Best Glamping near Bay Minette, AL

The retreat offers several amenities including showers, laundromat, and gas grills. There are even bouncy houses and playgrounds for the kids.

It's located on the river and they have a pet beach separate so even your dogs can enjoy the water.

The camp manager is nice and very helpful. They are definitely a great asset.

Full service hookups are currently limited as they work on an expansion, but they do have plenty of water/power hookups both off and on the river. There's also a cabin, glamping tents, and a tiny house. There are plenty of shaded spots.

There are a few long term residents who are friendly and welcoming.

I definitely recommend this campground for a fun, relaxing stay.

Campground Review: 

Let me start by saying this is a very large park with a variety of campground options so I will do my best to first review the overall park then discuss each of the sites individually. The park sits alongside the gulf coast and has multiple access points to the beach. It also has an extensive paved trail network that is perfect for all kinds of activities including running, walking, and biking. While visiting the park we biked and explored the butterfly garden which I highly recommend. We also had the chance to visit the pier and the education center and everything is so well organized and taken care of. Overall, there is so much to explore you will definitely need multiple days worth of adventure. There are two major campground areas in the park and I will start by discussing the yurt option. 

There are several yurts that are set up and organized for camping during certain parts of the year that each have 4 cots and a fire pit. There is also a large pump sink and a wild west looking shower in this area. If this option is available I would highly suggest checking it out. It is perfect for groups and provides a nice private area to spend your night away from the more crowded RV sites. This area is also centrally located and remote from the remainder of the park so you will have an incredible view of the night sky. The site is kept very clean and mostly covered in sand so it was wonderful to walk around barefoot. Finally, although you will have to bike or hike to get to these sites there is already firewood available for purchase so you won’t have to carry that in with you. 

The tent/RV area is very large and has a variety of amenities that will make your stay very enjoyable. Overall, it is on the slightly more expensive side for a campground but provides easy access to the beach and is significantly less than many of the nearby hotels. One thing I really liked was that they have created a separate area for tent-only sites from the combined tent/RV spaces. This gives you a slightly more rustic experience if that is what you look for. On top of all the usual features, they have a pool and picnic areas that campground guests can use and don’t forget to stop by the wildlife education center. You can also join in for one of the rangers led educational walks to see wildlife around the park

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**Product Review:** As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I tried out the Morsel Spork XL. After eating several meals using this innovative spork some of my favorite features are: 

1. Length: I got the long-handled spork to be able to use it both for regular campground meals on plates or bowls and also with backpacking meal bags and eating out of cookware which each has its own needs in terms of reachability. However, until I opened the package I didn’t imagine just how long the XL spork was and this was very exciting to see. I haven’t had a camping tool that provides nearly as much reach as the Morsel Spork. Besides the obvious use of reaching to the bottom of a dehydrated backpacking meal bag, the long spork is also incredibly helpful for not burning yourself while cooking in deep pots or stirring large meals without worrying about getting your hands dirty. 
2. Multi-edged spoon: The spork spoon end is designed to have both a rounded edge and a sharp-angled edge both with a flexible rubber edging. This makes it even more multifunctional by allowing it to clean any remaining food out of all types of pots and bowls. I found this was helpful to enjoy every last bit of our delicious camping food and made clean up so much easier. Its such a simple design idea but makes such a huge difference in practice. 
3. Durability: I loved how lightweight the plastic material was but also didn’t ever worry about it snapping or breaking during use or in my backpack. They used a strong but slightly flexible plastic that won’t easily snap in half but also can withstand heavy use in tough foods. We were able to use the spork to cut through hard cheeses and also mix rice dishes. The curved shape of the long handle gives it extra strength and they even designed it to be washed in the dishwasher when you get home. Overall, this is the best spork I have ever used and has even become part of my daily lunchbox. When you use it to eat while camping you can quickly tell the amount of thought that went into engineering each aspect and finding the way to make it not only effective but also last you many years of adventure.

Enjoy taking the grandkids to Jellystone campground in Elberta, Alabama.  Lots to do with their activities,  wagon rides,  group s'mores campfire, fishing, crafts,  super clean restrooms,  well supplied camp store if you forgot something,  wifi, holiday weekends will usually include a inflatable water slide.  Nice pull through sites also.

This park is now a Yogi Bear Jellystone park. It is located in Elberta Al. The sites are gravel and dirt but they are level and very spacious. Great for RVs and large rigs.

It offers a great central location for Gulf Shores, Perdido or Pensacola. They have tons of activities for the kids. (Crafts, hay rides, s'mores and more)

Just a short drive to many attractions including (Old Fort Morgan, USS Alabama, Drum Submarine, Pensacola Air museum, two water parks, Barber Marina and more)

If you are looking for a peaceful setting in a central location. This is the place!

There are many good restaurants - here are some of our favorites. (Reileigh's - best breakfast at the gulf, Wolf Bay, Fisherman's Corner, GT's on the Bay, Perdido Pass Oyster bar, McGuire's in Pensacola.

When you think Alabama this is the kind of beauty you imagine. The water, huge oak and cypress trees, Spanish moss, boardwalks are all lovely to explore. The Civil War history is interesting and the rangers are well-versed in history (I think they have reenactments sometimes). Great hiking trails (all easy, not too long) that are horse friendly (BYOH). There’s a nature center and lots of different ecosystems.

Yay: Campgrounds are shaded in fairly dense forests for good privacy. They have simple campsites to full RV campsites, all have a fire ring and similar atmosphere. There are a few different campgrounds, one is tent only. They also have relatively new camping shelters that get you out of the bugs.

Nay: Close to Mobile so can be crowded. A little expensive for camping. Some areas have just a pit toilet and some have full flush.

Surprise: amazing cruises along the Delta with lots of wildlife viewing and history!! They have sunset cruises, seafood cruises, and seasonal themed cruises. Definitely the highlight of visiting this whole area. Loved the boardwalk.

This was our first visit to Gulf Shores State Park in Alabama.  The check in was as slow as molasses even though they had lots of staff, mostly standing.  Waited in line for 45 minutes with one person ahead of us taking her sweet time to book a future campsite.  Our site was nice, spacious with privacy.  We were worried about the alligators and snakes so kept pups on a short leash.

The beach was beautiful, with sandy white shores and lots of shells.  However, if you have dogs, it's a no-go so they have to stay back at the camp.  They do have a lovely dog park, right on the lake where dogs can run and swim, but the 'do not feed alligators' was a concern.  Locals said they had never seen one in 15 years... so not sure and not sure I want my dog to be the exception.

We enjoyed the friendly, southern hospitality of the town and would definitely return.  I would investigate other dog friendly places in the area.

Blakely State Park is a very large State Park, with different choices for camping. There are larger primitive tent sites, smaller tent sites with power/water hookups, RV sites, two primitive cabins and 2 newer cabins which are very nice. There's TONS of hiking, a battleground for history buffs, a playground, a boatdock, lots of hiking, horseback riding etc.

I stayed in one of the two Squirrels Nest, which are primitive cabins. Basically open air cabins. 2 walls, a roof and 2 walls of screens. There are two wooden platforms for beds. A twin and a queen, and barstools to sit inside and look out into the woods, over the hill in which they are nestled. There's a sink (but no water) and a cabinet, and outside a large deck with bench seating. Below is a fire pit and picnic table. There is a shared porta potty outside of the two cabins. These cabins are a bit of a drive out in the woods, so make sure your vehicle is up to it. It's very peaceful out there. My cabin was inhabited by mice at night, so I kept my food in airtight plastic paint bucket containers & my belongings covered by garbage bags on one of the platforms and had my air mattress inside a pop-up mosquito tent, so the mice did not bother me. I was after all in their house. I sprinkled peppermint oil around my gear & my bed platform to keep the mice away. Next time I will have my food in a large cooler so that the wildlife is not attracted.

There are hiking trails by these sites, as well as, steps down the hill, leading off into another trail.

i would stay there again. Great place to get away.