Kathy M.
Traveler
TravelerCullman Campground
Small quiet campground
Bathrooms are great! Wifi is great! Spots all have a picnics table. Small grassy areas between spots. Highly recommend
Best Campgrounds near Owens Cross Roads, AL
The camping landscape around Owens Cross Roads, Alabama encompasses several state parks and recreational areas offering tent, RV, and cabin accommodations. Monte Sano State Park Campground, located on a mountain plateau near Huntsville, provides nearly 100 campsites with varying levels of amenities, including primitive tent sites and full-hookup RV spots. Lake Guntersville State Park Campground, approximately 20 miles to the southeast, features waterfront camping opportunities with boat-in access points. The region includes a mix of public parks and private facilities such as Honeycomb Campground and Ditto Landing City Campground, providing diverse camping experiences.
Many campgrounds in the North Alabama region require reservations, particularly during summer and fall weekends when facilities often reach capacity. Monte Sano State Park's elevated location provides cooler temperatures than the surrounding areas, with shady wooded sites that help mitigate summer heat. Most established campgrounds offer water and electric hookups, while some provide full sewer connections. Cell phone coverage varies across the region, with better service typically available at campgrounds closer to Huntsville. Trail access and nature viewing opportunities are abundant throughout the area's parks. One camper noted that "Monte Sano State Park has so much to do you could easily spend an extended time there and not be bored, unless you want to be."
Campers consistently mention the hiking opportunities as a standout feature of the region's campgrounds. Monte Sano State Park contains numerous hiking trails ranging from moderate to challenging, with interesting rock formations and scenic overlooks. The relatively close proximity to Huntsville provides convenient access to urban amenities while maintaining a natural setting. Several visitors appreciate the spacious, shaded campsites available at many of the established campgrounds. Tent campers can find dedicated primitive camping areas at Monte Sano that are separated from RV sections, providing a more secluded experience. A camper shared that "As a female I LOVE the staff and feel safe camping and hiking the trails throughout the park solo and with my dogs." The mixed-use campgrounds in the region typically maintain clean facilities with regular maintenance of bathhouses and common areas.
Best Camping Sites Near Owens Cross Roads, Alabama (108)
1. Monte Sano State Park Campground
78 ReviewsBrownsboro, AL11 milesWebsite+1 (256) 534-6589$14 - $30 / night
"This site backs up to a draw and each evening just before dust we could watch the deer walk up through. The bathhouse is centrally located, newer, and cleaned daily."
"On top of Monte Sano in the woods and a world away from the town -- although it's close by. So many trails to run or walk and a playground for the kiddos. This has primitive camping as well as W/E/S."
2. Lake Guntersville State Park Campground
43 ReviewsGuntersville, AL19 milesWebsite+1 (256) 571-5455"This is a nice state park in a small town in north Alabama. The lake is really pretty and the campground has a nice view of it."
"Although the furthest away from a bathhouse, we truly enjoyed this site. It’s “pick your own” and we picked the site next to Seals hiking trail along the water."
3. Honeycomb Campground
19 ReviewsGrant, AL12 milesWebsite+1 (256) 582-9884"There are few places in Alabama that RVers can camp on a pristine Lake Front. Honeycome Campground is located on Lake Guntersville; AL."
"Stayed at site 74 lakeside, plenty of room. Great site"
4. Cathedral Caverns State Park Campground
18 ReviewsWoodville, AL13 milesWebsite+1 (256) 728-8193$14 / night
"If you are looking for a Cave experience in Norh Alabama that little kids can handle, this is it."
"state employees live fulltime within walking distance of the campsites."
5. Redstone Arsenal RV Park & Campground
7 ReviewsHuntsville, AL13 milesWebsite+1 (256) 876-4868"We exited off on 14A to gate 9 where we went through the gate and then did a u-turn to take us back down past the golf course to the CG. We had no problem doing the u-turn with our 40' fifth wheel."
"You must have access to military base to use. They have Laundry. Showers and bath. Full hook up. No trees for shade. Very hot. Needs mowed and more cleaning."
6. Ditto Landing City Campground
5 ReviewsLaceys Spring, AL6 milesWebsite+1 (256) 882-1057$19 - $22 / night
"A short walk to the Tennessee River."
7. Little Mountain Marina Resort
9 ReviewsGrant, AL18 milesWebsite+1 (256) 582-8211"I don’t like how you can’t pick your spot and you just have to drive around until you find one you like. My kids love the pools and the indoor pool is awesome during colder months. My kids love that."
8. TGL Adventures
2 ReviewsBrownsboro, AL11 miles+1 (256) 693-3693$25 - $250 / night
"We ended up fishing til daylight because the river was physically only 10 steps from our tents. The campsite had just enough light to be able to see go get to the restroom and showers."
9. Mountain Breeze RV Park
1 ReviewLaceys Spring, AL10 milesWebsite+1 (256) 498-2571"Very nice host, plenty of space close to Huntsville. Stayed on my way to Florida and decided to stay again on my way back. Was easily able to squeeze a 37 foot travel trailer in."
10. Jones Farm RV Park
1 ReviewNew Hope, AL10 milesWebsite+1 (256) 640-1382"Let me tell you a little something about the jones farm rv park, if your looking for a peaceful location for yourself or family for a short or long period of time this is exactly the place for you!"
Recent Camping Photos near Owens Cross Roads, AL
211 Photos of 108 Owens Cross Roads Campgrounds
Asher K.
Painted Bluff Dispersed Campground - PERMANENTLY CLOSED
Jason P.
TGL Adventures
Asher K.
Monte Sano State Park Campground
Dwight L.
Honeycomb Campground
Gloria G.
Easter Posey MWR Military - Redstone Arsenal
Britton E.
Cathedral Caverns State Park Campground
Mary L.
River Ridge Retreat Guntersville
Dwight L.
Little Mountain Marina Resort
Greg H.
Lake Guntersville State Park Campground
Stan D.
Somerville Park
Amy B.
South Sauty Creek Resort
Lori H.
Goose Pond Colony Resort Campground
Recent Reviews near Owens Cross Roads, AL
624 Reviews of 108 Owens Cross Roads Campgrounds
Noam P.TravelerNoccalula Falls Campground
Nice new place
New campground all new, staff very helpful and easy. Near big water fall and nice trailers with stunning views of the waterfall and spring. Grate for family with kids cause some more activities around.
Kelsey P.TravelerMonte Sano State Park Campground
Beautiful Park - 0 concern for safety
I’ll start with the good- BEAUTIFUL state park. Tons of trails. A hikers dream. Playground for kids and lots of trails throughout. The sites are well shaded, have good cell service, and are pretty spacious. The first row of sites when you come straight in and to the right side all back up towards a road that goes to a planetarium but I can count on both hands how many people and cars are want down it in the week we were there. I think the privacy of theses sites is the best and still a good distance to bathrooms. To get to the campground it can be difficult with how you are going uphill so be mindful. There is a camp store that sells pricy wood and essentials but it’s convenient. A single washer and dryer were in the bathrooms for $1.50 and $1 but the washer leaked badly the entire time even not in use. Bathrooms are probably some of the worst I’ve used. It smelled of rotten eggs to the point you couldn’t be in more than a few minutes without feeling sick and I never saw or noticed them cleaned in the week we were there. Dead bugs on the counter and they were on the Texas chainsaw inspired curtains on the showers too. Not unusable but a cleaning would be nice.
Now for the bad- during our stay we pretty much had no one in most of the sites around us besides a man that was in the site behind us for a few days and a family across from us. We saw him go through the site across from us and steal an armful of items while the family was gone from the site. He noticed us and said “you snooze you lose” and it was WEIRD. I’ve never once seen someone steal from another persons site before. We reported it to the camp office right away and they did not care. We told the family when they got back and they went to the office and got the same reaction. Even after the family was back at their site, the man moved his chair to just watch the family and their young children for what felt like hours. Maybe myself and the parents at the other site just always happened to see him staring but it was extremely weird and uncomfortable especially with small children around. The family reported it to the hosts and different workers in the office and to park rangers and had to call several more times voicing concerns before they went to the police directly the next day. It’s frustrating that the host, park office, or park rangers had no concern for this and not a single person even spoke to him about this. To allow someone to steal from another site and be okay with it is beyond disappointing. I’ve never seen this happen in all the years I’ve camped, but I would expect someone with the camp to do ANYTHING. We didn’t feel comfortable to leave our site again after that out of fear he would steal from us too and nothing would be done.
The park is beautiful but the safety concerns outweigh that. We should be able to enjoy the campground and not be worried that none of the staff will help if something goes wrong
Byron S.
GuideRedstone Arsenal RV Park & Campground
Redstone Arsenal Rv
I stayed at the newer site near gate 8. The MWR staff (Kyle) was very nice and helped me with some issues I had originally,. The grounds are very well maintained and all the sites are pass through and paved. Each site is vey large and well planned. Full hook ups. Internet is nonexistent in most of the park but my Starlink worked great and cell coverage is good. The commisary is large and there are a lot of activities to do on and off base. There are a lot of military contractors staying there and shuffle around to stay there all year. My main complaint is the bathrooms or lack of. There is only 1 shower and 2 toilets for over 90+ sites. They are run down and trash on floors, dirt, bugs were never cleaned up while I stayed there (trash in cans were always over flowing).The laundry room is older but worked well enough. There are miles of paved walking and bike trails. There are some good food trucks at gate 7 daily at lunch time. The other older RV site is around 10 miles East next to the water(looked run down and mostly long term people. Overall I enjoyed the stay but they should at a minimum clean the bathrooms daily.
MickandKarla W.
LegendValley Fort RV Park & Storage
Newer Campground
We called ahead the day of arrival and got a reservation for an overnight stay. We received an email with information and bath/laundry code along with instructions to proceed directly to pull-through site 36 with full hookups. There are various ways from I-65 to get to this campground (CG); we came in on I-565E to Mooresville Rd which provided straightforward big-rig friendly access with no tight turns. Our gravel pull-through site was mostly level, and other sites, especially those on the upper level, also appeared level. The park appears newer with functional gravel sites, some with small concrete patio areas, though sites can be somewhat close together and there is little shade. There was no picnic table nor fire pit at our site, which was fine for an overnighter. Water pressure was decent and we got 2 bars on Verizon and 2 bars on T-Mobile. Occupants were mainly full-timers and transient workers, but the park was quiet and decently maintained without appearing overly junky. A nice centrally located bathhouse and small but clean laundry facility are available. Highlights for us were the large fenced dog park, easy self-check-in process, convenient overnight layout for big rigs, and proximity to Buc-ee’s, making this a solid quick stop when traveling through the Athens area.
River C.
ScoutRiverchase MHP/RV Park
Located in Scottsboro Alabama @ Riverchase RV/MH-Park
Riverchase RV Park in Scottsboro, AL offers spacious lots just minutes from the Tennessee River, known for great fishing. Enjoy a peaceful, friendly atmosphere close to the city— perfect for both short stays and long-term RV living.
- AAntuan W.Scout
Mountain Lakes Resort
Mountain RV Resort
It was a beautiful place, building were a little old but they have a indoor pool, outdoor pool, showers, bathroom, eating restaurant, store, playground and other amenities. The people are very friendly and helpful.
- Byron S.Guide
Ditto Landing City Campground
Nice RV for a night
Sure was level, has water, sewer, electric. They will pick up the trash daily. Wash house is on opposite end of site at the marina. Worth the daily rate
- MMickey K.Traveler
Monte Sano State Park Campground
Mante Sano
A state campground with electric water and sewer. Very peaceful very quiet. Great trails.
Guide to Owens Cross Roads
Camping near Owens Cross Roads, Alabama sits at elevations ranging from 600-1,100 feet, creating distinct microclimates throughout the region. The proximity to Tennessee River waterways provides water recreation options within 20-30 minutes of most camping areas. Fall brings temperature variations of 15-20°F between mountain plateau campgrounds and valley locations.
What to do
Hiking technical trails: Monte Sano State Park offers challenging hiking paths with rock formations. One visitor shared, "These are not your easy day hike trails, though it is possible to take it easy. The problem being when you look at the map and read the names you can't help but go check out the trails! Good, technical hiking, bring your sticks and bug stuff."
Cave exploration: Cathedral Caverns State Park Campground features one of the region's most impressive cave systems. "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," reports one camper who visited with his son.
Water sports access: Lake Guntersville provides extensive water recreation opportunities. A camper at Lake Guntersville State Park Campground noted, "Right on the banks of Guntersville lake which has great fishing and watersports."
What campers like
Mountain plateau camping: Cooler temperatures at higher elevations make Monte Sano popular during hot months. A frequent visitor explained, "Monte Sano State Park is conveniently situated right next to Huntsville, Al. So you can feel as if your out in the middle of nowhere and town is 10 minutes down the road."
Secluded tent areas: Many campgrounds offer dedicated spaces for tent campers. At Cathedral Caverns State Park Campground, "There is a primitive tent area... 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."
Waterfront access: Multiple camping options provide direct water access. One visitor to Honeycomb Campground shared, "Our site was spacious and right on the lake. The beach was very nice and the staff was beyond helpful."
What you should know
Limited cell service: Connectivity varies significantly between campgrounds. A camper at TGL Adventures noted the campsite had "just enough light to be able to see go get to the restroom and showers" but limited connectivity.
Reservation timing: Summer weekends require advance booking, with some campgrounds filling 2-3 months ahead for peak season. At Lake Guntersville State Park, one visitor suggested, "Book in advance, water sites are hard to come by in the summer!"
Weather considerations: The elevated terrain creates variable conditions. A camper at Cathedral Caverns mentioned that a ranger "verified that I had registered at the camp, informed me that it might rain that night, and wished us a good evening."
Tips for camping with families
Kid-friendly activities: Several campgrounds offer dedicated recreation for children. At Little Mountain Marina Resort, "My kids love the pools and the indoor pool is awesome during colder months... Overall it's a fun place to go if you have kids."
Playground access: Multiple campsites include play areas. A visitor reported, "There are cool little wooden play obstacles for the kids in the campground and a huge playground 1/2 mile away inside the park" at Monte Sano State Park.
Educational opportunities: The region offers learning experiences through natural features. TGL Adventures provides easy river access where families can "splash around" with "steps to take down to the river."
Tips from RVers
Site selection strategy: RVers recommend considering solar exposure and spacing. At Honeycomb Campground, campers note, "This campsite had beautiful waterfront lots but many of the interior sites were full of long term RVs who have personalized their lots to the extreme."
Hookup considerations: Not all campgrounds offer full connections. One RVer at Ditto Landing City Campground mentioned, "There is no sewer hookup which would be fine if the dump station worked."
Access routes: Some areas require navigation planning. At Cathedral Caverns, a camper advised that the sites 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."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Owens Cross Roads, AL?
What camping is available near Owens Cross Roads, AL?
According to TheDyrt.com, Owens Cross Roads, AL offers a wide range of camping options, with 108 campgrounds and RV parks near Owens Cross Roads, AL and 3 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Owens Cross Roads, AL?
Which is the most popular campground near Owens Cross Roads, AL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Owens Cross Roads, AL is Monte Sano State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 78 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Owens Cross Roads, AL?
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Owens Cross Roads, AL?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 3 free dispersed camping spots near Owens Cross Roads, AL.
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