Best Tent Camping near Clio, AL

I really appreciated having the separate tent area, which always makes for a quieter camp. The sites are right on the water and have a nice breeze. There are a few trees spread about, but definitely not a lot of shade or privacy. But even a holiday weekend, the tent sites were not all full when I went. A bit of a trek to the restroom (but also made the tent site area quieter from the rest of the campground, which is quite large). Has a small swimming area, but was pretty overgrown and not that enticing while I was there. This makes a pretty good camping base to explore Providence Canyon and the even closer George T. Bagby State Park and Kolomoki Mounds. Also, exceptional sunsets from the tent sites as they face west!

Cotton Hill campground was a great pick. Staff-Helpful Location-Ft Gaines, GA Site-97/98 nicely shaded with lake access 20 steps away. Amenities-clean bathrooms, water, electric close by. Site-tent site clean and included bench, prep table, fire ring, park grill, and hooked post to hang food, trash from. Wildlife-deer every morning, bald eagles, kingfishers, huge white and grey herons, alligator.

Recommendations-bring or buy live bait for fishing..none close by. Tent site is crushed/compacted fine gravel and is difficult to get pegs into..bring a hammer and metal pegs. Would definitely come again.

We love this park. There are only a few sites, so even if everything is booked there is not a crowded feeling. The pads are gravel, so if you are tent camping, it can be difficult to get stakes in. The sites are well placed and easy to get into; both the pull through and back in sites. The staff drives through the grounds regularly to check on things and are very pleasant and helpful. The bath house and showers are clean and well maintained. There are several easy hiking trails and the Native American mounds and museum add some interesting history to any camping trip.

My kids and I absolutely loved it here. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We did tent “glamping” so we had electric, water and wifi nearby but still enjoyed our time away from concrete buildings. We had a fire pit, picnic table, and parking to ourselves. The pool came in clutch since it is very humid and hot over there. It was nice, CLEAN and refreshing. My kids are not too big so we had enough space to play backyard games not sure there is enough grassy area for older kids or adults. You can walk around and down to the pond and check out the surroundings for added entertainment. The bathrooms and showers were tidy and clean. I really did love it here and based on my experience here I will be looking at other KOA Journeys to visit. My experience is based on a tent site and I’m fairly new to camping. Hope this helps!

We stopped here for one night on our way from Alabama to Florida and were pleasantly surprised how much we liked this part of southern Alabama and how nice the park was. After a long days drive it was a perfect place to take our dog for a walk to stretch our legs and settle in to a great campsite. The lake adjacent to our campsite made for a beautiful backdrop for our evening campfire. 

Turns out this 2,050-acre park is a hot spot for anglers which cruise the 1,000-acre Lake Jackson looking for hungry fish. The ranger told us the lake is stocked bass, bream, crappie and catfish and holds numerous tournaments. We really liked the setting of the campground with many sites being directly on the lake. Our gravel site was a long back-in right on the water and perfectly level for our RV. The park recently added primitive tent sites which offer more privacy and a nice setting away from RVs. Our campsite was set under large trees and we had nice privacy on one side by the other side had a neighbor pretty close. Luckily for us when we were there the park was not crowded and the lack of campers made for a quiet setting.  (Tip: Site #1 has a great view of the water and set off by itself and is probably the best in the park.) 

For a state park this differs from many in that it has lots of modern features. The 32 RV sites have electric, sewer, water and Wi-Fi and cable! You can even stay for a whole season, if you want. Prices vary widely depending on whether you want a primitive tent site, site on water, or off water. Additional fees of a reservation fee ($4), 3% resort fee, and 12% lodging tax are added to the cost and really add up.

Amenities include a large playground, swim beach, boat launch, laundry, and restrooms with showers. There are miles of hiking trails winding through the woods and a boardwalk that takes you over to trails on an island. You know you are in the south when the swim beach has a sign that says “Beware of alligators and snakes, Swim at your own risk.”

During our stay the park was hosting its annual “Scarecrows in the Park” function.  For this event, walking trails are lined with decorative scarecrows made by local individuals, businesses, organizations and school groups.  The scarecrows and scenes they depict are quite creative but some are a little creepy.

Overall, this is a good place to stay in southern Alabama if you are looking for a nice full hook-up site that is in a pretty setting. The price was on the high side because of all the added fees but it was the perfect location for us to stop on our route.

This review is from an overnight(Harvest Host) point of view versus a destination campground. GPS brought us through Dothan, AL to the campground with no issues. Rosemount is a new campground and we decided to try our first Harvest Host overnighter at this CG as we had recently had our lithium battery setup installed and would have backup power if needed. We had called the day prior to see if they had a Harvest Host spot available and were told yes and the owner explained how it worked. We were asked to call about an hour out, which we did and were warmly greeted by the onsite campground manager upon arrival. They had one other RVer coming in so we were told to pick one of the remaining empty spots. We chose site 7 that had FHUs and 50 AMP service. A requirement of Harvest Host is to make a purchase, but since the campground doesn’t sell anything, they just charge$10 for the night and you can use all of the hookups. From looking at the website, the regular price is$40 for a RV site. The CG has 15 RV sites that have FHUs. This was a newer campground and a work in progress. Our site was fairly level and the utilities were to the rear. The CG was about half full with transient or permanent guests who were very friendly and quiet. The CG is in a country setting with plenty of space that included tent camping(there were none when we were there). There was a restroom/shower house/laundry(2 washers and dryers) facility. The facility was very clean. They also had a covered picnic area and an area with corn hole and horseshoes. There was also a small fenced dog area, but the CG has fields on two sides so we took our two pups there to run. They have WiFi but we did not use it. For the price of$10 this was a good overnighter.

Providence Canyon State Park, Lumpkin, GA

https://gastateparks.org/ProvidenceCanyon 

Providence Canyon State Park is tucked away in the southwest corner of Georgia...but offers a surprising beauty as a result of erosion. As you enter the State Park, it is fairly linear running alongside the roadway. Day use appears to be the high volume. 

Two children’s playgrounds, two picnic pavilions and two restrooms are positioned along the upper rim as you head to the visitor center. The visitor center offers location specific clothing, souvenirs and some snack items...along with additional restrooms. 

Opposite the first playground, on the right side of the roadway when you enter the park is a Methodist church from 1832 and a small pioneer cemetery that offers a realistic view of the hardships faced by these adventurous folks. 

The actual“Georgia Grand Canyon” is barely visible as you make your way to the visitors center. But once you’ve paid the daily use fee($5) and signed in...you can choose the trails you desire to explore. An upper rim trail, fenced by split rail, travels the canyon rim... is easiest and offers a splendid Birdseye view and wonderful photo opportunities.. 

Hiking down into the shallow canyon affords a worthwhile close-up view and nicer photographs (in my opinion) especially with the backdrop of azure skies. Because the canyon and formations are merely sand and clay, they are fragile. As I briefly climb upon my soapbox, the plethora of posted warning signs are not heeded, so violators climb and scramble for their coveted selfies...defacing the natural beauty and causing more damage. While warning signs make threat of prosecution, without consistent or constant enforcement it will continue. 

Once on the canyon floor, you have a few options...but for the best views hang a left and follow the small wooden Canyon 1-5 signs. All the reviews state canyons 4 and 5 are the nicest...and they are...but if you explore the canyons in numerical sequence, each gets better as you go. With fully leafed trees and foliage, viewing is tough in canyons 1-3. Signage is absent as to where the trails end, as past hikers tread further and higher in each canyon. Canyons 4 and 5 offer more prohibitive signage. 

The canyon floor is a mixture of wet and dry sand. In areas a steady stream of water flows. It was dry weather on my visit so I can only assume the water would be deeper during or immediately following rains. During my late October visit, water wasn’t deep enough to enter your hiking shoes. Heed the heat and drinking water warnings during hot days, Little to no breeze in the canyon. 

I did not travel the longer backcountry trail on this visit, so defer to other reviewers comments on its enjoyment.

 Camping: You have two choices...a handful of Backcountry Primitive Camping that require a backpack into the canyon and 3 Pioneer Group Campsites. It’s easy to miss Pioneer Campsites 1& 2, as they are located beyond the gated park and down a two track gravel drive. Unfortunately, from the campsite, the roadway can be seen through the trees and traffic noise is loud when traveling by. During normal sleep hours (midweek) night traffic was sparse, but still disruptive. Because of road construction during my visit, it wasn’t excessive during daylight hours. 

Pioneer 1-3 are essentially group sites designed to accommodate larger camping parties. But for one tent and two people $43.00 was an exorbitant price, especially with merely a pit toilet, two picnic tables and a fire ring...NO electric, NO water. But I’ve found Georgia parks a tad steep in cost in comparison to other State’s parks. 

Interestingly, time zones shift from Eastern at the visitors center to Central Time at Pioneer Campsites 1& 2...so be cognizant of the switch. Pioneer 1 group site boasts a newer pit latrine with a solar spot light for nighttime...and was amply stocked. Previous campers removed the two large picnic tables from beneath the shed style shelter to the campfire ring area. The picnic tables are large and heavy, so without a group present, you won’t be moving them back to their rightful location. 

For a tent camping location...there is negligible flat ground to pitch a tent, but if you are a hammock camper there are plenty of trees. The grounds at Pioneer 1 where strewn with plastic and pop tops, cigarette butts, partially melted plastic ware and snack food wrappers littered the wooded area. Not cool. A lidded plastic garbage can is tethered to the shelter so there is no excuse.

 Pioneer site 2 had a grassy field, flatter area for tents and further down into the canyon past Pioneer site 1. 

Pioneer site 3 is appears to be the coveted group site with ample flat, grassy field for tents, area for parking and a huge shelter. The long winding gravel two-track is also located immediately to the left upon entering the main entrance so you have the“security” of the park’s front gate being locked at 6:00 p.m.(A pavement sensor permits egress if you need to exit, but you won’t be driving back in til morning when they reopen.) 

Overall, if you shared the site as a group, defraying the cost...midweek camping would not be bad. After visiting the canyon for a couple hours, there is not much else to visit in the immediate area, so bring a book. 

Wildlife: you’ll likely hear some owls calling out throughout the night and woodpeckers in early morning. Small yellow finch’s were abundant. Mention of wild hogs in the park as well. 

Final thoughts: A one time camping visit is sufficient for my tastes. Even at half the price, I’m not sure I’d camp here solo. However, I will likely visit the canyon in the future to see possible changes due to further erosion.