Best Tent Camping near Guntersville, AL

The forested hills surrounding Guntersville, Alabama offer several tent-only camping options for outdoor enthusiasts seeking riverside experiences. Little River Adventure Company provides 30 tent campsites with varying levels of seclusion, situated conveniently near Little River Canyon. TGL Adventures offers 8 tent sites with direct river access, while the more primitive Hurricane Creek Campground features walk-in tent sites for those seeking a more secluded experience. The Walls of Jericho - Hurricane Creek Backcountry Campsite, located approximately 2.7 miles from the Alabama hikers trailhead parking lot, serves as a strategic basecamp for exploring the surrounding wilderness.

Most tent campgrounds in the Guntersville region feature basic amenities including fire rings and picnic tables, with varying levels of additional services. Little River Adventure Company provides drinking water, showers, and toilets, though campers note the bathhouse is located at the front of the property, some distance from the campsites. Sites at TGL Adventures include access to restrooms and showers within walking distance of tent pads. Backcountry tent camping at Walls of Jericho requires proper preparation as visitors must filter water from Hurricane Creek and pack out all waste. Yellow Creek Falls Fish Camp offers primitive tent camping with access to drinking water but limited other facilities.

Tent campers frequently mention the privacy and spaciousness of sites in this region. According to reviews, Little River Adventure Company stands out for offering "spacious and fairly flat" tent sites with good spacing between campers. One visitor noted, "While other campgrounds focus on RVs, this location is specific to tent camping." At TGL Adventures, a camper reported their tent was "physically only 10 steps from the river," allowing for convenient fishing access. The Hurricane Creek backcountry site accommodates "a handful of tents in close proximity to each other" and is described as "quiet and right on Hurricane Creek." Spring visits to Walls of Jericho are particularly rewarding after rainfall when water levels are higher, enhancing the dramatic nature of nearby falls and creating ideal conditions for backcountry tent camping.

Best Tent Sites Near Guntersville, Alabama (12)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Guntersville, AL

464 Reviews of 12 Guntersville Campgrounds


  • Katie S.
    Jun. 18, 2019

    Tomahawk Campground

    Ranger Review: GCI Outdoor Pod Rocker with SunShade camp chair at Tomahawk Primitive Campground

    Campground Review: 

    Tomahawk Primitive Campground is located near Cullman, AL right off of Highway 278. The campground is primitive, and has no electricity or water pumps or hookups at the individual sites, but there is a common room area attached to the back of the owner’s house that has a clean bathroom, a coffee maker, and electricity. There are 3 campsites with fire rings as well as a large, open field at the main campground area, and additional sites by the creek, about a 10 minute walk from the main area. The trail to the creek-side sites was partially cleared, but there were a few fallen trees blocking the path that could make it difficult to carry gear to those sites. My husband, puppy and I stayed at one of the tent sites in the main campground area. If you are staying in a tent, I highly recommend air mattresses for this camp. While the ground has been somewhat cleared, there are still large stocks sticking one or 2 inches out of the ground that would make sleeping without an air mattress very uncomfortable. However, the bigger issue making sleep difficult for us was the road noise from the highway, which stayed busy throughout the night. I assume that if you are in a camper you won’t notice it as much, but in a tent it made us feel like we were camping on the side of the highway and not at a camp. Another problem that we ran into, unfortunately after we set up camp, is that our site had a ton of fire ants. I’m not sure if this is a problem at all of the tent sites or if it was just ours, but I advise caution when choosing your site and where you set up your tent. Our favorite part of this campground was the creek. It was beautiful and clear, perfect for our dog to play in, and had good locations to set up a hammock and enjoy the peaceful creek sounds. If we were to stay at this camp again, we would bring gear that could be hauled to the creek-side campsites. 

    Gear Review: GCI Outdoor Pod Rocker with Sunshade 

    As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I sometimes get gear to review on my camping trips. For this trip I got the GCI Pod Rocker with Sunshade camp chair. I LOVE this chair, and so did my husband and dog. The chair comes in a durable carrying case, which is great because I’ve had many camp chair bags fall apart after just a few uses. The chair was a little confusing to set up/take down at first, until I realized that easy-to-follow instructions are attached to the bag. The chair is larger than most camp chairs and provides more support. The sunshade is adjustable and can be moved in several positions as well as completely collapsed. The only complaint that we had about the Pod Rocker is that the included cup holder is a pouch that doesn’t seem like it would actually prevent your drink from spilling. For me, the benefit of having a camp rocking chair far outweighs this one detractor. This chair was wonderful for camping but would also be perfect for outdoor sporting events and concerts. I highly recommend the GCI Pod Rocker with Sunshade! Here is the link for the GCI Pod Rocker with SunShade:  https://www.gcioutdoor.com/rockers/pod-rocker-with-sunshade/

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 7, 2020

    Rickwood Caverns State Park Campground

    The cave is the star attraction

    This is a very small campground- 13 improved sites (nine of these have 50 amp electric and can accommodate all sizes of rigs; four are designed for smaller units and have 30 amp electric) plus five primitive sites, which have communal water only (no electric). There is zero privacy/separation between the improved sites, which would make the unimproved sites possibly more appealing (but further from the restroom and it was pouring when we were there). Improved sites are gravel and include a BBQ, fire ring, and a very large picnic table. Rates are $16 for a primitive site/$29 for an improved site plus a $4.75 processing fee for the first night of your stay. Senior discounts are given. 

    The restrooms are functional and clean but basic. There was a leak in the roof from the pouring rain that could pose a slipping hazard. 

    There are a large picnic pavilion and two short hiking trails of about a mile each. We hiked the Fossil Mountain trail, which is very rocky. The main draw to this park is the cave. Tours are offered four times daily, January through November. If you camp, you receive a discount on the tour. The tour is worth doing.

  • Cassandra C.
    Sep. 2, 2017

    Monte Sano State Park Campground

    Quiet campground

    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.

  • Steve V.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 30, 2019

    DeSoto State Park Campground

    Relaxing Fall Weekend

    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.

  • Aly E.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 23, 2025

    Woodybrooke Farm

    Hipcamp near cloudland canyon

    This place is perfect. Small outhouse and far away from everyone. Long gravel road you can drive or walk to three separate ponds to fish(they keep them stocked) and you can also kayak or canoe on the ponds. They have a great little community kitchen and the Hipcamp owner is so sweet! Lots of tent sites and a couple rv electric sites but no water or sewer hookup for the fancier campers needing more accommodations. No shower area besides an outdoor shower near the community kitchen area and good cell signal! And a store is ten minutes from camp so grab some food to cook over the fire! This is a perfect get in touch with nature spot. They have fire rings and tables everywhere and also have firewood! And dog friendly!

  • Jeremy H.
    Jun. 22, 2019

    Cathedral Caverns State Park Campground

    Clean, Quiet, Comfortable

    My son Charlie(age 8) and I camped at Cathedral Caverns State Park on June 17, 2019. It was a Monday night. We chose one of the primitive campground sites and paid a little under$20 for one night. Since we were camping we received a discount on our cave tour the next day. It's worth noting that all of the primitive and RV campsites are outside of the state park’s main gates which means that anyone can easily enter or leave the camp at anytime day or night; however, two state employees live fulltime within walking distance of the campsites. It was encouraging to know that help was only steps away if we needed it. One of the rangers actually stopped and introduced himself while making his early evening round. He verified that I had registered at the camp, informed me that it might rain that night, and wished us a good evening. A father and son also drove through the campground about that time in a personal car. I expected him to camp, but later when we went for a walk, we didn’t find him. On our walk we went down to the restrooms gathering kindling in large, reusable grocery bags. We also brought our one gallon water jug. It’s quite a walk to the restroom and unless you are driving, it would be unreasonable to rely on it as your bathroom. Bring a camping toilet or a shovel. The RV sites are right next to the restrooms, which means that if you are in the primitive site it is very unlikely that you will hear RV generators all night. There were no RVs there on our night because the sites were being overhauled and it was closed though the restrooms were still up and running. The restrooms were very clean and spacious with clean, new shower curtains and it was fully stocked with supplies. I can’t say if the water was hot, but my suspicion is that it probably was since the rest of the facility is well kept. Back to the kindling: There’s plenty to be had and we even found four or five logs left by our campsite by a previous camper. Speaking of firewood, there’s plenty of that for sale for a reasonable$10.00 at the restroom facility. Money’s left in a box on the honor system. After cooking two cans of Southgate chili on an improvised Sweedish fire using the charitable camper’s firewood, we played in the field which was easily accessible from the primitive campsite. It’s guarded by a feral but entertaining cat who has an appetite for small rabbits. He almost caught one when he chased it through the campsite and under the picnic table where we happened to be eating supper. I’m not sure if he ever caught him but the last time I saw them they were running through the campsite like the wind. The campsite was simple. There was a fire ring and an old picnic table. You might want to bring a table cloth along or use a tarp if you’re doing more than heating up canned chili. The site was clean as was the entire park. I was easily able to back into the site with a 2007 Trailblazer. Though we had planned on tent camping, we ended up sleeping in the Trailblazer. Dad brought the tent, but he forgot the poles. All of the sites were clean and would have made wonderful tent sites. They were spaced adequately apart to provide a sense of privacy though if you’re pooping in a bucket you might have to be strategic in your temporary John placement. I don’t think my wife would have liked the bathroom situation at all and it might have been a bigger issue for Charlie and me if there’d been anyone else on the campground. We were the sole campers at Cathedral Caverns during our visit. We weren’t the only people using the park though. There were plenty who come to see the cave which true to its name feels like a Cathedral. I’ve been in a few tourist caves but there’s something different about this one. Our tour guide did a great job not only telling us about the beauty and history of the cave, but helped us to imagine one of the caves first explorers and its benefactor Mr, Gurly. If that description doesn’t make you want to visit, here’s this: Legend says there’s a ledge in the cave and if you toss a coin and land it right on the ledge you get your wish. After I tossed my dime I regretted instantly not wishing for a billion instead of a million dollars. I was assured by the tour guide that I could expect my check any day now, so the star review might change depending on how quickly the check rolls in.

  • Cassandra T.
    Jul. 2, 2021

    Monte Sano State Park Campground

    My Staycation Spot

    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.

  • Asher K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Feb. 29, 2020

    Cherokee Rock Village

    Ranger Review: GCI Pod Rocker at Cherokee Rock Village Campground

    Campground Review: Since this is one of my favorite campgrounds I would suggest checking out one of my older reviews for an overview of the whole site. On this trip, we stayed at one of the sites in the central free for all wooded areas. This section of the campground has many spaces and fire pits where you can set up camp any free/flat ground you can find. Normally this would not be my first pick but we got there late on a Friday and most other spots were taken. Overall these sites are still nice but if you can find a space closer to the rocks or the ledge I would highly suggest doing that. We were able to purchase some firewood from the front office and had a very nice night relaxing in our private area. The next day we planned for a full day of climbing and the rocks did not disappoint. Even though there were a ton of people at the crag that weekend we could easily find spots to set up our top ropes and everyone was so friendly. It was such an amazing experience climbing here and by far my favorite in Alabama. There is every type of climbing available from bouldering to top rope to sport. Overall, the earlier you can arrive and claim a spot the better but definitely make a visit to this amazing campground. 

    ............................

    ****Product Review:** **

    As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products while out adventuring. At this campground, I relaxed in the GCI Pod Rocker with sunshade. After using this amazing chair at placed ranging from the beach to the woods some of my favorite features are: 

    1. Rocking: I know it seems obvious to say but it is still an incredible design of this chair. It has built-in shock type devices that allow you to feel like you are in a rocking chair on almost any surface. It works on the beach or on rocky terrain in the woods. I use it on my deck in the summer or on the sidelines of a sports game. It really adds a whole level of relaxation and takes the packable chair to another level. 
    2. Sunshade: This has been one of the features that I thought would be a silly extra but has ended up being one of the most useful parts of the chair. It is designed so that it folds up compactly behind the chair when packed up then locks open and can be adjusted when the chair is set up. The design also allows it to be closed up and moved out of the way when you don't need it. It is just the right size to provide shade for reading a book or taking a nap and the adjustability allows you to move it to wherever the sun is most direct. 
    3. Durability: Although the chair is on the heavier side it is worth it for the durability it provides. The chair is incredibly well built and will stand up to years of use on all kinds of terrain. The folding mechanism is reinforced in several places and all the components and materials are of high quality. This is not a chair you want to take backpacking but any time you only have a short walk it is the best option on the market. 

    Overall, this chair is incredibly comfortable and so well designed. The rocking feature works perfectly and takes the camping chair to a whole new level.

  • Nic S.
    Jul. 11, 2020

    Stevenson Municipal Park

    Quiet camping and fishing

    No bells and whistles just a general spot to set up camp. Grass is mowed and all in all well kept. Water hookups and 220 30amp power and plenty of trash cans. No picnic tables or designated fire/grilling rings so bring your chairs and grill. Close to the Tennessee River and local revisor for fishing boat ramp just up the road. Spots are next to woods and under trees so shade for most the day and fire wood can be found.i brought my 3 German Shepherds and nobody had any issues.


Guide to Guntersville

Tent camping near Guntersville, Alabama, offers a blend of serene nature and convenient amenities, making it an ideal getaway for outdoor enthusiasts.

Local Activities to Enjoy

Tent Camping Prices

  • Some prices for tent camping range from $20 to $30, providing affordable options for a night under the stars at Big Canoe Creek Outfitters.

Amenities for Tent Campers

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Guntersville, AL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Guntersville, AL is Little River Adventure Company with a 4.7-star rating from 9 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Guntersville, AL?

TheDyrt.com has all 12 tent camping locations near Guntersville, AL, with real photos and reviews from campers.