Mentone, Alabama — What the Magazines Are Saying

Nippersink Lodge opened September 4, 2026 in a town that has been quietly earning national attention for years. Mentone is not a new discovery. It is a place that keeps getting found — and then found again.

Below is a running record of what the travel press has said about the mountain town where the Lodge sits.

Southern Living has returned to Mentone more than once, and the coverage has only grown warmer.

In a list of the best weekend getaways in Alabama, Southern Living named Mentone its number one pick, praising the town for its “unhurried charm,” natural beauty, and blend of rustic character and artist-run shops.

In its November 2025 issue, Southern Living devoted a feature to Mentone and the surrounding North Alabama communities, noting that towns once passed over by travelers moving between larger cities have become places people now plan trips around — and that autumn has emerged as the clear favorite season among visitors.

In a separate piece, Southern Living named Mentone one of its “underrated mountain towns for spring break,” citing its natural beauty, proximity to parks, and variety of outdoor activities — and giving specific mention to Little River Canyon National Preserve and DeSoto Falls.

Mentone also landed at number 16 on Southern Living’s list of “Top Mountain Towns to Visit This Fall,” with the magazine highlighting the town’s vibrant character and welcoming atmosphere as standout qualities for autumn travelers.

Travel + Leisure included Mentone on its list of the best Southern mountain getaways, writing that “its location atop Lookout Mountain produces an atmosphere that qualifies the destination as one of the best mountain towns in the South.”

Alabama Living featured Mentone in a piece on the town’s Fall Festival and the broader effort to preserve and restore the historic Moon Lake Campus — describing Mentone as “a town committed to preserving its history while promoting a future that embraces its character of arts, culture, and the environmental treasures that form its foundation.”

Nippersink Lodge, established in 1935, sits at the center of that story. The Lodge predates most of the press coverage by decades. The mountain found the writers. The writers found the mountain. The Lodge has been here the whole time.