Best Tent Camping near Arley, AL

Tent campsites dot the Sipsey Wilderness area near Arley, Alabama, offering primitive walk-in tent experiences within the larger Bankhead National Forest. Thompson Creek Trail Campsites and various Sipsey Wilderness backcountry sites provide established tent camping locations with ratings consistently above 4 stars. These primitive tent sites require short hikes from designated trailheads, with most sites accessible via the numbered trail system that includes Trails 200, 203, and 207.

Most tent sites feature simple fire rings with minimal improvements and no designated tent pads. Campers must bring all necessary supplies including water purification equipment, as drinking water access varies by location and season. "The major advantage to backpacking in Sipsey is that there are tons and tons of campgrounds. You hike along the river and almost every quarter mile you come across a set up campground," noted one visitor. Sites are typically situated near streams or the river, providing water access for purification but also creating potential flooding risks during heavy rain periods. Alcohol is permitted at most locations, and pets are allowed on trails and at campsites.

Walk-in tent locations throughout the wilderness area offer varying levels of privacy and terrain. Sites closer to trailheads like Trail 200 Site A tend to be claimed earlier in the day but experience more foot traffic. According to one camper, "If you want an easy access site to a parking area either because you are getting a late start to a backpacking trip or you want to camp near your exit point on your last night, this is a wonderful spot." For greater seclusion, tent campers should continue further along trails to find sites with more privacy. Spring and fall provide the most comfortable camping conditions with fewer insects and moderate temperatures, while summer can be particularly hot and humid. Water levels in streams and rivers fluctuate seasonally, with higher water typically occurring after rainfall events in winter and early spring.

Best Tent Sites Near Arley, Alabama (25)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Arley, AL

246 Reviews of 25 Arley 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.

  • Morgan Z.
    Sep. 7, 2016

    Houston Recreation Area

    Sipsey Wilderness

    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!

  • L
    May. 6, 2023

    Rickwood Caverns State Park Campground

    Great for Beginner Campers

    Rickwood Caverns was the first car camping experience I ever had. My husband and I went sans kids to see if we liked tent camping and test out our gear. We are total beginners. 

    We got there at 5:15 and the shop/office closes at 5pm. There was a sign with a phone number for assistance in late check in. No one answered and our VM was never returned. No big deal. We didn’t have a pass in our car and no one cared or checked.

    The campground is small. Each of the primitive campsites has a fire pit and picnic table. Our table had seen better days and was missing one bench. Somewhere in the vicinity, there was a faucet for washing dishes, etc., but it was surrounded by a giant mud puddle. There’s another faucet area in the parking lot near the bathroom/shower building. 

    We reserved site #17 and there were two other tents pitched nearby. I reserved the site on Alaparks’ website and I think I paid $14/night. The park is gated and locked each evening. It is an old state park and a bit run down. The bathroom/shower building is very old, but it was tidy and I did see someone clean it on Saturday morning.

    We toured the caverns on Saturday at 10am with a small group and enjoyed the tour. Tours are discounted for campers. The tour didn’t include so much geological information as it was about rocks shaped as animals, etc. It would have been cool to learn more about the history and sciency stuff. Something really interesting about the history to me was that the caverns were basically blasted out and excavated by Boy Scouts in the 50s. Seriously. With dynamite. 

    The caverns have steep stairs that can be muddy and wet. Lots and lots of steps, so definitely not an activity for folks with mobility issues. Children might struggle too. 

    The park is kind of near a highway and I could hear cars in the evening and at night. 

    Cell phone reception was fine. 

    Temps were low 50s in overnight and bugs were only an issue around dusk. (This was in late April).

    Because the campground is so small, primitive camping area is close to camper parking lot, so there was a little camper community close by but that didn’t bother us. 

    Rickwood Caverns is a low frills place for tent camping for beginner campers. The caverns might be fun to tour again in December when they have their Christmas lights up.

  • Asher K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 30, 2019

    Sipsey Wilderness Backcountry Site (Trail 203 Site A)

    Closest to the Car

    This campground is the first you pass after coming down the road from the parking area. It is located right at the 203 trail junction near the bridge and along the water. On this trip, it was occupied by a family that had walked down the hill at the same time as us and carried in all their gear in their arms with no packs. This is an ideal site if you need an easy to find a campground that is as close as you can get to the parking area. It is on the smaller size but has a nice firepit and plenty of area to put up at least two tents. It is also high enough off the bank for you to stay dry in case of flooding. One small downside is that to access water you will need to climb down a steep slope or walk around to the bridge slightly down the trail. Another downside is that the trail passes right through the campsite so if you are a late sleeper you may get disturbed in the morning by other hikers passing through. If you are able I would suggest going a little further down the trail and checking out the 2 other nearby sites. Read some of my other reviews from this area for more info about backpacking in Sipsey Wilderness.

  • Thomas H.
    Jan. 10, 2021

    Corinth Recreation Area

    Perfectly Designed for RV Newbies!

    Loved this park! It was our first trip in our new Travel Trailer and it couldn't have gone better. We stayed at Yellow Hammer site #9 easy pull through with plenty of room. Not only did all the sites have amazing scenery but the roads were well maintained. Full hookups and AT & T cellphone coverage good enough for working from Trailer. Verizon cellphone coverage didn't work here. Each site fully equipped with fire ring, picnic table, and lantern poles. Wood available for purchase from host. 

    Beach & Bath houses were closed due to COVID-19

    We spent a lot of time walking with our kids on the trails and riding scooters around the campsite roads. Nature trails were extremely well kept with great views on the water

    Best site is Yellow Hammer #17

  • Anna M.
    Apr. 20, 2025

    Corinth Recreation Area

    It's commercial camping with tons of kids.

    Very expensive, crowded and noisy but what do you expect. The hot water was out in the bath house so no showers. $10/day to enter if you have more than 2 vehicles. Everyone wants to be outside and camping most in large RV's with all the amenities and a dozen loud kids per. This is typical if you are looking for something else you will have to keep looking. Night time quiet hours are not enforced. Spaces are a little closer and tighter than other campgrounds.

  • Michael H.
    May. 21, 2018

    Brushy Lake Recreation Area

    Beautiful park

    Currently there are 2 bathrooms with flush toilets and running water (1 nearest road has cold water showers), 3 covered pavilions with multiple concrete picnic tables. Sites are decently spaced with picnic tables near sites close to water, will need to form your own fire ring with stones. Boat ramp, dump station, and beautiful trees everywhere. There are water moccasins in this area so beware of them.

    Park is currently making an RV area with pads and it is closed while they upgrade.

    Free to camp there at time of review.

  • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 7, 2023

    Quail Creek RV Resort

    Well Run Campground

    We received an email with arrival information, which stated to pick up our site and park information at the shower and laundry facility as you entered the RV Park portion of the golf resort. The information provided a campground(CG) map and our site number. We proceeded to pull through site 25 with FHUs. The site was plenty long enough to situate and disconnect for our two-night stay. Some pull-through reviews stated spacious, and I guess if you rate pad length, that could be accurate, but the sites are close together. The water pressure was excellent, and we really liked the new cedar picnic table. We noticed WiFi transponders throughout the CG. This CG has the most WiFi transponders we’ve ever seen, counting five per row of 20 campsites. The CG WiFi was pretty good, but we put up our Starlink with no problem getting a northern shot. There would not have been a problem with a southern sky shot as well. Soon after we set up, the very nice CG host/manager came by to ensure we didn’t have any issues or questions, which we did not. We got 3 bars on Verizon. The CG is fairly large, with full-time or seasonal leases. They do not have a dog park, but there are plenty of areas to walk your dog. They have dedicated spots for short-term campers. The motel and golf course facilities are adjacent and are located further back on the property. It was nice that there was a separate road to the resort area as the locals drive rapidly to and from the golf course. We played a round of golf and were surprised that the course is not very well maintained, but it does get a lot of play. The CG and the golf course are actually separate entities even though they are co-located. Drove the 15 minutes into Hartselle and were pleasantly surprised by amenities such as the Walmart and especially a very nice, well-stocked Krogers. We enjoyed our stay at this very nice CG.

    Tip: Go left at the stop sign on Mt. Zion Rd from Nat Key Rd when departing the CG! When we departed, heading back towards the interstate, you come to a stop sign. Our RV GPS and Waze wanted us to turn right on Mt. Zion Rd instead of going left as we did when we arrived. We took the right turn, and about the time the trailer swung, we saw the drop-off into the ditch, and the driver’s side wheels went into it, knocking off a snap pad. We stopped at the old country store parking lot at the next turn and checked for damage. Thank goodness we only lost a snap pad.


Guide to Arley

Tent campsites near Arley, Alabama provide primitive camping experiences with varying degrees of access difficulty. The Sipsey Wilderness area within Bankhead National Forest covers approximately 25,000 acres of protected wilderness at elevations ranging from 500 to 1,000 feet. The terrain features sandstone bluffs, hemlock forests, and numerous small waterfalls that become most prominent after rainfall in winter and early spring.

What to do

Waterfall exploration: 1-2 miles from many campsites. Campsites along Thompson Creek Trail offer easy access to multiple waterfalls. "The water is a beautiful turquoise. Most of the campsites have giant moss covered boulders all around, and cliffs in the background opposite the river," reports Aaron S.

Creek swimming: Access points available year-round. Multiple shallow areas provide natural swimming holes near Sipsey Wilderness - Trail 200 Campsites. As Miranda C. notes about Thompson Creek, "The hike in is not difficult. You do have to cross a stream, which was not as difficult for my 6'2 husband as it was for me at 5'2. The water was clear."

Short day hikes: Connected trail system under 5 miles. The numbered trail system allows campers to take day hikes without breaking camp. "We did a backpacking trip with friends here in the middle of the summer and it sure was hot. Luckily though the rivers made for a great way to cool off," explains a visitor to Thompson Creek Trail Campsites.

What campers like

Natural tent pads: Sandy soil at select sites. Sipsey Wilderness Backcountry Site (Trail 207 Site B) features comfortable natural tent areas. "The flat tent areas at this site are mostly covered in sand which means you will have a very comfortable surface to sleep on," notes Asher K.

Multiple site options: Quarter-mile spacing. For campers who prefer choosing between multiple sites, the area provides options. "It has several firepits and is spread out over a large area. Each individual site has enough privacy while still providing group areas to congregate," says Asher K. about Sipsey Wilderness Backcountry Site (Trail 200 Site G).

Turquoise water views: Visible from campsites. The distinctive water color enhances the camping experience. "Water levels tend to be higher during the winter. The water is a beautiful turquoise. Most of the campsites have giant moss covered boulders all around," Aaron S. reports about Thompson Creek Trail.

What you should know

Cell service limitations: Spotty coverage. Most primitive tent camping sites have limited or no cell service. At Owl Creek Horse Camp, "We enjoyed staying here after being out of cell service for a few days at brushy lake, so we were able to catch up and coordinate our next destination," notes Gregg G., who found "2 bars of Verizon 4G LTE" there.

Specific trailhead locations: Recent changes. Some trailheads have been relocated. "The Borden Creek Trailhead where we started our hike used to be down at the bottom of the hill but several years ago they moved the parking to a quarter mile away to help protect some of the areas down by the river," reports a camper.

Tent site popularity timing: Arrive early for preferred sites. Popular sites fill quickly, especially on weekends. "The only downside to this campsite is that you need to get there early if you want to claim it for yourself. It is often full of people when I arrive," warns a visitor to Sipsey Wilderness Backcountry Site (Trail 200 Site G).

Tips for camping with families

Child-friendly sites: Within 1 mile of trailheads. Families with young children should consider sites closest to parking areas. "Me and my 6 year old daughter hiked the trail this past Saturday, July 27, 2019. Had a great time. Definitely be back," shares Jimmy R. about Thompson Creek Trail Campsites.

Water play areas: Safe shallow sections. Several creek areas provide safe play spots for children. "Also lots of shallow places for the kids to play in the water. Watch for snakes and bring bug spray," advises Trinity W.

Wildlife awareness: Snake precautions. Families should be prepared for wildlife encounters, especially during warmer months. "The entire Sipsey Wilderness is gorgeous, but if you want a trail with lots of great spots to camp, this trail is fantastic. Don't expect bathrooms or drinking water to be nearby," notes Trinity W.

Tips from RVers

Potable water access: Year-round availability. For RVers needing to refill water supplies, Owl Creek Horse Camp provides reliable water sources. "Here you can find potable water from the spickets all year long. It is essentially a large field with some very large loblolly pines," explains Gregg G.

Road conditions: Variable access. Access roads can be challenging, especially after rain. "The roads aren't the best but my van made it despite the muddy potholes," reports Dani K. about reaching tent campsites near Arley.

Day use options: $3 fee. RVers unable to reach tent-only areas can pay for day use at more accessible sites and hike in. "Cost is $5 a night or $3 for day use," notes Gregg G. about Owl Creek Horse Camp, making it a good staging area for day hikes to more remote tent campsites.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Arley, AL is Thompson Creek Trail Campsites with a 4.9-star rating from 10 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 25 tent camping locations near Arley, AL, with real photos and reviews from campers.