Best Cabin Camping near Cherokee, AL

My husband and I went on our first camper trip here. It was breathtakingly beautiful! They have a rope course, water activities/rentals, cabins, rv/camper/tent sites waterside, and more. We fished feet from our camper off of the bank. They have a tie-down for animals, fire pit (with grill), all the hook ups for the rv/campers, and even gave us free food upon arrival. It was a perfect getaway for just the 2 of us, but we plan to bring our children next time!

Located in Northwest Alabama, not far from the Sipsey Wilderness, Dismals Canyon offers an unparalleled camping experience that stands out in the state. While it may lean toward the higher end in terms of cost, the memories you create during a special weekend getaway here are absolutely worth it. During our most recent visit, we chose to stay in one of the cozy cabins, but the campgrounds also present an excellent lodging option. These cabins feature a generously sized kitchen, a warm and inviting living room complete with a fireplace, and two comfortable bedrooms. Outside, there are ample spaces perfect for relaxation and al fresco dining. The campgrounds are situated just across the street from the rest of the park and require a short stroll to reach. They offer a variety of camping choices, each with its unique appeal. For more detailed information about these options, you can refer to their website. A standout experience during our stay was embarking on the night hike the first evening we arrived. This adventure allowed us to explore the canyon in the darkness before immersing ourselves in its beauty during daylight hours. We were fortunate enough to enjoy a private tour on a Friday night and were treated to a mesmerizing display of glow worms, which call this canyon home. While the trails within Dismals Canyon may not be particularly lengthy, you'll find yourself utterly captivated by the allure of the surroundings. Be sure to allocate a full day to fully explore and lose yourself in the canyon's enchantment. In summary, Dismals Canyon delivers a camping experience like no other in Northwest Alabama, close to the Sipsey Wilderness. Whether you opt for the cozy cabins or the campgrounds, you'll be treated to a remarkable getaway. Don't pass up the opportunity to embark on a night hike to witness the canyon's beauty illuminated by the glow worms. With its captivating charm, Dismals Canyon guarantees cherished memories.

Smaller campground especially for a KOA, friendly staff, good fishing and beautiful view from our cabin, which was awesome. Was a little disappointed with thier services though….. paid $10/hr extra for early arrival but when we got to the cabin the cleaning people were still there then they almost backed into our car after we waited 5/10mins for them to get done, the water was not turned on, so we had to contact the front desk and they had to send someone out to do so, then when they turned it on the the outside connection was shooting water out even though it worked inside, about an hour later someone came to fix it but needed to turn the water off while it was being fixed. I feel like all of this should have been done prior to our arrival! There was hair in the shower, so obviously it was not cleaned or they would have known about the water problem as well. Not too much to do for kids, but good place for an adult getaway.

We stayed at two cabins at Elliot Branch in August with some friends.  It is a short drive to Bear Creek if you want to kayak or canoe, but the cabins are on lakefront property and you can just jump in!  

The cabins are clean and quiet.  They have a full kitchen, bathroom, and ours slept two in a double bed, but there is room in the living area for cots or sleeping on the couch if you wanted.  The couches are huge, and the cabins have cable.  WiFi is also available, though it is slow.

The campsites are also nice.  We drove through the area, scouting out where we want to tent camp in the future.

We camped in campground #2 in lot 85, my sister camped in 84 right beside us and my parents rented a cabin. It was super nice, campsites were very nice, bathrooms and showers were clean, the cabin was very nice and enough room for 8 people. The camp host was very nice and helpful, the waterfalls were gorgeous! They recently opened Crockett Tubing we had so much fun the whole family got to go! We will definitely continue this 4th of July family tradition!!!!

great campsite. wonderful place to kayak. clean bath house and cabins available. poor cell phone service and slow WiFi

Pickwick Landing offers boating, fishing, hiking, golf course. Cabins, campsites and Inn w restaurant. Activities offered all year round. We love this park.

Very friendly people, beautiful setting, very clean cabin, peaceful and so nice to watch the sunset and sunrise from the beautiful shoreline in the screen porch

Excellent campsite. We stay at the primitive campsites but they do have small cabins that you can stay in. They have restrooms and showers if you need them. The staff is super friendly and we always have a great time.

When I woke in the early morning, the breeze coming in from the cabin patio felt wonderful.  The views made me feel as if I was in a coffee commercial.  haha  I took a walk to the office and had a cup of amazing coffee after.  Yes, I believed I was in the commercial... haha But seriously, we had a great time!  Its above what I expected of a KOA actually.  Will be returning soon.

Another Mississippi State Park that has so much potential, but has been neglected. The bath house is nice, but most of the sites are extremely close together. Laundry facility’s and vending machines can be found in the bathroom.

The cove with sites 10-24 seem to be the better spots in my personal opinion. The sites on the water are nice (43,45,47).

They do have cabins for rent along with a lodge and a Marina on site. Most people that camp here are coming for the lake. This is a popular place during the summer.

We like the rustic campground here! Nice new bathhouse and playground area. They sell firewood! I do wish the campground was on the river or had water views, but it’s close by, so that’s okay.

There is a nice lodge with restaurant. The cabins here are extremely nice! They have views of the Tennessee River. Be sure to check out the wildlife rehab near the front office.

There are a few stores and restaurants close by in case you want to go out to eat if need to make a trip to the store.

We love Tennessee State Parks!

This park is smack in the middle of Memphis, Huntsville, and Nashville so it can get pretty crowded. It is very large though, with a full golf course, hotels, cabins, RV/tent camping, sports, kids programs, swimming, fishing, boating, etc. We went here for a family reunion, which was a great venue for that. There is good birding but the trails are very short, so if you are looking for hiking this is not the best place to go, though it is very pretty.

Yay: Campground is wooded and shady, clean but bustling.

Nay: There’s a conference center, so if there’s an event going on then, it will be extremely busy.

Surprise: There are a lot of roads in the park that would be great for biking.

Great place for camping on the river!! Clean and friendly. Kayak and canoe rentals on site.

This campground is perfect for a weekend getaway. Being right by water and soaking in the tranquility of this campground is the recharge anyone needs heading back to the real world. We enjoy being close to conveniences, but far enough away to unplug and unwind.

Beautiful park. Nice & clean with recent updates to the bath house. The park is nice & quiet if you’re looking for some relaxation. If you like to fish then you’ll love Pickwick. The fishing is great! They have boat rentals but it’s too expensive in my opinion. The lodge has a delicious buffet if you get there while it’s fresh. The biggest negative is the sites are not level. Some are pretty bad. But they are spacious and are almost all shade.

We camped in Campground #1 and had a great time at this beautiful state park! The clear creek to play in is gorgeous! The park had so much to offer. Lots of hiking trails, covered bridge, fishing lake w/boat & kayak rentals plus a beautiful waterfall that is great for sunsets! The bathhouse was a bit far from our campsite, but it was new and had private showers!! (Our favorites!)

We also explored the downtown square and then drove out to Amish country. We had the best time driving from house to house to purchase different goodies.

Small, but nice state park. Has a small lake and dock for fishing, paddling, etc... They have rentals on site. Has a few miles of decent flat trails, all of which are young kid friendly. Pool and restaurant were closed due to COVID so check that before you go. Both campsites are good, lots of shade, not too close to each other. Campground 1 has lots of sites next to the creek that runs through the park. Creek is great for wading and catching crayfish. Campground 2 is newer and "nicer" but not next to the creek. Very well maintained state park.

We camped here for a weekend. There are actually 2 different campgrounds. We stayed at the one with with electric hook ups. The campsite also had a fire pit, lantern pole, and picnic bench. The sites are spacious and not too close together. The bathhouse was very clean. The showers are separate but in the same building. They are a little outdated but had a good water pressure. There is also a little check in booth where you can purchase firewood, ice, and other little things. From the campground you can start hike a 2.8 mile loop on the water. We also stopped at the lodge for dinner one night. It was very nice and the food was good. If you wanna do anything in the water, we saw a sign for a kayak and boat rental. If you bring your own, the park has a nice marina. If you don't feel like cooking, there are nice places around to check out. The dam is very impressive and we saw a lot of people fishing. The park has something for everybody to do and we enjoyed out weekend here.

ONE OF THE BEST STATE PARKS IN ALABAMA GREAT TRAILS LARGE RV SITES GREAT STAFF AND GREAT EVENTS PLENTY OF WILDLIFE RUNNING AROUND

Ended up at this location after a crappy night in Alabama. It was very clean nice location. Very nice Mississippi State Park Campground. All the staff were very friendly and Gary was a great guy that we chatted with for a bit after checking in. Restrooms were clean and air conditioned. Family type campgrounds with friendly happy campers. We will be back a lot more in the future.

Loved it as a kid and still love it today! This is a great spot located in Northern Alabama just east of Florence on the Tennessee River. This is a good spot for exploring some of the cool spots in the area including the musical landmark of Muscle Shoals.

There are improved and primitive sites available, depending on what your looking for. Primitive sites are simple and improved sites come in all shapes and sizes (i.e. some have sewer, some are 50 amp, 30 amp, etc.). While the improved sites cater to RVs, they are nice for tents as well. The campground is full of great trees if you're hoping to sling a hammock for your stay.

There's a store and a nice boat launch readily accessible. Be sure to get a site right on the water if you can. Here's a map to help! http://www.alapark.com/sites/alapark.com/files/JoeWheelerStateParkCampgroundMap.pdf

PROS 

We were able to reserve 368 days prior to arrival 

Very friendly and helpful check-in clerk 

Fantastic view of the lake from site 45 

Mostly quiet except for campground party animals until 3am! 

Concrete parking pad 

BBQ grill 

Fire ring constructed of concrete pavers 

Coin-operated washers/dryers in shower/toilet facility 

Small playground, pool and mini-golf course 

Good jumping off point for Shiloh Battlefield 

CONS 

Campsite 45 was full of litter…cigarettes butts, bones, bottle caps, pieces of chalk, straws, melted soda bottles…just nasty 

Fire ring made of concrete pavers full of ash and trash upon arrival…again nasty Pedestal BBQ grill full of trash and ash upon arrival…more nastiness 

Campers ignored basic rules/courtesy/respect such as keeping dogs on leash and walking through occupied campsites at anytime. One camper walking through our site complained to us our chairs on our site were in THEIR way. 

No senior discount 

Narrow site 

Site 45 not level 

Site 45 mostly fun sun 

Basically we didn't experience any of the campground rules being enforced so obviously there is no management oversight at this State Park 

Never saw a park ranger drive through the campground (Saturday-Monday) 

Never saw a camp host or a campsite for a camp host

Campground quiet hours not enforced 

Posted "No Swimming” from campsites along lake, but that didn’t stop a sole and no one enforced it 

Concrete picnic table at end of parking pad, so at the bumper of the camper 

Sites very close to each other with no vegetation between sites, so no privacy what so ever 

Street lights throughout campground, so not dark sky friendly 

Small playground, pool and mini-golf course not walkable from campground 

Trash dumpsters outside of campground…not walkable 

Twisty, steep and narrow roadway into campsite...not for novice rig drivers

Due to short campsites, tow vehicles had to be creative with parking, sometimes blocking most of the campground road, again no enforcement efforts

No WiFi 

1 bar Verizon

Clean campground, bathrooms were clean with plenty of warm water. They have vending machine, washer/dryer on site. They also have small playground at entrance and small area of mini golf.

We stayed on campsite #55. It was back away from the water but we had a clear view to the water. Beautiful park.