Looking for the best tent campgrounds near Decatur? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. You're sure to find the perfect campsite for your Alabama tent camping excursion.
Trail 206 snakes through a variety of terrain and passes by two of the Wilderness' better natural attractions – the rock formations known as Eye of the Needle and Ship Rock. Wildflowers adorn the creek-side portions of the trail during the spring. The low-lying sections along Thompson Creek and adjoining Whiteoak Hollow are popular camping areas.
Owl Creek Horse Camp and Trail System offer nearly 25 miles of trails designed for horseback-riding. The trail system starts on Forest Service Road 262 about 7 miles east of Highway 33. Trail riders may choose from loops of varying lengths. The camp provides primitive overnight campsites for trail riders.
We are a small family owned property located in the beautiful flint river in Brownsboro Alabama. We are just 15 minutes from downtown Huntsville. We have three decks with beautiful teepees on them as well as five designated primitive spots. We have canoes available, as well as shuttle service.
$25 - $250 / night
Legend
We got a chance to spend 2 nights up at Monte Sano this fall and had a wonderful trip with some chilly nights. The park is one of the best state-managed campgrounds I have been to and is an amazing place for either tent camping or RV camping. On this visit, they were undergoing serious renovations of one of the RV loops that is closest to the tent area so we ended up having even more privacy and quiet than usual. Although there are no bathroom facilities in the tent area they are a short drive or a couple of minutes walk away and are very nice and well kept. The tent sites are all well established and pretty spaced out. Since we stayed from Saturday to Monday we had the place to ourselves on Sunday night. We also arrived after dark on Saturday but they had a great system in place for getting the gate code and info about the site. We spent the whole day on Sunday hiking the long loop around the park. Since the trails connect to the land trust adjacent to the park you can never run out of areas to explore. I highly recommend visiting Monte Sano for your next camping adventure.
Scout
Tent site... full hookups... plenty of space
Traveler
Super chill and fun. Electric at tent sites for no extra cost. Lake, bathrooms, etc.
Guide
Great if you want to canoe or paddle board while camping. Has a little island not far by canoe. You can’t drive to the tent spots, but there is a parking lot close by. The tent camping is almost never crowded.
Traveler
Tent sites were good. The bath house was over at the day use area so that wasn't convienent. This park could use a little maintenance.
LegendThe drive in is beautiful. Primitive Tent sites feel more secluded even though they are not hike in sites. Still reasonably close to the bathrooms/showers. Good price for camping!
TravelerTent camped here on the water, absolutely no shade since the tornadoes brought all the trees down, even with the water nearby, temps hardly ever went below 85 at night. Poor planning on our part, not their fault. Much better for RVing.
Guide
I arrived without a reservation trying to get one of the first come first serve spots. There is a gate without intercom, so you can’t just drive up. I called the phone number listed and the woman on the phone gave me the gate code and told me which sites were available. Worked out pretty well. Stayed in 22. One bathhouse is open. Another one I tried was locked due to Covid. Clean. Yellohammer sites have full hookup. Then there are tent sites. I was contemplating getting a tent site with my van, but they were pretty unlevel and small. There is a public boat ramp and one specifically for the campground. Water level was still very high in the lake after recent rains and storms.
Scout
This campground is great for families, couples, singles, whatever! Whether you’re tent camping or have an RV this place is for you. The staff is always super friendly and helpful. The restrooms and showers are very clean. 10/10 would recommend. Stayed a couple months ago and going back in September.
GuideGreat location by the water. This extremely crowded on holidays and the bathrooms are a bit of a walk from the tent camping, but if you are up for the walk it’s not terrible. They have a small store which is nice as well and there is a gas station up the road.
TravelerEverything is clean. Rangers are nice folks. Minutes from downtown Huntsville, but you feel very far away. I have tent camped and RV'd here. Enjoyed both. Small campstore with necessities. Firewood for sale. Lots of trails, mainly for mountain bikers but lots of hikers as well. Cool overlooks on some of the trails. Recommend.
ScoutI'm a local and tent camping saves my sanity from a high preassured daily life. When I cant leave to camp I'll set up at a primitive site here for a week at a time. It's a simple space. No picnic tables at primitive sites. It's clean...beautiful....loads of hiking trails...and great food is a 10 min ride down the mountain to Huntsville.
GuideOn 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. Each campsite is well-spaced and the primitive tent camping area is away from the RVs.
You can book all year but be sure to book in advance.
TravelerHoneycomb Campground has it all. Great camping sites with beautiful views on and off the water. Some tent sites and cabins you can reserve to stay in. If you don’t have a camper they have those also that you can rent. They have boat rentals too. Clean bathhouses and a very friendly staff. They have it all.
RangerThe natural beauty in that area is amazing however the camp ground in firefly loop leaves little to be desired and the camp host/hostess are extremely rude. Electric sites are advertised that they accommodate 2 tents however they do not. There is very little area to set up and the gravel is like concrete. There is grass and they don’t tell you a head of time but you can’t set up on the grass unless you are in the tent camping area. It’s is overpriced and poorly staffed.
ScoutI went here for tent camping and had a nice time but it was mostly families with RVs. There is a nice lake where a lot of people were boating as well. I did the firefly loop and I was the only tent camper everyone else was in an RV. Restrooms at the campground were closed due to covid. Also they emailed me the gate code and info to get into the campground but I didn’t see it until after I left. I luckily ran into the campground host and she was able to direct me.
GuideThe tent sites are nicely tucked inside of wooded areas, the RV sites are tightly packed together with little shade. We stayed on site #51 & 52, sites weren’t horrible but there was a lot of trash including random articles of clothing. The bathrooms were not the cleanest but also not the dirtiest. There’s general supplies provided. The park has a lot to offer if you’re looking for more than just a night outdoors. Probably come back in the off season.
Scout
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!
Guide
This is a work in progress as I just added this campground and will review as the days progress! So far, it is reasonably priced. It does require a BCDA permit which is $10 a person to make use of the lake and creeks for a three day permit. The website says the daily rate is $6.
There are RV plots with electric and water hook-ups and tent camping too. We have an Airstream on one site and three tents on another.
A picnic table is available at each site and campfire spots. Our sites overlook the lake and it is lovely so far. Super busy for the July 4 weekend!
LegendThis is an amazing place to camp and hike. Most of the other reviews cover all the wonderful amenities so I will mostly just add my photos from a trip here in the fall. Well worth a several-night stay. I personally like the tent sites but they also have paved RV spaces as well. Make sure to check out their Japanese garden as well. If you complete all the trails in the park you can expand to check out the attached land trust. See maps in my review.
GuideI stayed at site number 063, which was an RV site with electric and water, and it was adjacent to the primitive sites. This campsite had a gravel pad, and setting a tent up outside of the pad was impossible as all of the surrounding area was a steep slope. The pad was plenty big for my one person tent, but I can't imagine anything bigger than a 4 person tent fitting in the area. I definitely recommend the primitive campsites if you're tent camping. The sites in this part of the camp were pretty far apart, and there was plenty of privacy. The park was riddled with trails (22 miles of them), many of which were also open to bikes. The bathhouse was pretty far from site 063, but they were clean.
RangerStaying on tent site #55 power/ close to water spout. Bathhouse really close by nice shady lot. Will try to book this one in the future :) bathhouse was clean considering more people last time I came it was off season and not the weekend was worried it would be too crowded. There are a lot more people in beach area but wasn’t too bad and the campsites are quiet and peaceful. No grill on site. Pool was closed due to corona virus still wanting to check that out.
Traveler
Great hiking trails, amazing cave, helpful & friendly hosts, large clean shower/bathroom building. The showers are in the area for tent camping which is a bit of a hike from RV sites - less than a quarter mile. There's a great climbing wall for kids. If you want a break from the world it's great since internet is spotty & slow: I'm able to write this while on back roads in Georgia but couldn't do it there. The hills & some rain kept the temperature cooler while we were there - also a nice break in June. We would definitely plan to go back if we're anywhere near!
RangerWe got a tent site with power. Great price! Clean park, lake is always a good thing. Lights at camp ground kinda bright, but guess if I needed to go pee that would help lol. Lady working office was pretty nice and helpful. Has a little store can get almost anything you might need. Bath house shower had great hot water with good pressure. Felt safe here that’s important. I’d definitely come back. Probably next weekend lol the beach area had a lot of rocks! Probably due to water level low had to go buy some water shoes, but then it was all good.
RangerThis is a wonderful park that is worth the time and effort to visit. We’ve gone here a few times now as it’s one of our favorites on a hot summer day. The temperature inside the cave stays a cool 62 degrees and the paths through the cave are wide and paved. The tours take about two hours and we’ve never seen it crowded, the guides are very knowledgeable and entertaining. The price to see the cave is $19.00 per person and the tours are started at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00, be sure to go to the office to obtain you tickets before the tour starts.
There is a small campground here that as a limited number of sites with 30 amp electricity, water but no sewer. The sites are not reservable yet so call beforehand for availability. There are also tent camping sites and a bath house for the campground. We like it here and will come again in the future.
TravelerThis campground is a nice quiet campground. They have about 90 spots for you to camp which includes primitive spots. The campground is very shaded with tall pine trees, for most of the day depending on what site you are on. Most sites have very nice views of the water also. Most sites a spacious and have plenty of room behind them. There’s several RV sites right on the water and all tent sites are on the water. The tent sites didn’t look to level to me but there were some places that I saw that wasn’t bad. All the approved sites had water and electric hook ups, concrete picnic tables that were on a slab so that didn’t move. One downside was no grills or fire rings at the sites. However previous campers had makeshift rings out of rocks that were at several sites and you can make your own so fires are permitted. They did have a couple of bathhouses which had only one shower for each gender. They did not have doors going into them. Water was hot but no pressure. There was a huge open grass area were all the kids would gather and play. To use the lake or go to the beach area that was down the road you had to purchase a BCDA permit for ages 16-65. $3 a day or $10 for 3 day for each individual. There is a play ground at the entrance that has a pavilion, and a basketball court. There’s a boat ramp at the entrance as well. The dump station and garbage dumpsters are at least a 1/4 mile from any of the sites. There is no store to purchase things but there is a Dollar General about a mile from the campground if you need something. This campground is a first come first serve and do not take reservations, but if you call the day of you can pay over the phone to ensure you have a spot. The attendant was very friendly and helpful. Overall we enjoyed our stay and will definitely be back.
Traveler
Rickwood Caverns was the first car camping experience I ever had. My husband and I went sans kids to see if we liked tent camping and test out our gear. We are total beginners.
We got there at 5:15 and the shop/office closes at 5pm. There was a sign with a phone number for assistance in late check in. No one answered and our VM was never returned. No big deal. We didn’t have a pass in our car and no one cared or checked.
The campground is small. Each of the primitive campsites has a fire pit and picnic table. Our table had seen better days and was missing one bench. Somewhere in the vicinity, there was a faucet for washing dishes, etc., but it was surrounded by a giant mud puddle. There’s another faucet area in the parking lot near the bathroom/shower building.
We reserved site #17 and there were two other tents pitched nearby. I reserved the site on Alaparks’ website and I think I paid $14/night. The park is gated and locked each evening. It is an old state park and a bit run down. The bathroom/shower building is very old, but it was tidy and I did see someone clean it on Saturday morning.
We toured the caverns on Saturday at 10am with a small group and enjoyed the tour. Tours are discounted for campers. The tour didn’t include so much geological information as it was about rocks shaped as animals, etc. It would have been cool to learn more about the history and sciency stuff. Something really interesting about the history to me was that the caverns were basically blasted out and excavated by Boy Scouts in the 50s. Seriously. With dynamite.
The caverns have steep stairs that can be muddy and wet. Lots and lots of steps, so definitely not an activity for folks with mobility issues. Children might struggle too.
The park is kind of near a highway and I could hear cars in the evening and at night.
Cell phone reception was fine.
Temps were low 50s in overnight and bugs were only an issue around dusk. (This was in late April).
Because the campground is so small, primitive camping area is close to camper parking lot, so there was a little camper community close by but that didn’t bother us.
Rickwood Caverns is a low frills place for tent camping for beginner campers. The caverns might be fun to tour again in December when they have their Christmas lights up.
Tent camping near Decatur, Alabama offers a chance to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the beauty of the surrounding wilderness. With a variety of campgrounds to choose from, you can find the perfect spot for your outdoor adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Decatur, AL is Thompson Creek Trail Campsites with a 4.9-star rating from 10 reviews.
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