Houston Recreation Area

Campground is shut down. Run down. Hasn’t been up kept for some reason. Guessing COVID. Did have boat ramp and a vault toilet for day use only. Looks to have been a nice place when it was opened.

No campgrounds yet but the day area and boating area is very nice. Would definitely reccomend to anyone.

There is hiking, swimming, mountain biking, boating, fishing, and swimming here. Incredible scenery including waterfalls, old growth forests, canyons, etc. Close to waterways. The campground is medium sized, dense forests surround the campsites. The amenities are pretty standard. Fairly easy access to Birmingham and Huntsville.

Yay: great wildlife, as this is in the middle of a huge wilderness area.

Nay: closed winters but there are some other places open year-round nearby.

Surprise: The host was wonderful and recommended to visit Mize Mill Falls and Caney Creek Falls, both incredible places.

This is a great area to visit if you want a nicer place to stay but easy access to the nearby Sipsey wilderness. The site is really well kept with hot showers and toilets along with individual well spaced campgrounds. The sites are very private and what is great is that they each have their own picnic benches and areas to hang things. While you are staying here make sure to drive up the road and get some hiking in. There are plenty of entries into the hiking areas and each provides access to waterfalls and rivers galore. You really feel like you are in a different world. Totally worth the drive!

During my time in Alabama, I kept hearing wonderful things about Sipsey Wilderness, and its many waterfalls, rocky landscapes, and great hikes. Since it's "wilderness," there are no established campsites, and there is a strict "leave no trace" policy. That being said, the opportunity to pick your own home away from home on your backpacking trip leaves you with a plethora of gorgeous options! Be sure to check the water levels before your trip, because while Sipsey is always beautiful, it isn't abnormal for many of the waterfalls to be dried up after a hot summer. Also, if you park at the Sipsey River Picnic Area Trailhead, be sure to pay the $3/day parking fee. They will give you a steep ticket otherwise! I had read about the fee, but upon arriving didn't see where to pay and figured it must have been an outdated post. Turns out, there was just a car blocking the pay station, which is near the chemical toilet when you turn into the parking lot. It's a dated deposit system, where you put your payment in an envelope, drop it in a dropbox, and put the perforated proof of payment tag on your dashboard. So be sure to bring exact change!! I was expecting something a little more modern, so even if I had seen the deposit box, I wouldn't have had exact change on me.

The trails can get a little complicated, as there aren't really any trail markers, so be sure to buy a map of the area and bring it along with your compass. I found a map at mountain high outfitters at the Summit in Birmingham, AL, and it served us well. The 209 trail follows the river and is known as one of the more scenic routes. Nearby sites within the Sipsey Wilderness include Big Tree (the biggest tree in AL), Eye of the Needle, Ship Rock, numerous waterfalls, and several scattered cemeteries. All of these will be marked on a good map.

The area is very buggy, and the trails can get cramped/overgrown in parts, so I'd recommend wearing long pants and lots of bug spray!