Bankhead National Forest is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Bankhead National Forest. Discover great camping spots near Bankhead National Forest, reviewed by campers like you.
$18 - $50 / night
"Wonderful and huge site with easy access to the bathhouse. The bathhouse itself was extraordinarily clean. Our hosts were fantastic and helpful providing maps and reasonably priced ice and firewood."
"This is a great campground which puts you near all the magic of the Sipsey Wilderness Area in the Bankhead National Forest."
$24 - $75 / night
"As an adult, it's been fun to return and spend time actually camping in the Bankhead National Forest."
"Dont plan on playing in the lake unless you get the outer side of the loop. It's good that the waterfront sites are not reservable in that you have a chance at something."
"I really enjoy backpacking Bankhead National Forest. We camped about 1 mile in at an existing fire ring. Beautiful water color!! Cool trees and rock formations."
"The entire Sipsey Wilderness is gorgeous, but if you want a trail with lots of great spots to camp, this trail is fantastic."
"Great spot, close to stores and a lot of trails and such. Nice level clear spot, able to accommodate an overland or few tents setup. Close to the main road."
"A previous camper had left behind some kindling, which was cool. Ended up having a little cell reception with T Mobile."
"if you can get there quick enough there are some pretty good spots to camp and it's free not to mention right down the road from some of the best hiking trails I have ever seen open year round"
$45 - $79 / night
"This is a great little campground tucked away on the edge of Bankhead National Forest. The location of the campground makes it an excellent location to enjoy the numerous waterfall hikes in the area."
"Stayed here on an overnight while driving through the state. Great site tucked in the woods, very private area. Huge field with little light pollution to stargaze. Very friendly host. Would Recommend."
"During my time in Alabama, I kept hearing wonderful things about Sipsey Wilderness, and its many waterfalls, rocky landscapes, and great hikes."
"Close to waterways. The campground is medium sized, dense forests surround the campsites. The amenities are pretty standard."
"This RV park is right on a lake, but a bit away from anything else. If you have any sort of boat, kayak, paddle board, bring it! There is hiking about an hour away at the Bankhead National Forest."
"No fenced in dog park but plenty of space to have one. Right on the lake but unaware of any kind of rentals available nearby— closest rentals are 40 mins away on the opposite side of the lake."
"It has several waterfalls nearby, is close enough to the river for easy water access, and is secluded from many other sites."
"On top of that, it is close to several water sources and has some of the most beautiful wildflowers."
TravelerThis is a great little campground tucked away on the edge of Bankhead National Forest. The location of the campground makes it an excellent location to enjoy the numerous waterfall hikes in the area. The campground was laid out well with spacious gravel sites and full hookups. Sites 2-4 had good views of the pond/field, sites 10-15 backed up to the tree line to provide a little shade all other sites had full sun. The camp host was super friendly and helpful. They have a general store, laundry, bathhouse, and small dog park. The campground has hiking trails on the property if you don’t have time to visit Bankhead NF. If you’re in the area or wanting to spend time in Bankhead NF I’d recommend checking this campground out.
TravelerThis place was AMAZING. Wonderful and huge site with easy access to the bathhouse. The bathhouse itself was extraordinarily clean. Our hosts were fantastic and helpful providing maps and reasonably priced ice and firewood. Ease of access to nearby Bankhead National Forest. Beautiful spot and we can’t wait to come back!
GuideI really enjoy backpacking Bankhead National Forest. We camped about 1 mile in at an existing fire ring. Beautiful water color!! Cool trees and rock formations.
GuideThe 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, but if you're looking to really get away from it all and do some primitive camping, this is a great place to go. You'll find fire pits at most of the sites that previous campers have made, but that's about it. Most of the time, except during dry spells, there are LOTS of waterfalls. Also lots of shallow places for the kids to play in the water. Watch for snakes and bring bug spray. If you want a good campground in Bankhead National Forest near Sipsey that is more modern with a bathhouse, picnic tables, etc, try Brushy Lake. But this trail is perfect for primitive camping.
GuideI believe this campground is known as the Wolfpen Hunt Camp on the Bankhead National Forest website. This was basically a forest road with dispersed camping. If there are toilets and water we never saw them. Just off the main road there is a loop and people were camping in the clearing of the loop. We drove further down the forest road and found a clearing near the dead end and set up camp. It was lovely and peaceful but no amenities at all. It is free though and no issues with other people.
GuideThis is a great campground which puts you near all the magic of the Sipsey Wilderness Area in the Bankhead National Forest. We last camped here in May 2020 on Yellowhammer 21 and there was a bit of a sewer smell in that area when it’s hot, so beware of that, but otherwise the campground is great. The trails in the nearby Sipsey are just amazing. If you go hiking, make sure you have AllTrails with a downloadable trail map before you leave the campsite, because there is not great cell service on most trails, and it’s easy to get turned around in some places. They also sell a waterproof Cart-o-Craft map in the stores nearby that can be super helpful.
Ranger**Corinth Recreation Area– USFS **
Corinth Recreation area is located near the town of Double Springs, Alabama. The area is operated and maintained by the United State Forest Service (USFS) and can be reserved through www.recreation.gov. There are 52 total sites here and most reserved on line, there are a few sites only available as walk ins. This area is very clean and really quiet at night, the campgrounds are near the lakes edge but not lakeside. The sites are very well maintained, paved and gravel with full services including sewer. There are two RV campgrounds, Firefly and Yellowhammer. We stayed at Yellowhammer as this had more shaded sites than Firefly. There’s also a few tent only sites between the two loops. The bathrooms were clean and the staff was pleasant during our visit, we stayed five days and found so much to see near by the campground. There is very nice boat ramp on the park for easy access to Smith Lake, the beach area is also a great asset. Clean with a well-marked swimming area with bathrooms near the beach area.
The Houston Jail (http://soloso.com/houston/) was a few miles away, this is the only surviving jail constructed from logs in 1818. It’s a historical landmark and worth the short drive to go and see.
Natural Bridge Park (https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/alabama/natural-bridge-al/) is located in Natural Bridge, Alabama is also nearby. This rock formation is the longest sandstone natural rock bridge east of the Rocky Mountains. It’s a good hike through well marked trails and there is a small gift shop that also sells refreshments.
Dismals Canyon (https://www.dismalscanyon.com/) is thirty miles from the campground near the town of Phil Campbell, Alabama. This natural formation will make you question if you are really in Alabama. The hike is a good way to spend the day in a shaded but humid natural wonder. You can also attend a night hike to see the dismalites that only reside in a few places in the world.
The Bankhead National Forest surrounds the entire area. The forest is huge and trying to visit the area waterfalls and trails without a plan is not recommended. Take the time to study the area maps and map the accessible roads before heading out. We actually stopped by the NSFS Office to ask for information, there was also a large map of the area there you can take a picture of that will help you with your planning.
We had a wonderful time here at Corinth, we especially liked the campground and the deer that would come out to graze every evening. This coupled with the fireflies really made this stay memorable, we’ll be back.
GuideThis RV park is right on a lake, but a bit away from anything else. If you have any sort of boat, kayak, paddle board, bring it! There is hiking about an hour away at the Bankhead National Forest.
You can pick your spot when you arrive. I like that.
A and B sections are the original sections. C section is brand new with 50 amps hookup. All the big rigs there.
I was on C74 with a great backyard overlooking the hills.
Bathhouse is brand new and squeaky clean. You can see that almost no-one uses the campground shower because one of them doesn’t have a curtain to separate your dry clothes from the water. And neither of them have a caddy or any spot where you can put your soap.
Pool was not open when I was here in April which was a shame. It was hot enough. I would have enjoyed a swim, especially so we there is not much else to do. I don’t have a boat yet. 🙁
A decent Thousand Trails campground.
I had no reception with Verizon but my AT&T hotspot had good reception.
LegendThis site is one of the furthest along this section of trail and is nice since it is one of the larger spaces in this area. Like all the other campsites it has easy access to water and nice coverage with trees. It is also relatively private but still close to the trail. Check out my video review for more specifics about this site.
Sipsey Wilderness is a protected but unmaintained area in Northwest Alabama that is well known for its intersecting creeks, streams, and rivers that play together with the many waterfalls and magical rock faces. The wilderness area is contained within the larger Bankhead National Forest and is accessible from a variety of different trailheads many of which are only reachable on dirt roads. Hiking here you definitely get the feeling that you have left the rest of the world behind and are in complete wilderness. Different times of year provide completely different experiences whether its the exciting and boundless blooms of spring, the overgrown wild of summer, the bold and expansive colors of fall, or the high river levels and easy boating access of winter. Just make sure to always do your research and plan ahead since it can change so drastically depending on when you go. My favorite is either fall or spring since the summer can be particularly hot and buggy.
This trip we had planned to kayak down the river from the Sipsey River Trailhead to the Highway 33 Bridge take out but were thwarted by a recent lack of heavy rain and unusually low river levels for the season. Several sites online suggested over 4 feet gauge height would be fine but after talking to the Rangers we were told the only time that it was really navigable was in the winter or fall for a couple of days after a major rainfall. With that plan out the window, we decided instead to throw some packs in the car and move our gear around to make it a semi backpacking/hiking trip.
Discover the perfect spots for pets-allowed camping near Bankhead National Forest in Alabama, where you and your furry friends can enjoy the great outdoors together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Bankhead National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Bankhead National Forest is Corinth Recreation Area with a 4.2-star rating from 26 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Bankhead National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 79 dog-friendly camping locations near Bankhead National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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