Are you in need of a campground near Bear Creek, AL? There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Bear Creek, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.
"We got there pretty late (after dark) for setting up camp, and I do not recommend doing that. It's about a quarter of a mile walk to the campsite, but the site is absolutely gorgeous!"
"Located in Northwest Alabama, not far from the Sipsey Wilderness, Dismals Canyon offers an unparalleled camping experience that stands out in the state."
"Campground Review:
Sipsey is one of the real jewels of Alabama for backpacking and you really feel like you are in another world while wandering though these woods."
"Easily accessible to fresh water. Has nice logs around a campfire pit if you plan on having a nice campfire. Plenty of space to set up a tent, or a hammock."
"This particular campsite is located at the intersect of several streams and is a beautiful spot with a large area to set up tents."
"Each individual site has enough privacy while still providing group areas to congregate. On top of that, it is close to several water sources and has some of the most beautiful wildflowers."
"It is a wonderful site and well worth claiming early since it is close to the parking area, has easy access to the river where you can pump water and swim, and best of all it has flat sandy tent spots"
"Check out my other reviews of the wilderness area for a general overview of the backpacking here.
This site, in particular, is one of my favorites to stay at."
"We loaded up all our gear into our hiking cooler and backpacking packs and trekked the 15-20 min downhill to this site. It is the 3rd campsite you pass after turning right at the bridge."
"Make sure to check out my other reviews in the area for a general overview of backpacking in Sipsey. This site is a nice flat well-established campsite off of the main 200 trail."
"Check out my other reviews in the area for a better overview of the hiking in Sipsey. This site has an established fire pit and easy access to (purifiable) water."
"This 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."
ScoutThis is our first visit here. First impressions are that it is a small, quiet park. It turned out to be less than we expected but not total a let down. The drive in and area in and around the park are beautiful scenic areas. We have encountered several trails, a lake, basketball area, pool, and other typical campground facilities. The sites themselves are mostly spacious with rather small camper pads. The green areas around the pads are spacious but mostly in even. We had a hard time finding an area flat enough to put up out tent on level ground. There is a grill, fire ring, and picnic table on each site.
GuideWe tent camped at Piney Point several times last summer. Even in the summer heat, the shade is enough to keep you comfortable. The bathhouse is close to the campsites. The regulars are welcoming, the lake is close by for swimming. We stayed here while kayaking Bear Creek. It was a nice, quiet place to relax.
GuideDuring 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!
TravelerCamped here on Christmas Day 2020. It was very quiet and a little windy. I was the only camper but it’s on a disc golf course so I saw a couple of those guys. I went down to the parking lot so I could sleep in my car and have a fire by the water. It was great and quiet except there are parking lot lights which I didn’t see until they turned on. There are picnic tables, trash cans, and portable toilets. All in all a nice spot. I had Verizon and I think I had two bars of service. There’s also a spot a little east off an unmarked dirt road which was ok and had a fire pit. I checked it out but there was just too much litter and a half eaten deer carcass which I wasn’t vibing with.
GuideWe pulled in with no plans and drove through the whole campground. There are 60 RV spots, pull thru and not, some parking lot style and some a along a creek. There are no trees or bushes between spots, but the whole campground is situated with forest and creek on one side and the Tuscumbia River on the other. We weren't positive what the deal was so we checked in with the host and paid $14 for one night.
Primitive tent spots are right on the river. There are fire pits, trees, and picnic tables sporadically placed. We pitched our tent facing the bluffs along the river and our hammock between two trees. It wasn't crowded and it was pretty quiet (no generators, no music, very family friendly and chill). The grass was cut, and though there were small ant piles everywhere, they really weren't in the way or aggressive. The bath-house is...not awesome. It's exactly what you'd expect for an older, gov-run park, with some spiders and leaky toilets, but toilets and showers are there.
It is a three minute drive into downtown Florence. Most of that is through the park, which is home to a good-sized marina, disc golf course, and (defunct?) driving range. It's super convenient, cheap, and kept up well enough. The view of the water and bluffs is A++, and it's fun to watch the speed boats and river cruises.
LegendOur RV GPS and Waze brought us south from Tishomingo via MS-25 to MS-4 to John Rankin Hwy. It’s a more scenic and narrower road than just taking MS-25 south, but there were no issues. We had made online reservations earlier that day for this Army Corps of Engineers Campground (CG) where we get a 50% discount per night using the National Parks Access Pass. We arrived earlier than 2:00 PM when the check-in gate opens, but there was a sign to go ahead and set up and come back at 2:00 to check-in. As we had our site number, we headed directly to pull through site 9 with water and electric(50/30/20 AMP). This was our third time camping at Whitten and we were delighted to find that they had combined site 8 and 9 into one long site. This site still had the old site amenities, which meant that we had double electric pedestals, water spigots, patio areas with picnic table, standup bbq, and fire pit. We were able to adjust our 5th wheel to avoid the several unlevel areas in this very long pull through. As with most COEs, water pressure was good and the electric worked fine. Whitten CG has a lot of mature trees, so satellite is iffy. We had no north shot for our Starlink. However, we got 2 to 3 bars on Verizon and the Mifi worked well for our needs to include streaming. There’s no WiFi in the CG. Site 9 has water view and does not bump up to other sites, which we found highly desireable. During our first stay in 2019, each loop had a shower house with a washer and dryer that we had used. Our last stay was an overnighter and we didn’t need to do laundry, so we hadn't checked those facilities out. This time we were here for three nights and had planned on doing laundry only to find the doors locked. We asked the camp host about the washers and dryers. He stated that the washers and dryers had been closed during COVID and now they were no long functional and weren't going to be replaced. We again enjoyed the trail system through out the CG and recreation area to walk our dogs. The James L. Whitten Historical Center is interesting to go through. There are several fishing piers as well. We came on a Wednesday and were pretty much by ourselves. Both Thursday and Friday campers started coming in around 11:30 AM filling up the CG. The camp hosts didn’t seem to mind the early arrivals and even opened up the office around noon for a few minutes to accommodate check-ins.
LegendThis 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.
GuideLoved 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
GuideVery 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.
Tent camping near Bear Creek, Alabama offers a blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, perfect for those looking to escape into the wilderness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Bear Creek, AL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Bear Creek, AL is Dismals Canyon Cabins and Primitive Campsites with a 3.4-star rating from 7 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Bear Creek, AL?
TheDyrt.com has all 24 tent camping locations near Bear Creek, AL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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