Monte Sano State Park Campground

**Campground review**: Monte Sano State Park is conveniently situated right next to Huntsville, Al. So you can feel as if your out in the middle of nowhere and town is 10 minutes down the road. There is a Land Trust adjacent with connecting trails that is pretty awesome too. A bikers, hikers, trailrunners, backpackers delight and don't forget the bug spray and allergy meds! 
We stayed 4 nights, we were in for the annual Grand Viduta Stage Race, three days of trailrunning glory with some interesting characters to boot;) 
The campground is well kept, sites spacious and they have trees in between for some privacy. There are several that are double spots if your going w/friends and family. And in the 50 range there are several that have direct access to one of the trails plus excellent overlooks. 
Bathhouse w/laundry machines is clean and maintained. Friendly informative staff members can be seen frequently.
A seperate tenting area is connected to the rear of the campground. 
And the trails......these are not your easy day hike trails, though it is possible to take it easy. The problem being when you look at the map and read the names you can't help but go check out the trails! Good, technical hiking, bring your sticks and (once again) bug stuff.

**Gear review**: As a Dyrt Ranger I've had the opportunity to test products while enjoying various parks. Today I tested/tried [High Hopes Hammock](http://www.highhopeshammock.com/). When I found out I was receiving a "High Hopes" Hammock I went on their site to read up on the company cause honestly, a hammock is a hammock right?....
However ;) like several other company start ups in recent years there's a little more to them then just making money. For every hammock purchased one is donated to a homeless person, Nice!
The hammock was easy even for me to put up, under 5 minutes( probably faster for coordinated hammockers) after I got over my initial fear of falling I sat back and chilled, quite comfortably. As you can see in the pics the hammock is very packable (lite) and could easily take the place of a tent with the addition of a tarp and mosquito net. Right now, no cons for me. (Loved the color choices)

Ranger review: High Hopes Hammock at Monte Sano State Park, AL

Enjoyed this park immensely! After you figure out the map the trails are a lot of challenging fun. The names can be intimidating but there was something for every skill level. You are on the top so everything is down :) but eventually you gotta come up. There are several shelters along the main trail with cover. I was there for the Grand Viduta Stage race and had a blast. The campground has a security gate which was nice kept down extra traffic. The lots were seperated by woods but close enough for visiting. Clean shower houses but take a flashlight cause there aren't many lights. Town is nearby with some good restaurants and coffee shops .  

Dooooown and dirty. 

If you have never been here you should!!  Like now!!  So beautiful. The campground is nice, just average I'd say, but convenient to enjoy all the beauty that the park has to offer. There is a playground for kids and day use areas as well. Hiking aplenty!!  And close to Huntsville if you don't want to cook. The cabins are cute but we didn't get a peek inside. 

What an awesome place. 

WE LOVE MONTE SANO STATE PARK GREAT TRAILS WELL KEPT CAMPGOUND VERY SCENIC VIEWS EVERYWHERE GREAT STAFF 

GREAT STATE PARK

One of our favorite go to campgrounds, always peaceful & great hiking.  The park is very well maintained.  We always have great experience when camping here.

Monte Sano SP, Alabama 

This land trust and state park offers a fun little get away in northern Alabama, just outside the city of Huntsville. The campground is well maintained and the sites have tons of shade that make the warm summer days a bit easier to tolerate.

Each site has a large gravel area, picnic table and fire ring. There are 80+ sites but not all of them provide hookups, so be sure to pay close attention when reserving your site. At the western end of the park there is a loop that offers primitive camping that is a bit more secluded and away from the RV hustle and bustle. So if you're more of a tent camper that doesn't enjoy the noise of generators or the sight of large RVs, this may be more up your alley. The showers are located in the two loops of the developed sections of the park.

This park does offer laundry facilities which is nice if you find yourself here for a longer time period or in the midst of a long road trip.

This park also offers nice hiking trails to explore while you're here.

Fun exploring

Great time camping in my neck of the woods.

Staycation

I stayed at site number 063, which was an RV site with electric and water, and it was adjacent to the primitive sites. This campsite had a gravel pad, and setting a tent up outside of the pad was impossible as all of the surrounding area was a steep slope. The pad was plenty big for my one person tent, but I can't imagine anything bigger than a 4 person tent fitting in the area. I definitely recommend the primitive campsites if you're tent camping. The sites in this part of the camp were pretty far apart, and there was plenty of privacy. The park was riddled with trails (22 miles of them), many of which were also open to bikes. The bathhouse was pretty far from site 063, but they were clean.

Quiet campground

Ranger Review: **OOFOS OOmg Low Shoes** at **Monte Sano State Park**, Huntsville, Al.

Campground Review: **Monte Sano State Park** is the best of both. While your in the park it feels like your in the deep woods BUT town is about a 10 minute drive away AND there are some super excellent food places to try out when you get tired of the fire roasted hot dogs and s’mores.

We visited for a 4 day, 3 night extended weekend while the Grand Viduta Stage Race was going on. I’ve stayed in the campground before but in the other loop. Our site this time was adjacent to the shower house on the inner circle.

Two cons before I point out all the good stuff, 1\. Poison ivy is prevalent between campsites, and 2\. The sites are nice size BUT there is a trail that runs down the middle to the shower house which was a problem because our dogs barked constantly at the children running up and down it 3 ft away. I would suggest the outer ring if you are bringing your furry family members.

Now for the pros, no numbers just a narrative. The staff, from front gate, to camp store and camp host were friendly and informative. The campground was well maintained and the shower house was clean with a washer and dryer available in the front area. (con 3\. The water was hot but the shower house was not ;)

The trails were AWESOME! From casual stroll to astonishingly difficult with over looks and waterfall views. ( there was a lot of rain prior to our arrival so the waterfalls were streaming and the mud was pooling ) hike, bike, trail run.

There is an observatory on site open Saturdays (con 4\. The presentation was more informative then “WOW!”entertaining)

Several interesting eateries, Old Towne Coffee Shop two thumbs up and Boarhogs BBQ two thumbs and four paws up! (Slap your mama good!!)

Product Review: As a Dyrt Ranger I get the opportunity to try out and abuse products from time to time, on this trip it was **OOmg Low Shoes** from [https://www.oofos.com](https://www.oofos.com) Now I won some OOahh Luxe Slide Sandals last summer and these are my after activity go too footwear sooo getting the chance to try out OOFOS’s newest product was well OOOsome! ( yeah, I went there)

As I mentioned earlier I participated a trail run event. Friday I ran the 13+mile course of rocks , mud and killer ascents and descents. Now I would like to say I won however I am not in it for the competition, basically I’m slow! But after completing day 1 I slipped into my OOmg Low Shoes and gave my feet and legs a much appreciated rest. You feel the difference as soon as you put them on, they are squishy but in an “ahhhh” way for your feet.(something about OOfoam, absorbing shock)

Saturday I volunteered though my feet and legs were feeling good and Sunday I ran the 14+mile race. After some hard miles and harder climbs I was a little beat up and tired. My OOah Luxe Slide Sandals are shower ready which is nice after a trail run(or hike) because the OOfoam is already making your feet feel better.

I packed up the camper and journeyed home in my OOmg Low Shoes . My feet and calves recovered nicely, my back and knees were no worse then usual ;)

The only drawbacks I noticed were fighting to get my damp feet into the OOmg, (they are new and a little snug) but I managed and the outer edges of the OOmg were a little tight on the sides of my feet to start off, after some wear they stretched out to fit better.

I will be packing along my OOfos throughout the year and will review them again after some more wear and tear.

OOmy aching feet

Clean restrooms, hot showers.Great hiking and mountain biking. Nice playground for children, much nicer than many private campgrounds.

Great State Campground

We heard from other campers that if you go to Huntsville, Alabama that you have to stop at Monte Sano State Park. We took our Class C up the mountain and was able to reserve full hookups in a nicely wooded area. Sites were level gravel with picnic tables and grill. Great place to bring a trail bike or take hikes. Pet friendly.

Top of the Mountain with Great Views

We stayed at site #11 and it was a very nice site with sewer hookup. We made a second trip and stayed on site #28 without sewer hookup. It rained a lot while we were on 28 and a LOT of water flowed right through this site so I would stay away from #28 if you think there is a chance of rain. This park is easy to get to and it is so hard to believe all the aminities that are so close. You feel like you are way back off into the woods.

Amazing!!

We chose a primitive site. They are well carved out back away from the road.  There were plenty of spots available, both primitive and RV hookups. We didn't stay long enough to try out the bath houses, so I can't attest to those. The park looked like it is regularly visited and you can reserve sites online more than a day in advance. 

Secluded with great views 

My husband stayed here for a few months while we were trying to sell our house. Beautiful views, wildlife are fun to watch, hiking and biking trails, play areas for kids. Definitely recommend. It is a little pricey compared to some places.

Great place

When I called Saturday morning to check on availability for that evening, I was told only primitive sites were available which would have been ok for a one night stay but upon arrival, we were told you had to pitch a tent for the primitive sites (we don’t have a tent and sleep in our van). However, a number of improved sites had opened up so we were in luck. All sites are gravel and appear to be fairly level and ours was likely the most level we’ve been in for awhile. Picnic table and fire ring at each site. Many families with young children (fun to watch them ride their bikes around the loop). Bathhouse was clean and I appreciated the HOT water! Coin laundry. The North Alabama Japanese garden is a nice short walk and there are a variety of hiking trails (I would recommend the Stone Cut Trail for a moderately challenging hike). 

Nice campground with nice hiking trails 

To get to this park, you drive right through Huntsville neighborhoods. We made our reservations earlier in the week but had a different site each night because the park was going to be full.

In my opinion, all the sites are nice because the campground is in the woods. And you can pitch a tent far from the road in the separate primitive area.

On Saturday night, I couldn't believe the number of TVs outside the RVs. I guess this is an inexpensive way to experience an Alabama football game outside. :) Sites were crowded with lots of people; one site had about 8 cars along the road during the game. Fortunately people were in a good mood because Alabama was never in danger of losing.

**Alabama's Campground Taxes Are HIGH**

Our sites with water and electricity were $26/night although a senior discount was applied for Thursday night. (No discounts on weekends.) We paid a one-time fee of $5 and the total cost was $93.55\. Taxes are almost 20%.

**Amenities**

- There are only 2 restrooms/showerhouses which seems a bit on the low side for this campground. They're clean enough but the staff should check them more often on a full weekend in the fall. By Saturday evening, there were no paper towels and the toilet paper was gone from all except one stall. And it was still like that on Sunday morning at 9.

- Standard amenities include a fire ring and picnic table at each site, dump station, and trash dumpsters out front.

- Sites (except primitive sites in the tent area) have power and water. There are also some sites with sewer hookup.

**Hiking**

The number of hiking trails is what made this park appeal to us. You can pick up an excellent map at the park office.

**Other**

- There's a disc golf course and a Japanese garden.

- Primitive sites were full so we didn't ask if a teardrop trailer could be taken back there. The road to those sites is a bit bumpy but we could have easily fit on those sites. A call to the park would be worth it if you're interested.

Excellent hiking opportunities; close to Huntsville

Nice place to camp. Only stayed one night because storms were in the forecast but would definitely go back.

Nice Campground 

I first visited Monte Sano SP about a year ago, and it’s been one of my absolute favorite places in Alabama since. As a female I LOVE the staff and feel safe camping and hiking the trails throughout the park solo and with my dogs. Their are so many trails to choose from but the best part about the park, in my opinion is the fact the campsites in the primitive area are typically separated greatly by trees, so you get more a feeling of privacy. If I continue to type, it’ll turn into a book, but take my word for it, if you love nature, privacy and scenic views, Monte Sano is your place in Alabama. 

Favorite place is Alabama

Very beautiful campground and lots of places to hike. The only drawback for me was no fishing but we still had a great time hiking and looking around!

Fun place to hike 

Monte Sano has great, easy hiking trails with beautiful views of the Tan valley. The Japanese garden is not to be missed.

Gorgeous Views

We recently stayed in a cabin and it was enjoyable. There were white tail deer everywhere, chipmunks, a tiny ring neck snake on a trail,...Huntsville is very close and a neat little store just in town called Star Supermarket. The park staff were all helpful and friendly. 

Enjoyed the cabin and trails.

Ranger Review: Aftershokz at Monte Sano State Park, Huntsville, Alabama 

Campground Review: First before I get into my review, I am TOTALLY BIAS at Monte Sano SP ! I LOVE this park, the only thing that could make it better is if there was a lake or attached watercourse. The hiking is moderate to extreme up and down some interesting rock formations. The mountain bikers and bikers seem to enjoy themselves too, flying down the closed roadway or the steep roadways and challenging themselves on the rocky terrain. I’ve been several years now and still haven’t gotten around to all the trails. The campground is laid out in two loops and a dirt loop for tent campers. I was in site 19 which was in the way back, unfortunately near a “pond” so a few mosquitoes were about. Otherwise pretty spacious sites. I hung my hammock and could have put up a tent. Pretty quiet though the campground was close to full. The showerhouse has a pay washer and dryer in the front. Older building but well maintained. Coded gate entry and plenty of trail access right from the campground. Some excellent overlooks a cool waterfall hike and an adjacent land grant. I’ve run several trail runs here and you always see something new.
I also found ANOTHER excellent hole in the wall restaurant in addition to several others in the area. https://www.poboyfactory.com/
Worth checking out ! Monte Sano SP has so much to do you could easily spend an extended time there and not be bored, unless you want to be. I mentioned water at the start of this review, though there are no water sports within the park there is more then one option available not very far away. Definitely worth visiting again!

Product Review: As a Dyrt Ranger I get to review interesting products. I had the most excellent mission of trying out Aftershokz https://aftershokz.com/pages/technology. I am not a fan of headphones, they don’t fit well in my ears, they are in my ears, I can’t hear anything else, SO I don’t use them. Enter the Aftershokz! Different take on headphonz, on their site you can read about how they work, in laymen terms (my take) the Aftershokz sits on your bone and the vibrations create the sounds that you hear....It makes sense to me but you should read the information on the site, lol. So anyway, nothing in my ear, I can hear what’s going on around me and no worries of them falling out of your ears. 
I wore my Aftershokz for a trail-race in Monte Sano SP. Once I put them on I pretty much forgot they were there. I could hear my music and hear what what was going on around me. The sound level is adjustable on the headphone. I also checked the reception distance while working in my backyard. I had good sound at about 50 yards without anything in between. Rechargeable, flexible and sweat proof are additional plus’s.

Always something new 

We stayed 4 nights in our 23 foot Airstream in site 14, a pull-thru, with our 2 kids, ages 5 and 13. A hiking trail that leads to the Japanese garden runs directly behind the site and it is close to the bath house, but not too close 😉 The Japanese garden is small but lovely and definitely worth the short walk.

Nearly every site was full while we were there (because of the city wide celebration of the 50th anniversary of the moon landing), but it never felt crowded and everything remained clean and well stocked. We attended a show at the planetarium, they run every Saturday. The 13 year old and I enjoyed it but the 5 year old and my husband found it excruciatingly boring. If space and astronomy aren't your thing, don't go 😂 On clear nights you are invited to look through the telescope. The view from the overlook just past the planetarium is not to be missed. 

We had zero Verizon service at site 14 but it was nice to unplug. If we wanted to check the weather or email we just took a quick bike ride to the sites on the bluff or to the camp store. The store doesn't stock much but there's a great little family owned grocery store, Star Market, at the bottom of the mountain. We got pizzas and some hot items from the deli. Everything we tried was good! 

We took an afternoon to tour Cathedral Caverns which is about 20 miles away. If you are even remotely interested in caves or nature or pretty things DO NOT MISS IT! There are not words enough to express the spectacular beauty of the caverns. There's a paved path the entire way, making it accessible to everyone regardless of physical capability. They offer a golf cart tour to those unable to walk the 1.5 miles. It's wide open and triggered none of the anxiety I typically feel in a cave. 

Back to the camp ground... lots of wild life to see. Tame-ish deer wander among the camp sites and snack nightly at the camp host's site. Mind the 15 mph speed limit! They are not bashful about giving tickets. Very friendly staff. We'll definitely be back 

 

Beautiful and Convenient to Huntsville

We visited Monte Sano State Park in the middle of summer (June) and stayed in the campground for five nights. We made our reservations through the Alabama State Parks web reservation portal at https://guestrez.megasyshms.com/5Q5BT for campground and cabin rentals. 

  

The campground is located near the city of Huntsville, Alabama to the east. The park was easily accessible and the drive from the city to the park was not typical as it takes you though some of Huntsville’s neighborhoods before arriving to the park’s entrance. Once we arrived we went directly to the visitor’s center where the staff was friendly and organized. Our paperwork was already completed so the check in process was quick but very informative. We also received the gate code for the campground as the gate is electronically operated and closes after every opening to provide a welcomed level of security. We stayed in site 25 of the first loop, the park was not crowded in the campground as the summer temperatures were near extreme highs. The camp sites are very well spaced and there’s enough trees and underbrush to offer privacy. There are a few sites that have full hookups but most are without sewer. The park map I’ve included shows the ones with full hook up services. The bath houses were clean and orderly, the staff came by in the mornings to clean and restock. There are two camper/tent loops with rest rooms and showers at each. One tent only loop with no facilities but beautiful large sites. 

  

The park has several scenic areas where the views of the mountains are great and provides a nice place to sit and ponder. There's also an operational Planetarium on the park sponsored and operated by the Von Braun Astronomical Society (https://www.vbas.org/). There are shows on Saturday’s at 7:30PM with an admission or $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for students. You will need to get there early though as parking is limited but worth the effort to visit. 

  

There are miles and miles of bike and hiking trails here, on the weekend it’s amazing how many cyclists come here to ride the trails. Some of the trails are very aggressive and some moderate for those of us that want this pace, the parks paved roads also offer a good place for a casual ride in the evenings. 

  

All in all, we really enjoyed this park and will add this to our return list in the future. I also have to recommend a visit to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center (https://www.rocketcenter.com/) in Huntsville, you won’t be disappointed.

So Much to Do at Monte Sano. 

This is my new favorite park close to home. Monte Sano is located in Huntsville but you would never know it once get get up here. It is so peaceful. 
The sites are shady &amp; far enough apart that you feel like you have a little privacy. And if you love to hike then this is the park for you. Wonderful trails that are clearly marked. There is a trail for all skill levels so you can decide how intense you want and how long you want to hike. 
There are several sites on the edge of the mountain that offer stunning views but they go quick so it’s hard to get those. The same with the few sites that offer full hookups. Having sewage isn’t that big of a deal for us but it is nice to have. 
We came up here last summer &amp; there was literally a 10° difference in temperature when we got to the top of the mountain. So even in the heat of summer it’s pleasant up here. 
If you like to venture out there is plenty to do in Huntsville &amp; several great places to eat. 
The bathhouse could stand to be updated but it’s usually clean &amp; the water is hot so I’m happy. 

Mountain views

Although we have been to Monte Sano many times to hike and attend events, this was our first time camping here. Monte State Park Campground is a large campground with 15 full hookup sites, 59 water&amp; electric sites, and 21 primitive tent sites. All the sites are gravel, most sites are wooded with lots of shade, and most site are mainly level. All style sites include a picnic table and fire ring. 

  

Check-in is at the camp store if you arrive during store hours or with camp host if you arrive after hours. We stayed on site 24, which had complete shade throughout the day. This site backs up to a draw and each evening just before dust we could watch the deer walk up through. 

  

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 souvenirs were available at the camp store. There is a full grocery store about 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 many trails for hiking and mountain biking, as well as host the North Alabama Japanese Garden. The North Alabama Land Trust also connects to the state park and adds many more miles of trails. We hiked about 15 miles this weekend and there are many more miles to explore on another visit. 

  

The state park is located 5 minutes from Huntsville where you can find many restaurants, breweries, and the Space&amp; Rocket Center. Check the Huntsville visitor’s center website for all that is offered in the area. In addition, the Burritt on the Mountain located just minutes from the park entrance and has an open air museum and an amazing overlook of Huntsville. 

  

We are very excited that this gem is located so close to use and are proud to call this our home camp!

Some much fun so close to home

We've lived in Huntsville since'87 and never camped at Monte Sano. Once we sold our house we camped their through the Christmas holidays to be near family. We got a lot of rain and our particular site did not drain well, so would probably choose another next time we stay, though the office said they were going to do some site maintenance. So, maybe that will improve. There is lots of great wooded, hilly hiking on Monte Sano, which we took advantage of between the rains. Sites are spacious; you are liable to see the occasional deer out your window. Since the sites are quite wooded, though not secluded from each other, satellite coverage is likely only possible after leaf fall. We had intermittent DISH coverage at our site. Downtown Huntsville is a mere 15 minute drive with lots of dining and cool nightspots(try Humprhies. Also visit Lowe Mill, Stovehouse, Campus 805. Plenty of good local breweries. One thing we will say about Huntsville is their recycling is limited (no glass). We hope that soon changes.

Lovely spot, lots of great hiking trails

I’ve been to Monte Sano Stare Park on numerous occasions and always look forward to enjoying the trails and town while I’m there.
I stayed at the park this time while I was in Huntsville for the annual Marci Gras parade.
One of the best things about this time of year is your view is unobstructed by foliage. The row of sites along the overlook give you an excellent view of the town. Many are double sites to share with groups. The rest of the campground has level , back in and pull through sites as well as a tent area. 
The showerhouse is older but well maintained and has a washer and dryer.
This is a gated campground so no through traffic. 
The trails at Monte Sano are exceptional and challenging. There is also a land trust area to hike too. Bring your hiking boots or trail running shoes for the numerous running events that are held at the park or just enjoy the Japanese Garden and overlooks. 

Mardi Gras

Decided to do some fall camping in Huntsville to see the Rocket Center.  Found this campground and couldn’t be happier.  From an RV perspective, this place is phenomenal.  We managed to snag a full hookup pull through site on fairly short notice.  Site #30 turned out to be more than large enough for our tiny camper and could likely hold the largest 5th wheel/dually combos on the road or a 30+ foot travel trailer plus two vehicles.  I walked the site off at an estimated 70 feet long.  Sites throughout the park are pretty level, and ours required no leveling from side to side.  Picnic areas are large and located on the proper side of the sites.  Fire rings are large, steel, and have cooking grates.  All sites that I could observe had all connections convenient and didn’t require any exceptionally long power, water, or sewer connections.  I really liked the buddy sites for those who might be traveling together, but for those looking for some separation, this campground provides that.  No parking slide to awning here.  If a view is on your must have list, I suggest sites 46,48,49,51,53,55,57,59,and 61.  These sites back up to the hill side and views through the trees are gorgeous.  I’m sure it’s even better in the winter when leaves are gone.  Camp store is nice and sells firewood ($7.50/bundle as of this review).  Highly recommend checking out the Japanese Tea Garden for an easy, quiet hike.  Wildlife is abundant and have little fear of humans.  Squirrels and deer routinely entered our campsite while we were sitting around.

Incredible campground0

On top of Monte Sano in the woods and a world away from the town -- although it's close by. So many trails to run or walk and a playground for the kiddos. This has primitive camping as well as W/E/S. Each campsite is well-spaced and the primitive tent camping area is away from the RVs.

You can book all year but be sure to book in advance.

In the woods

Monte Sano is one of our favorite places to get away for the weekend. The staff is super friendly!!! Nice campsites, clean bathhouses, and campground usually stays pretty quiet at night. Beautiful night views of city lights from several camp spots. Park also has a nice Japanese garden, planetarium, hike / bike trails, and scenic overlooks. Just minutes from downtown Huntsville!!!

Beautiful mountain top camping

We are in site 80 for 5 weeks for the holidays. The campground was largely empty during the week. AT&amp;T coverage is poor at best with only 1 Bar and 0.2-0.6 MB/s. I use AT&amp;T’s Mark the Spot app and ping this location every time we stay here. Hopefully, some day they will improve service here. T-Mobile had 1 Bar but 4 MB/s. There is no WiFi. We had marginal satellite coverage at our site with the trees bare and there would likely not be much at most of the other sites either due to the heavy tree cover. We were however, able to get 29 OTA DTV channels with our omni antenna. We did have 50A service at our site, but I don’t believe they all have it yet. 

  

Our GPS(RV Life app) always indicates that you turn from Monte Sano Blvd onto Denison Ave, but don’t go that way, very narrow. Go one street past Denison to Nolens Ave, which goes straight into the park.

  

The sewer receptacle connections are not threaded, so you'll have to weigh down your sewer elbow to prevent it from coming out of the receptacle.

Nice park, friendly staff, lots of trails to hike and a Japanese Garden

Great hiking and biking rv camp ground very nice and clean bath houses

Great weekend

We loved it here and can’t wait to go back! The campsites were a little close together, but it was very doable. We had extremely foggy, wet weather (I’m pretty sure we were in a low cloud all weekend), but it’s things like that that make memorable trips! 

Lots of hiking in the park, plus the gorgeous Japanese Gardens was a huge bonus! Highly recommend the Stone Cuts Trail! 

The camp office has a few supplies if needed. The host sells firewood, but it was still too fresh for us to burn, so we had to leave camp to go buy wood somewhere else. 

Great Hiking and Gardens

My boyfriend and I stayed here for Valentine's Day weekend (2 night stay). I had intended to go south for warmer weather. It's not what we got, BUT we had such a pleasant stay nonetheless!

We stayed in Site 14, a pull through site towards the middle of the loop. None of the sites are secluded, but they aren't right on top of each other either. You can definitely see and hear your neighbors' sites.

We drove in late on Friday night (after 9:00 pm). The fog was so bad, we couldn't see further than 5 feet in front of us! With GPS, we were able to make it to the state park entrance. We were greeted by a wonderful gentleman who gave us directions to the campground. 

Upon arriving at the gate of the campground, the host came out on a golf cart and guided us directly to our site. He brought us firewood and made sure we were in the site safely. The staff members at the SP were stand outs! Super friendly and helpful!

The fog ended up freezing on to everything, but we still managed to get out and about! Even made the short trip out to Fagan Creek Falls near the picnic area. 

The bath house was super warm! Showers were great and the stalls were kept clean! The campground is pet friendly too. 

Overall, a wonderful experience! We will definitely be returning!

Great Campground with Top Notch Staff

This is an amazing place to camp and hike. Most of the other reviews cover all the wonderful amenities so I will mostly just add my photos from a trip here in the fall. Well worth a several-night stay. I personally like the tent sites but they also have paved RV spaces as well. Make sure to check out their Japanese garden as well. If you complete all the trails in the park you can expand to check out the attached land trust. See maps in my review.

One of the best campgrounds in Alabama

This is a great campground with spacious sites!!  Wildlife, trails and a beautiful overlook of Huntsville.

Spacious and shady campground with great trails!!!!!

We made a last minute decision to visit Monte Sano when a site became available for Memorial Day weekend. The campground is fantastic! The sites are shaded, well spaced, and easy to navigate.  The park has tons of hiking options and even a disc golf course! We will definitely be back. 

Perfect Weekend Getaway

I'm a local and tent camping saves my sanity from a high preassured daily life. When I cant leave to camp I'll set up at a primitive site here for a week at a time. It's a simple space. No picnic tables at primitive sites. It's clean...beautiful....loads of hiking trails...and great food is a 10 min ride down the mountain to Huntsville. 

My Staycation Spot

We are partial to this campground as this is where we lived and started hiking/trail running. Now it is a great spot to camp when we come back to the area to visit our family. The sites are spacious and level. The bathroom/shower are clean and during the winter, they are extremely warm. We have stayed here during Thanksgiving, Christmas and for a race during the winter and it was great! The campground is so close to so many great hiking trails, playground, and picnic areas. Downtown Huntsville is a quick 5-10 minute drive. 
One downfall is the WiFi and cell service is not very good at all. I get better service on the trails hiking than at the campground. 

Our Hometown Favorite 

Has it all!  Outdoors, big sites, hiking, places to bike, playground, shade, state park in town!  We have camped here at least twice a year for over 20 yrs.

Best campground in Huntsville

We had a great time at Monte Sano and loved that you can hike straight from your campground. The Stone Cuts was fun to see and hopefully next time we go we can make it to the Natural Well. It is also a short drive to Cathedral Caverns

Awesome hiking

The drive in is beautiful. Primitive Tent sites feel more secluded even though they are not hike in sites. Still reasonably close to the bathrooms/showers. Good price for camping!

Gorgeous 

A nice state park very close to Huntsville. A range of trails, including some easy to moderate ones. Great views from both sides of the mountain. Campground is fine and is gated at all times, for extra security. A great home-base to balance nature time and jaunts into the city. Consider checking out Burrit on the Mountain, which is just down the road. 


Close to Huntsville

We got a chance to spend 2 nights up at Monte Sano this fall and had a wonderful trip with some chilly nights. The park is one of the best state-managed campgrounds I have been to and is an amazing place for either tent camping or RV camping. On this visit, they were undergoing serious renovations of one of the RV loops that is closest to the tent area so we ended up having even more privacy and quiet than usual. Although there are no bathroom facilities in the tent area they are a short drive or a couple of minutes walk away and are very nice and well kept. The tent sites are all well established and pretty spaced out. Since we stayed from Saturday to Monday we had the place to ourselves on Sunday night. We also arrived after dark on Saturday but they had a great system in place for getting the gate code and info about the site. We spent the whole day on Sunday hiking the long loop around the park. Since the trails connect to the land trust adjacent to the park you can never run out of areas to explore. I highly recommend visiting Monte Sano for your next camping adventure.

Great for RV and tent camping

Everyone here is very helpful and friendly at the check-in, camp store, and security. There is a roving security guard most of the night. Great steady power and water. Clean sites, mostly level even for my 43’ rig. Beautiful hiking and biking trails and close to Huntsville with plenty of shopping, dining, etc. This was my very first RV park experience and I will absolutely be returning often! 

Fantastic Campground! 

I stayed at Monte Sano for several days as I explored Huntsville. This is a very, very nice campground, and the state park it sits in is a destination in itself. There are miles of hiking trails on the plateau, as well as a closed down section of Bankhead Parkway NE that anyone with a non-motorized wheeled conveyance should enjoy. I took my kick scooter down this road many, many times. The downhill grade is perfect, and there are just enough pavement wows to keep it interesting. Wish there were more roads like this.

I camped in one of the primitive sites, which are located along a long gravel loop at the back of the campground. The sites all seemed to be nice and large, with plenty of tall trees for shade and shrubs for privacy. These sites are fairly remote, and the closest bathrooms were crowded and dirty when I visited (albeit modern and well appointed). There is another bathroom of identical construction closer to the campground entrance. This was empty and clean. There are also nice single occupancy bathrooms at the campground office.

The main downside to this campground is its water, or lack thereof. Most campgrounds have plenty of water spigots for tent campers, and maybe a few dishwashing sinks. This campground has none of that. Sure, the RV sites have water hookups, and I pirated these when the sites were empty, but when they filled up, where was I supposed to find water? As far as I know, there is only one water spigot in the entire campground, and it took me days to locate (at the picnic shelter near the cleaner, emptier bathroom). This was too far from my campsite to be of much use anyhow. Even at the large picnic shelter down the street from the campground (looked to be CCC-built), there was only a single drinking fountain. At a place supposedly geared for big group picnics. I saw what looked to be old water fixtures that had been decommissioned. What the heck was going on here? It was all very strange, and very frustrating. I'm okay with dry camping, but when a campground has water but makes it hard to access... this is quite annoying. Please fix this, Monte Sano.

Fantastic campground; needs more water

Monte Sano AL:
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
70 yr olds in 17’ trailer: 
Overall Rating:  4.5
Price : $30 for elec/ water.  
Usage during visit:   1/2 to 3/4 full
Site Privacy:  mostly under tree story, somewhat open 
Site Spacing:    Large sites , Be careful of sites that back up to each other.  Circled  sites on map have a view, right now of the city and sunsets .  17 and 19 are nice, at the bottom of the first loop. 
Site surface:   Packed gravel 
Reservations:    Yes
Campground Noise: 5 - children playing 
Road noise 5.  None 
Electricity.  Yes
Water:  Yes
Sewer:    Some sites.   See map 
Dump:  yes
Bathroom:    Very clean
Showers:   Yes, clean, curtains 
Pull Throughs : some sites
Cell Service (Verizon): 4 good 
Setting:  CG sits on a hilltop in a deciduous forest.  
Weather:  high 70.  Low : high 30s
Bugs:    A very few mosquitoes 
Solar:    Filters light 
Host:   
Location:   Near Huntsville.  20 minutes from the Space and Rocket Museum. (Well worth a visit) 
Notes:   This will be a lovely setting in 1 to 2 weeks when leaves push.  They are just beginning to on the hill.  

On A Forested Hill

Got a last minute reservation.  Staff very helpful and friendly.  Camp sites very well laid out and spacious.  We were able to purchase firewood at their store.  The trails are well marked.  We saw two sets of deer along our hike of the North Loop.  Trails well marked.  You do share the trails with mountain bikers so you need to live to the side when they’re coming.  Met friendly people along the way.  The Stone Cuts Trail and Sinks trail came highly recommended by other hikers.  Was told to avoid the Stone Cuts Bipass unless you want a very difficult hike. Also, don’t miss the overlook at the top.  If not camping, you can drive right to the overlook.  There is parking there.  

Monte Sano State Park is Gorgeous! 

We had such a great time at MSSP. We stayed in two sites (since we decided we wanted to stay longer when we got there): 48 &amp; 61, which were both bluff sites. 48 is directly across from the bathhouse. My husband and I both agreed that the bathrooms could’ve been cleaner. I only looked in the showers since we have one in our camper and they were yucky and I’m glad we didn’t have to use them. 
Site 61 was our favorite of the two since it’s the last one on the bluff before the road goes into the primitive area. 
All the sites seem to be spacious which we liked. 
The office staff were all VERY kind and VERY helpful. The camp store itself is small but had pretty much anything you might’ve forgotten. 
The bike trails are numerous and while we don’t mountain bike we did ride our cruiser bikes down past the rental cabins and on past the gate onto a nice wide gravel trail. It was beautiful and we saw lots of wildflowers and deer. 
I highly recommend this park. It was lovely. 