Situated atop northeast Alabama’s Lookout Mountain, Desoto State Park is a 3,500-acre nature preserve and recreation destination that features vibrant forests, gushing waterfalls, and rugged mountain scenery. The park is located 8 miles northeast of Fort Payne, and approximately 75 miles east of Huntsville making it a great place camping near Atlanta. Dedicated in 1939, the park was named after Hernando de Soto, the renowned 16th century explorer. Prior to its dedication, most of the park’s roads, trails and facilities were constructed through the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a Depression-era works program that improved many of the country’s parks and forests, while providing jobs and skills to millions of struggling Americans. The park boasts many local legends, including one that suggests that the area may have been settled by Welsh explorers, centuries before Columbus’s arrival in the New World. Visitors are invited to learn more about DeSoto State Park by camping in the park. 

 The campground at DeSoto State Park features 94 full-hookup sites for tent and RV campers. Sites have either back-in or pull-through parking pads, and can accommodate large vehicles/trailers. Each site is equipped with picnic tables and cooking grills, and there are two comfort stations available with restrooms, showers and laundry facilities. A dump station is located onsite. The park also has a primitive tent campground that offers 16 sites with fire pits. Picnic tables, cooking grills, potable water, trash receptacles, and vault toilets are located in this campground’s central area. There are also two primitive backpacker camps with sleeping shelters and fire pits, but no water or trash service. In addition to camping, the park also offers a variety of chalets, cabins and motel rooms for those less interested in roughing it. Other amenities include picnic areas, an outdoor pool, tennis courts, and a playground. Campsite rates range from $15–$36/night, plus fees; other accommodation rates vary. 

 Visitors will find a variety of seasonal activities to enjoy at DeSoto State Park, from hiking and fishing to geocaching and zip-lining. Start your visit by checking out the CCC Museum and Benefield Interpretive Center to learn about the park’s history, flora and fauna. Drop into the country store and purchase a trail map for the park’s 30 miles of hiking and biking paths. Trails range in distance and difficulty, so there’s a path for everyone. There’s even a barrier-free boardwalk trail. Swimming, fishing and kayaking can be enjoyed on the West Fork Little River, which runs right through the park. The park also hosts guided hikes, campfire programs, and community events. Thrill-seekers can get a bird’s eye view over the park on the Aerial Adventure zipline course, which includes six ziplines and seven sky bridges, and golfers can tee off at the DeSoto Golf Course, just a few miles south of the park.

DeSoto State Park Campground

I have been coming here since I was a little kid! There is a pool, a playground, DeSoto falls, and a newly installed zip line! The trails are my favorite for nature walks there is so many of them!!! The trails have colors on trees so you don't get lost I'm sure you can get a map from the general store. There is also a little museum to show you what kind of animals and plants you can find there.  They have a RV campground down the road. Dogs are allowed!!! 🥰🥰🥰

Enchanting nature walks 

This campground is super clean!!!  It has great trails by the water!!  We will be back!!!

Leesha Jones

If you have a large group you want to take camping in Alabama I highly recommend this site. There is great hiking nearby and the sites are large enough for a lot of people. Make sure to take a hike to the beautiful waterfall and you can even check out the nearby hiking and caves. The caves are a weird experience but if you haven't gone before it's worth checking out. 

Great Group Sites

Desoto State park is a must for anyone who loves history, exploring, swimming, and hiking! I have camped several times here and always find new areas to swim, hike and camp. My camping experience was awesome because of the cool nights. I camped in my hammock and enjoyed a fire with my closest friends. The next day I was able to hike to the falls on a trail that was made earlier this year. The trail was difficult on the way back because of it being all incline. There were about 6 caves that I came across and a handful of swimming holes. The best swimming hole was the one with the water fall. The pictures added will show a visual on my experience. I would recommend this area to anyone and all ages.

Desoto State Park and Desoto Falls

Desoto State park has beautiful views, waterfalls, and caves to explore. The trails can be as easy or as hard as you make them. Plenty to explore, several different trails for hiking with some leading to caves and some leading to swimming and a waterfall. If you enjoy a swim, you can swim under the waterfall to the back side and watch the water fall. Camp sites are great as well and very clean. I set up my hammock and we had a tent as well. 

Several different trails with beautiful views

I stated in the primitive sites twice: once in the spring and once in the summer. Both times were great, but the falls are more substantial in the springtime. Some of the primitive sites are on a rock ledge, which was really unique. I hung my hammock between two trees on the ledge. 
Definitely recommend visiting this park! Plus, there are other falls and swimming holes nearby

Beautiful Park

This park has it all in terms of overnight amenities. You can stay in a motel style room, log cabins, chalets, backcountry sites, wall tents, improved campsites and primitive campsites. Whatever you're looking for, this place probably has it and all in a beautiful setting. We stayed here while visiting Little River Canyon and it was a good location for our needs.

The park also has a near little nature center with cool interpretive programs. The improved campsites have hook ups (water, sewer and electric), picnic tables, fire rings and large gravel pads with plenty of room. There are a number of wonderful hiking options here as well. It's a little pricey, especially with the convenience fee and the 13% lodging tax but you get what you pay for and this place is NICE.

This place is swanky!

**Campground Review:**

This is by far one of the best paid campgrounds in Alabama you can stay at. This is due to a combination of great facilities, friendly and helpful staff, and incredible hiking and views in the area. This was my first time back at Desoto in 10 years and I will be back again much sooner than that. We stayed at the primitive campground area with another couple and had a pretty huge site all to ourselves. It was also a pretty empty time of year since schools just started back into session. If you are going to be tent camping I would highly recommend the primitive campgrounds over the improved ones for several reasons. First off they are more private and wooded so you really feel like you are in nature vs the paved RV filled “improved” area. Second they are significantly cheaper even though the sites are often larger and more spaced out. Finally, you are only around other tent sites and this provides a nice atmosphere at night without the noises and lights. The one downside, which wasn’t a problem for us, is that the primitive sites only have a pit toilet and no showers or flush toilets. There is still a pump with drinking water which is all you really need. The site we stayed at was nice and large and bordered up against a cliff edge. You don't get to pick your site in the primitive area until you arrive.

In terms of hiking I have a few suggestions as well. The trails that are within Desoto state park are better or worse depending on the season. We had a nice time hiking but were unable to see any waterfalls since the levels are lowest when we were there in late summer. However we did have great luck with Desoto falls which is only a short (15 min) drive down the road. We stopped at a parking lot that you pass before you get to the top of the falls and we hiked down to the bottom of the falls. It is a pretty overgrown trail in summer but we were still able to make it down. You can then swim in the falls or in our case kayak since we were able to carry our kayaks in ([Oru Kayaks](https://www.orukayak.com/)). This was one of the most incredible waterfalls I have been to and HIGHLY recommend checking it out if you are camping here. 

The other great hiking that is worth checking out is Little River Canyon. You can either drive the scenic road or take stops and do hikes at different points along the way. We were only there for the morning on our way home but will be back to explore more soon.

Overall this is a great camping experience in Alabama and worth the short 1.5 hr drive from Birmingham or 2 hours from Atlanta to get here.

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****﻿Product Review:****

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I tested the [Oofos OOriginal Sport Sandal](https://www.oofos.com/collections/mens-ooriginal-sport-sandal/products/mens-ooriginal-sport-sandal-aqua?variant=29553626313). When we camp it always involves some serious hiking so I was super excited to see how these sandals would help improve my feet recovery at the end of the day. Some of the things I really loved about the Oofos sandals are:

1.  Comfort: First and foremost these shoes definitely achieved their goal of helping my feet recover after a day of hiking. The soles are super comfortable and mold to fit the curves of your foot while still providing significant support. I could not feel a single pressure point and the next day when we got out to hike again my feet appreciated the rest. I have tried several recovery shoes and so far these were the most comfortable.
2.  Durability: One thing I was concerned about with these shoes would be they would get torn up after one use on the trail. Walking around the campsite they are exposed to pretty rough terrain and I expected a rock or twig to tear them up pretty early on. However, after a couple trips using them now I have not even noticed a scratch. Even when putting some serious strain on the toe strap it has stayed strongly attached to the sole. 
3.  Style: I really like the color options and shiny top that they have designed these shoes with. Take a look at the pictures I took at the campground and you can see that they really thought about the style of the shoe along with the comfort when they designed these flip flops. The material also made it easy to clean after getting them muddy on our trip.

Ranger Review: Oofos OOriginal Sport Sandal at Desoto State Park

Camping with the family Aug 4-6, 2017\. The weather was perfect!!!! Drove over to Desoto Falls and to Little River Falls in Little River Canyon (it was crowded!!!). This is a very well maintained camprgound!!! One of our 'go-to' campgrounds!!!!

Desoto State Park

**We love this park, there are so many trails and natural areas to explore with some special features like waterfalls, basins, cliffs, boardwalks, overlooks, and more. There are quite a few ways to camp here, from RV to backpacking, we stayed at the primitive camping areas. They had amazing tent platforms and lean-tos to choose from, lots of character.**

**Yay: Very convenient to rt 59 between Birmingham and Chattanooga. Good simple amenities.**

**Nay: Loved it, no complaints. The primitive and backcountry sites are first come first serve though.**

**Surprise: Really loved all the backcountry options.**

Amazing waterfalls 

**Campground Review:**

Although I have stayed at Desoto before this was my first time staying in the group sites and my first time there in the fall. It was a really great time of the year to visit since the temperatures were perfect and the leaves were just starting to change. The group sites were also great and very private. We were at G2 which is probably the smallest of the group sites but still very large. There is probably enough space to comfortably put 10 tents and then have a large bonfire in the middle. They also offer special prices on the group sites for school groups. If you have a choice of site I would suggest G1 since it is the wooded site and has lots of trees. Though G2 and G3 are more private and surrounded by thick brush and trees. 

On this trip we went to the upper part of Desoto falls and rented kayaks to take up the river. It was expensive but lots of fun. You can rent a single kayak for $30 and a double kayak for $45 and you get it for 3 hours. You can also take lunch and have a picnic at one of the many benches at the top of the falls. There is also a short walkway down to the actual viewpoint. We kayaked all the way up the river to the next dam which took us around 2.5 hours roundtrip. Overall this is a great park to visit with lots of great hiking in the area and we will definitely be back soon. 

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****Product Review:****

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I tested the [Ledlenser MH10 headlamp](https://www.ledlenserusa.com/mh10-507.html#start=2). Since camping for me involves activities throughout the day I often end up setting up my camp or cooking dinner in the dark and having a reliable headlamp is crucial. Some of the things that I really loved about the [MH10 headlamp](https://www.ledlenserusa.com/mh10-507.html#start=2) are:

1.  Rechargeable: Most of the small headlamps that I have used previously require constantly buying new AAA batteries and keeping an extra set with me. However, the powerful battery built into this light is both rechargeable and long lasting. There is even an indicator light on the battery that turns red when it gets low and you can buy additional batteries to keep with you if you ever might be worries you will use an entire one up. 
2.  Power: This light is seriously strong. The entire group we were camping with was impressed at how far we could get the beam at night. Although it is not necessary for most campground activities, we actually kept it on the lowest power setting most of the time, it can be handy in some situations. There was a point where we were looking for something out in the woods near our site and this light could make it deep into the trees. Another fun use for the power of the light was shooting photos or videos at night. We could fully light up any scene as you can see in my video I posted. 
3.  Focusing adjustment: This is a feature that I didn’t know I was missing until I got this light. With a small twist of the lens you can go from a tight focused beam to a wide flood of light. This is one of the most useful and unique features of this headlamp. Walking around the campsite or looking for things in the car I generally used the wide beam but then when it was time to get in bed and read I could focus the light to only shine on the page I was reading and not disturb my wife sleeping next to me. 

Overall, this headlamp is really an impressive piece of equipment and really packs a punch when it comes to power and usefulness.

Ranger Review: Ledlenser MH10 Headlamp at Desoto State Park

We stayed in the Primitive camping area over the Thanksgiving weekend 2017\. We made reservations and upon arrival on Friday we found quite a few sites still unclaimed. The pit toilet is convenient and somewhat clean. The view of the valley from the pavilion is nice especially during sunsets. Some of the sites are set back deep which provides a little more privacy and deep woods feel. As usual some campers tend to leave their trash laying around the sites but as always I left our site much cleaner than we found it!

The only complaint is that the park store was out of firewood the entire weekend and we had to go just outside the park to a house that sells wood for $5 a bundle. Not a huge deal but was told when I made the reservation that they had wood for sale. Someone should have re-supplied!

The staff at all the facilities were very nice and although some of the park’s waterfalls were not flowing much, the outer area falls were very nice.

Overall a very nice park and I would highly recommend it. I will likely revisit soon to rent one of the many cabins that look very nice with nice views.

DeSoto State Park Primitive Camping

Some of the campsites are pretty close to each other. Lots of hiking trails

Really nice place to camp.

We love this campground because the sites are large and private. Most sites have trees and bushes between each site so you have privacy and aren’t piled up on your neighbor. Full hookup sites! Cable! Bathhouses were the cleanest of any I’ve seen. There is a camp store with necessities and souvenirs. If you arrive after 4 you’ll need to get a gate code to get in to the campground-you can get that at the lodge. If you’re in the primitive campground beware that there’s a train that comes through multiple times in the wee morning hours blowing its horn! You can’t hear the train in the RV section.

Huge sites!

Really nice campground, well maintained. Plenty of spots and different options. I stayed in a primitive site no complaints, but I think next time I’ll try the backcountry sites or the wall tent site for a more romantic camp. Desoto falls is a must see and there are plenty of other places to see along the little river, and just 30 minutes or so away from noccalula falls. Definitely worth the trip I love it here.

Desoto falls is a must see in Alabama.

If you’re looking for a spot to carry your kids on one of their first trips, this would be the perfect place. They have scout activities, a Junior Ranger program, playgrounds, swimming pools, and plenty of trails to hike. I’ve lived here most of my life and each season offers something different. Summertime you can swim, Spring has full waterfalls and beautiful flowers, Fall has colorful leaves, and the winter gives just enough bare trees and icsicles for great pictures.

Perfect for Familes 

We chose this campground because of the hiking, biking, shade, and pool for the kids. We were super impressed with the cleanliness of the bathrooms, the plentiful shade, and the easy access to everything we wanted to experience. The pool was huge with a ginormous deep end and diving board with lifeguards on duty. The ice cream available for purchase was a big plus! We saw three waterfalls (one long hike from the campground, one short hike from the lodge, and one drive to see DeSoto Falls). Lots of photo ops. The mountain bikers were challenged on the trails...and the "easy" loop (Gillam) was harder than this beginner expected, but doable. We would definitely come back again.

Site 38 is a pull-through with nice shade and trees good for hammocks. Friends stayed at site 63 (back-in) and had direct access to a creek that the kids LOVED to play in.

Super nice and fun

I have been going to this campground since I was born. There's waterfalls, ranger activities, trails, rock climbing, playgrounds, and anything else you'd like. If you're looking for a place to eat go to Mentone at the Wildflower Cafe.

Hometown Campground

has showers, running water, and bathrooms as well as portapotties. tons of wonderful hiking trails. RV and primitive tent sites. also has a great park store with snacks, souvenirs, etc. free park maps. 

Great!

This campsite was so wonderful for primitive camping. We had a cool location on top of a small cliff/rock and it was beautiful to wake up to. We set up hammocks and could have used semi-nearby restrooms but ended up not. It was very clean and well kept! I would totally go back to this site

Beautiful View, Fire Pit and Level Ground

Our primitive campground was at the furthest end of the road &amp; we felt pretty secluded &amp; comfortable. The campsite was situated on a bit of a cliff, which made for a beautiful experience as well as for bouldering opportunities for the more adventurous of the group. There were plenty of trees for hammocks &amp; a good fire pit as well. Surprisingly also for mid-summer, there were no mosquitos at all, so that was a major plus! I would definitely come back here again &amp; have already recommended it to many friends. 


Definitely Worth a Visit!

Breathtaking and beautiful.

Took a group trip here in high school and stayed in the larger group sites separated by gender. Overall it was a wonderful weekend and a great location for a group of our size with lots of amazing activities to do in the area. We also took full advantage of the great covered picnic areas since it rained a bunch that weekend. Some of our activities included taking kayaks/canoes up the river above Desoto Falls then hiking down from the top to swim in the small lake below. We also did a bunch of trust and group team building activities in some of the many open spaces around the campground. Overall, this is a great place to come with school groups and the large campsites work perfectly for lots of people to sleep.

Great for groups

Large sites, some level some not so much. We stayed in site 30 which was great! No cell service, but the campground has WiFi. Visit the link for more information and lots of photos. https://imaginecamper.com/2018/11/06/desoto-state-park-al/

Weekend of Falls

Some of the most beautiful trails and waterfalls I have been to.  The facilities were nice and clean.  The bathroom was kind of far from our campground.  Overall it was a great stay.  

Beautiful trails!


Desoto is near Little River Canyon on top of Lookout Mountain. Lots of waterfalls and wildflowers. Rhododendrons and Mountain Laurel were is bloom when we were there.
Also a pool, cabins, a chalet and lodge.
The campground is small. 
Water and electric.


On Top of Lookout Mountain 

Cool place 

Desoto State Park is one of our favorite Alabama places to visit, located in Northeastern Alabama and the southern end of Lookout Mountain. We try to camp here in the spring and fall each year when available, the closest towns are Fort Payne and Mentone. There are ample shopping areas and restaurants in Fort Payne which is about 10 miles from the campground if you need to make the trip down. The park has so much to offer and the staff there goes the extra effort to ensure your stays are pleasant and enjoyable. The hiking trails are abundant throughout the park, the Scout Trail is our favorite as it winds next to the river banks and over numerous rocks and scenic water features. This trail can be physically challenging and be sure to verify the river levels beforehand. 

The campground is well maintained and the sites are level for the most part, our favorite site is 25 but we’ve stayed in several others end enjoyed those as well.  The sites in the upper and lower loops are mostly back in sites with a couple of pull through and buddy sites also. The middle section is all pull through sites for the large coaches and 5th wheel RV’s. All sites at Desoto are equipped with water, electric, sewer, cable TV, table, fire ring and grills. The bath houses are some of the cleanest we’ve seen, relatively new with excellent amenities including laundry. There is also WIFI broadcast at each of the bath houses. 

There is a great lodge restaurant, cabins old and new, swimming pool, tennis courts, Zip Line and a CCC museum. Put this one on your list as it’s never disappointed our family. The Little River Canyon Preserve is nearby with additional hiking and fantastic Canyon vistas you will have to go see. 

A Family Favorite

This was our first time staying at Desoto after being here previously to hike. Desoto State Park Campground is a large campground with 94 full hookup sites, 16 primitive tent sites, and 2 primitive backcountry sites. All sites with hook ups also included cable hook ups. All the sites are gravel and most sites are wooded with lots of shade. The sites are a little sloped, so have leveling equipment ready. The sites vary from small and close together in the pull through area, to medium size with plenty of separation for some privacy. All style sites include a picnic table and fire ring. 

  

Check-in is at the camp store if you arrive during store hours or at the lodge if you arrive after hours. We stayed on site 15, which had a little sun in the morning and complete shade in the afternoon. This site does have a little slope in it, which was no problem for leveling our trailer, but our friends that were with us and in a tent had to deal with setting up on a little slope. 

  

The bathhouse is centrally located, newer, and cleaned daily. There are also laundry machines available between the men’s and women’s area.. 

  

Firewood, ice, limited grocery items, and lots of souvenirs were available at the camp store. There is a full grocery store less than 15 minutes away. 

  

We found ok to limited cell phone service with Verizon throughout the property. The state park did have wi-fi near the camp store. 

  

The park has lots of hiking to enjoy the outdoors, a few smaller waterfalls along some of the trails, a zipline and sky bridge course(for a fee), and a large waterfall a short 5 minute drive from the campground. The river above the large waterfall is also available for kayaking and canoeing, and a small outfitter rents boats if you need one. 

  

The state park is located in a very outdoorsy area with various activities to take inn. We look forward to visiting here again.

Relaxing Fall Weekend

We stayed here on our way up to Kentucky. We only stayed 2 nights in site 34. Sites are large and semiprivate. All are full hookup. Water, electric and sewer. Bathhouse was clean and had the best hot water shower I have had in a campground.  Park has cabins and chalets to rent. There is also a lodge, camp store, and restaurant. This area of Alabama has numerous outdoor activities. We explored DeSoto falls and went to Little River canyon. There is a canyon rim drive if you can't hike. You must spend some time in this area to explore it all. Some of the waterfalls are seasonal dependent upon rainfall. 

Love the outdoors

Wonderful campground with all amenities! I have nothing negative to say, everything is clean and nice! We usually choose primitive tent camping for more privacy since we have three littles and the price is lower. Always a great time and there's plenty of hiking and a short walk to the waterfalls!

Perfect Shade

DeSoto State Park is one of those parks you just have to visit. 
The lodge is built around the original CCC structure and has a nice fire pit area out front. 
A Well maintained campground with huge sites. Not very busy when we visited in February.
The falls are very cool and were busy so I’m sure in the summer parking is limited. 
Nice trails AND a tree top adventure. 


Unique

Desoto is near and dear to my heart and will always be my favorite campground and park! The staff is amazing and there are so many activities to do inside the park! The campground is very well kept and bathhouses are always clean! 

Favorite!

Nice campground and great hiking. Not really close to water, but the trails  here are great. The upper circle is very shaded and mostly level spots but its on the hill side. The lower circle is very flat but not as shaded. The place is really nice and lots of space on most sites.  Well maintained but the general store had almost nothing except candy and soda.  Will definitely be back, but bring what you need. 

Clean and relaxing

Quiet, relaxing campground with plenty of space between sites. Lots of trails to get out and enjoy. A short drive to Desoto Falls and to Mentone Farmers Market is a must. 

Relaxing Campground 

We camped here for a few nights last month. The campground was perfect. Clean, large sites, well organized. Lots of trails and a lot to do in the area. Desoto falls was great. We hiked Cloudlands Canyon State Park. We drove the Little River Canyon Preserve. Great area to camp!

Great Park and Campground

Upon pulling into the office area to get my tent spot.The nice woman at the counter was very nice and informative and good with explaining exactly how to get where I needed to go what I can do and any questions I had.She explained that the primitive Campground do have a bathroom/outhouse but you had to use a special code to get into the other part of the campground if you wanted to use the showers which were available to me. There is really so many things to do at this campground! they have a pool. you can swim in the river a gorgeous waterfalls rent kayaks and also a zip line adventure. Need I forget the multiple miles of hiking and mountain bike trails. Our camping spot was pretty quiet for the most part later on things started getting a little more lively but ended at a nice time to get some decent sleep throughout the night. I brought my dogs and everybody around us and that I met were more than happy to have them there I didn’t feel as if they were a nuisance by no means. I’m sure I left some stuff out you should do some research on your own definitely will be going back. PS the video may not be the best my first one I am going to work on it

DeSoto primitive tent spot

Desoto State Park campground is located about 15 miles from Fort Payne Alabama. Nice spacious sites some gravel and not very level. But all asphalt sites that are pulled through are pretty much level. Bathrooms wash houses and laundry rooms were very clean. Would stay here again if nothing more than just to hike the trails. Plenty of Falls to see.

Plenty of hiking trails

Desoto State Park is on top of Lookout Mountain about 8 miles northeast of Fort Payne, In  Northeast Alabama.
DeSoto Falls - also part of DeSoto State Park - is located about 7 miles north of the park near Mentone, Alabama.
The Campground has 94 full-hookup tent and RV sites. Most are Back-In Sites, with a few Pull-Thru.
All sites have water, &amp; electric, and sewer. They are about 16 feet by 60 feet deep with 50/30 Amp Service, Cable TV. There are picnic tables and Grills on each site.
There are two large bathroom/shower buildings with coin-operated laundry.
There is a Wi-fi hotspots at each bathhouse (wifi does not reach to every campsite)
There are also Primitive Camping sites for tents as well as two back country campsites with shelters.
Along with camping, Kayaking, fishing, hiking, biking, cycling, rappelling, bouldering and picnicking are popular.

Very quiet and relaxing 

Nice park with great hiking. Scenic waterfalls and nice bike trails. 

Beautiful waterfalls 

Stayed here in  mid July with family and had a great time! Sites are spread out and the campground is very large. Bathhouses are conveniently located and clean. Sites are level and most are back in. Dump station and trash drop off at exit of campground. Large store with everything you’d need at entrance which also offers a canopy tree rope course thing wayyyy up in the trees. Other than that, not too much to do at the campground, mainly just a hub for going to the state park and falls. Some trails are on site and were nice to explore, however. Would definitely come back to this campground.

Great Place!

We recently spent two enjoyable days at the De Soto State Park improved campground. Site 22 was nice and large and butted up against the trees. Lots of downed trees made for a great fire. . The campground was very full, mostly with fifth wheels and motorhomes. Not too many tents or pop-ups. The facilities were very clean and spacious but not very accessible. We had to walk nearly a quarter of a mile just to reach them on the camp roads. You could use a trail cutting through other campsites to get there quicker via a trail in the woods but be careful as my wife slipped and fell on the slick rocks and leaves. It was one of the quietest campgrounds we’ve ever been in. Accessing the campground from the north can be a little bit harrowing as the roads are steep with hairpin curves and somewhat narrow. The route from the south is much easier particularly if you have a large motorhome or a long fifth wheel. We would definitely stay there again.

Very quiet friendly campground

It's a little hard to get to if you have a big giant rig, but I can't justify giving this place any less than 5 stars. Tons of hiking trails with beautiful scenery, nice big parking sites, and full hookups. They have a little store for essentials and a lodge/restaurant that was awesome! I had no service at all with T-Mobile, but my verizon hotspot worked well in most places. The free wifi is only available at the check in site/store, the lodge, and the comfort stations, so it doesn't reach to all sites.

A word of caution though - if you value your life and property, stay off county road 604/606. Check your directions ahead of time and find another way. I only drove it with my tow car and still felt like my life was on the line - and it's a Chevy spark 😂 Had a bit of a rough time getting the RV backed in, but that was my fault for 1) being a newbie and 2) just having to see this park even though all pull-throughs were booked. Nice neighbor helped me out.

Beautiful!

Plenty to do here at Desoto. Many hiking, biking trails. Zip line course. Swimming pool in summer. Campsites are well maintained and flat. Clean restrooms and showers. Nice camp store with plenty supplies. The Lodge is also great. The Restaurant serves amazing breakfast buffet (check hours of operation). Plenty of deer wondering throughout the campground. And Desoto Falls is just a few minutes drive from campground. There’s also plenty of cabins to stay in as well.!!! This place stays book up in fall .....so reserve early.

Beautiful state park

This is a nice CG with good-sized, well-spaced full hookup sites. It pays to do your homework though and research the site ahead of time by checking photos, reviews, and descriptions as some aren’t as level as others. Ours (#84) is level and is close to a bath house which is essential for WiFi (bad AT&amp;T coverage). Many hiking trails through the park take you to numerous waterfalls, with trailheads just a short hike downhill from the CG. Nearby Desoto Falls and Little River Canyon National Preserve aren’t to be missed!

Great campground with easy access to good hiking!

Will def go again, great hiking, waterfalls and spacious

Absolutely loved this SP

We stayed here in our 5th wheel for five nights but had to move twice as we couldn't book a spot for the entire weekend. (And a bit annoyingly they charge a separate reservation fee for each "reservation" but oh well.) We stayed on sites 4, 25 and 31.

  

First, be careful to take Desoto Parkway up. Google tried to send us on an alternate road that had a big sign saying ABSOLUTELY no trucks - and from other reviews we gather that's the more trecherous one. This route wasn't bad but for someone who hates windy mountain roads without an camper attached, it did give me a few stomach drops riding with the 5th wheel behind us. 

  

If you are going to arrive after hours make sure you get the check in info and gate code. We arrived moments before the office closed at 5 pm so were able to get the information we needed to get into our spot. 

  

Staff were very friendly and helpful.

  

Also we found our second site 25 especially challenging to back into. There are drop off gulleys at the end of sites and maybe experienced RVers think nothing of it, but we thought it was tricky.  

  

That said the sites were well spaced apart and maybe because it was April there were a lot of open spots. (Surprising since we had such trouble booking a continuous site!) There is a separate loop with pull-through sites that aren't as private, but they look very easy to get in and out of. 

  

I work remotely and internet was a challenge. I have phones with Verizon and T-mobile service as well as AT&amp;T and T-Mobile hotspots. The verizon phone was the only service that got any signal at all, and it was spotty. In our first spot I couldn't get any service whatsoever. In the second spot it was a little better and the third (31) was the better - that was primarily by connecting to the park wifi. It must have been right between the two spots because it worked OK. (I don't have a wifi booster or any other similar equipment.) Wifi is available at the bathhouse and the visitor center. I spent more than a few hours in a camp chair working outside the bathhouse! I also worked from a rocking chair on the visitor center porch one afternoon. We hooked up the park cable and that worked well. 

  

Fortunately the bathhouse is nice, clean and well lit. The trails that lead from the loop to the bathhouse often end up in the back of sites but no one seems to mind. 

  

Our favorite thing here was hiking. In our 5 days we covered most of the trails on the map. You can hike right off the campground loop or go down to the visitor center to other hikes. All were on rocky uneven surfaces, and muddy in a few spots but not terribly strenous. 

  

Our favorite hike was starting at the swimming pool (closed for the season) and following the river past the Lodge. It was on the yellow trail and we reached a point where it was getting pretty iffy - just scrambling over rocks at the river's edge. We turned back at that point and looped up to Lodge Falls, and then to the Lodge. They told us in the lodge we probably reached the end of the state park property.

  

We had breakfast at the Lodge one morning and were not impressed. It was basically like a moderate hotel buffet. 

  

We went into Mentone for a lovely meal at Wildflower Cafe. We enjoyed walking around the quaint town. 

  

All in all we had a good, memorable stay at Desoto State Park.

Great hiking & nice camping

Desoto State Park is a beautiful park with great hiking and waterfalls. The primitive camping area has a keyed gate. Make sure you arrive during business hours so they can get you registered and give you a key. They will also give you a big card with your last name on it that you will put on the campsite ledger board once you have driven through the primitive area and picked from available sites. This ledger board is halfway along the gravel road once you have let yourself through the gate and is also where the common area is. In the common area there are pit toilets, a large covered pavilion, rentable cabins, picnic tables and stone fire rings. Campsites are well marked, each has a trash can (not bear proof since no bears), and a stone fire ring. At registration you will also receive the gate code for the improved RV park so that you can use the showers and do laundry. When you leave you can put your gate key in a Dropbox outside the office.

Primitive campsites with Perks!

Great campground! Lots of trails to hike and great restaurant on the campground. Just a little challenging pulling a RV to the location.

Memorial Day Trip 2022

Camped for two nights before heading to the smokies. Great trails, beautiful scenes, lots of space at outside loop sites. Plenty of wildlife that are around the campground including deer, gray fox, and fox squirrels. Bathhouses clean and staff friendly. 





November Camp

We stayed M-F; the park was 70% ish occupied; lots of great hikes, although most of the water falls were dry 🤷🏼‍♂️. #seasonal. Paddled above DeSoto Falls on the Little River. Mostly cooked out, but a lunch visit to the Wildflower in Mentone is worth it. 

Quiet

This is one of our favorite state parks in Alabama to camp at and is amazing when you visit in the spring and see all the wildflowers. There are also so many great places to swim when it gets hot including DeSoto Falls and the stream that runs through the park.

Great state park

Stayed two nights, had a great time. Plenty to do all close by, as well as a few comforts to make the time easier if you want them.