Best Tent Camping near Demopolis, AL

Several basic tent campgrounds can be found within 20 miles of Demopolis, Alabama, including Runaway Branch and Lock 5. These primitive tent sites offer basic accommodations in the rural landscape of west-central Alabama. Payne Lake Spillway, located near Moundville, provides an additional option for tent campers seeking water access. These established campgrounds are typically set in forested areas along waterways of the Black Warrior and Tombigbee river system.

Tent camping facilities in the Demopolis area feature minimal amenities. Runaway Branch offers drinking water, allows campfires, and provides picnic tables and toilet facilities. Most sites lack electric hookups, shower facilities, or reservation systems. Lock 5 and Lock 7 are more primitive, with no drinking water or toilet facilities reported. Campers should bring adequate water supplies and be prepared for self-sufficient tent camping. Sites generally do not require permits and operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

The camping experience near Demopolis centers around water recreation and natural surroundings. Payne Lake Spillway offers boat-in access and has received positive reviews for its setting. The area includes fire pits, grills, and picnic facilities that make it suitable for day use and tent camping. Wildlife viewing opportunities exist throughout these natural areas. A camper wrote, "The Payne Lake spillway is a nice place to have a picnic and view the lake." Tent campers should note that specific camping regulations may vary by location, with some areas permitting camping while others may be designated for day use only. For tent-only camping experiences, the primitive nature of these sites offers seclusion and minimal development.

Map showing campgrounds near Demopolis, Alabama

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Best Tent Sites Near Demopolis, Alabama (4)

1. Runaway Branch
1 Review
Demopolis, AL
4 miles
Website
+1 (334) 289-3540
2. Lock 5
Be the first to review!
Gallion, AL
8 miles
Website
+1 (334) 289-3540

3. Lock 7
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Moundville, AL
20 miles
Website
4. Payne Lake Spillway
1 Review
Moundville, AL
34 miles
Website
+1 (205) 926-9765
"The Payne Lake spillway is a nice place to have a picnic and view the lake. There is a pavilion with four picnic tables underneath it and then there are isolated picnic tables around the area."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Demopolis, AL

105 Reviews of 4 Demopolis Campgrounds

Hannah C.
Legend
Oct. 19, 2021
Belmont Park — Black Warrior And Tombigbee Lakes
Secluded and Quiet
This is a great campsite if you want a secluded quiet place with river access. There is a boat launch that leads you straight to the Tombigbee river before it meets the Black Warrior in Demopolis. There are tent sites and each has a picnic table and fire pit. Some sites have water access. There is a bathroom, but no showers. There is also a large pavilion that could be used for events.
Napunani
Legend
Jun. 26, 2023
COE Demopolis Lake Foscue Creek Campground
What a Steal!
PROS

Immaculate grounds throughout the campground. Always saw someone working at it.

Site 49 level concrete pad surrounded by pea gravel, with moveable aluminum table, pedestal BBQ grill, metal fire ring and wooden fish cleaning table.

Bathhouse very clean and in good working condition with soap and TP

Quiet except for occasional train whistle

Sue at gate check in very nice and helpful and then Bill escorted us to our site. What great customer service!

Security gates closed at 10p; open at 6a. No overnight entry.

America the Beautiful Pass discounted the site to$15/night...WHAT A STEAL!

No reservation transaction fee incurred

T-MOBILE 2 bars

CONS

Site numbers painted on asphalt and on electrical box

Roads are narrow in some areas

No park WIFI

Don’t Miss

Barges on the waterway

Smokin’ Jack BBQ in Demopolis

Lower Pool park with the damn and the last lock heading south
Joshua D.
Guide
Apr. 25, 2023
Lenoir Landing
Not perfect but the price is right!
For the price(free) it's not too bad. The primitive toilet definitely doesn't feel like home and it seems the litter bugs abound but it's super quiet and peaceful. Campsites right on the rivers bluff. Laying in my hammock I can look out over the water while listening to the sounds of nature. Small boat launch seems pretty active. The trash bins are full and would benefit from being emptied more often. About half a dozen usable primitive sights that seem to be free and first come first served. No employees, attendants, or camp host have been discovered. There seem to be several campsites that are missing amenities. The usable sites have a parking space, gravel tent pad, picnic table, fire ring and lantern hook. None of the water fountains appear functional so there does not seem to be any running water. There is a nice hammock station installed by Troop 44 which is quite nice. Can't wait to see the sunrise over the Tom Bigbee river in the morning.
Ali Z.
Scout
Jan. 14, 2024
Payne Lake East Side
Hidden Gem Close to Campus
We had a great time visiting Payne Lake this weekend! We stayed at a primitive campsite with a beautiful view of the lake.

My biggest advice is to bring. your. own. firewood. As far as we could tell, there was nowhere at the campground to purchase bundles of firewood, and even the local grocery stores/gas stations weren't stocked with any either. We spent quite a bit of time using a hatchet to cut up down trees to fuel our firepit.

The campground is organized well and we were able to have our pick of campsites (mainly due to the fact that it was 30 degrees the whole weekend). The primitive campsites all had picnic tables and fire pits. Our group also uses hammocks and there were plenty of trees near enough together for hammock hanging.

When we got to the campground, the check in area is quite simple. There is a box with envelopes/forms to fill out that ask for your payment (in cash!), car information, and site number. Once you fill out your information, you simply drive and park at your campsite. As far as we could tell, each site had ample room for parking 2 cars within 15 feet or so. We paid $6 a night for the site, as well as an extra $3 fee/day because of a third car.

The area is quiet and peaceful, and the lake is a beautiful spot to catch the sunrise. On the East Side of the lake, we got a large amount of late afternoon sun, but minimal sunshine until later in the morning. The West Side saw a lot of sun early in the morning.

We got the chance to meet the Camp Host, who was very gracious and also introduced us to his dog, Reecie. He even offered to take our trash out for us!

We took a walk around the entire campground, and it is clear that the West Side of the lake sees more visitors and is generally kept up with more. The blue hiking trail on the East side required quite a bit of bushwhacking and didn't seem to have much upkeep at all. On our hike, we ended up walking the roads of the campsite and seeing the whole grounds.
Evelyn R.
Ranger
Sep. 27, 2018
Forkland Campground
GORGEOUS!
This area was absolutely gorgeous. We took a trip to Alabama a few summers ago to visit family, and decided to do some camping and hiking before we went home. The drive was beautiful. The campground itself is located right next to a lake- Demopolis Lake. We later learned that this lake is actually one of the largest lakes that is on the Black Warrior Tombigbee Waterway. Thought this was a cool fact. It was pretty hot, so having this lake was definitely great. There were tons of people out on the lake fishing, swimming, jet skiing and kayaking. There is a boat ramp too. There is also some really great hiking nearby, which we enjoyed in the morning. The hike we did had some amazing views of the Black Warrior River and McConnico Creek. Nothing like getting to the top of a hike and seeing lakes beneath you! The campground was great, and had everything we needed. There were about 40 campsites total, all set up with water hookups. There is a playground onsite, picnic table area, showers, and laundry! Most campgrounds don't off shower and laundry- so this would be a great place to visit if you plan to stay a few nights/weeks. Just FYI- there are gates which open at 6am and close at 10pm. Loved our stay here, and would definitely come back.
M
Michelle G.
Guide
Apr. 26, 2022
COE Alabama River Lakes Chilatchee Creek Campground
Older but peaceful
Access: very rough road on the short section of dirt. Older area First impressions: old and very minimally kept up Sites: well spaced,clean,big, I would suggest clearing some of the brush and smaller trees for a better water view Bathroom/shower: need updating but extremely clean and well stocked Host: extremely friendly and talkative,very helpful Positives: peaceful, wildlife,great fishing, decent boat ramp,away from big cities Negatives:updating needed, better road going in,clean up the area around the piers maybe replace piers, clean up brush around the sites, clean up the front host site where a camper burned, clean up the old picnic tables around the area that ain’t being used.
L&A C.
Legend
Apr. 30, 2024
Millers Ferry Campground
Great RV Lakeside Park
Third time at Millers Ferry! Water & electric hook ups . Good water pressure, dump station on property. Our site was paved and easily accommodated our 40 ft Rv/ fifth wheel & Dooley. Each site has a fire ring/with top grate to grill, picnic table, shepherd hook.Bathroom clean another one under construction. Nice playground. $1 for washer and dryer. Lots of sites are gravel as well, but level. Lots of people fish-parking for trucks & trailers at water ramp on property. No dog park, but lots of nature walks and paved roads to walk on. Oh yes, Lots of mosquitoes & ants, bring bug spray for a more pleasant stay! Shopping in town about 15-20 minutes away. Several good restaurants. There is a Piggly Wiggly, True Value Hardware, and Dollar stores. Approx 20-30 min to Walmart, next town over. Public lake for swimming, on site, with playground!
Jovee S.
Guide
Dec. 27, 2021
Meridian East-Toomsuba KOA
Decent, Quiet, Nice Views
Full Time Travelers

Stayed here Nov 15-17, 2021.

This place was decent with a beautiful charm. They had all we needed, and ease of access to facilities was great! I will say, it was a tad confusing coming in even with a map. It was dark when we were able to arrive, which might have made it somewhat harder to find our spot. Our site was back in, and pretty tight. (most spots were tight) Once we could see it clearly in the morning, it was evident how little room for error was actually there. Used the pool, (kid insisted) it was clean and nice. Slightly cold being November, but it was great otherwise. For the women's bathroom, it was the nicest bathroom I've seen at a campground. The men's isn't as updated, but still nice. Props for the nice facilities! Laundry included in that. Wifi was pretty good.

One bugaboo was our neighbor's hookup situation. They had their tank hose set up to drain down the side of the hill. Their site and ours was not full hookup. We notified management, and we were told they thought maybe the person was just flushing out new tanks with just water. That it was the person's first, new camper. The person had set up the camper and left it setting there with the hose hooked up as described above. It was unsettling, regardless of the reason. They also didn't seem overly concerned to check it out and remedy.

Overall, it was a good campground to be at for a couple nights. Was glad to have 24 hour access to laundry and access to nice restrooms/showers.
Dan M.
Traveler
Mar. 5, 2022
Chickasaw State Park Campground
CCC Remnants , Chickasaw SP
Small road side park that the state had turned over to the County some years ago.

It only has 3 RV sites and typically offers water and electricity only.

Nothing more than a class "C" should stay.

Tent camping is welcome.

Bathrooms were closed for the season and the water is off due to a leak.

There is a dump station located by the restrooms.

There is WMA property across the road that could be accessed for hiking.