is moving toward development, but many of the loudest fears simply do not match the facts. No one is selling the rock people jump from. Septic systems are not about to leak into the lake. Taxpayers are not footing the bill.

What we are watching is the next planned phase of The Ridge, something Russell Lands prepared for years ago.

It will be interesting to see how Chimney Rock Island, or Ridge Island as it is currently labeled, develops over the next several years. If you are looking for an independent Lake Martin real estate agent with no ties to large developers and decades of experience on the lake, that is exactly what we offer at Lake Martin Voice Realty.

If you see things differently, I welcome the conversation. Time will tell how this development unfolds, and we will all be watching it together.

For more videos about Lake Martin, make sure to visit my YouTube channel also called Lake Martin Voice. I post a lot of videos that could help you learn more about the lake and its surrounding areas. Interested in reading more blogs about Chimney Rock and Lake Martin? Then, visit the links listed below:

Where is Chimney Rock on Lake Martin?

Jumping Off Chicken Rock: Live Action!!