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With over 20 state parks, more inland waterways than any other state, and multiple Appalachian peaks, more and more outdoor lovers are turning to Alabama for adventure. While football is still king in this southern state, tourists enjoy the serenity of Alabama's white sand beaches and the thrill found within its carved canyons. So lace up the boots or grab a paddle – it is time to find camping in Alabama!


Alabama's shores have always been a hot spot for southern beach bums, but with the growing popularity of events like Hangout Festival, Gulf Shores is quickly becoming a bucket list destination for many. Fortunately, coastal camping is a reality in the Heart of Dixie. 


Beach camping can be one of the most challenging experiences of your life, and simultaneously, the most peaceful. Find camping in Alabama along the sandy coastline of Gulf Shores and wake up to the sound of crashing waves. Warm waters and comfortable year-round temperatures make Gulf Shores a desirable stop for locals and visitors alike.


Looking to escape the crowds? Head north to camp primitively or grab a cabin close to Dismals Canyon. Not only will you find waterfalls and natural bridges at Dismals Canyon, but you can also find "dismalites," a rare fly that emits blue-green light in its larval form. Many explorers tour the canyon at night to catch a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse of this natural light show. 


Water lovers might prefer exploring the state by winding through all 631 miles of The Alabama Scenic River Trail instead. As the longest water trail in any single state in the country, this waterway takes paddlers from northeastern Alabama into the Gulf, passing through the heart of the state in the process. With The Dyrt, you can be sure to find the best camping in Alabama along the way.

Alabama

The Best Camping in Alabama | 100+ AL Campgrounds

Are you in need of a campground near Donaldson Mill, AL? Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Donaldson Mill. Find the best campgrounds near Donaldson Mill, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.

Donaldson Mill

The Best Camping Near Donaldson Mill, Alabama

Twin Forks Campground

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.

Thompson Creek Trail Campsites

Sipsey Wilderness Backcountry Site (Trail 200 Site G)

Sipsey Wilderness Backcountry Site (Trail 200 Site H)

Sipsey Wilderness - Trail 200 Campsites

Sipsey Wilderness Backcountry Site (Trail 207 Site B)

Sipsey Wilderness Backcountry Site (Trail 203 Site C)

## Overview

**The Corinth Recreation Area** is a state-of-the art campground located on the on the shores of the upper part of **Lewis Smith Lake** in Winston County. Initially built in the 1960s and renovated in 1998 it offers facilities for individual and group camping, picnicking, swimming, and boat launching. 

**Check-out** time for Corinth is no later than **12:00** pm the day of departure. **Check-in** time is no earlier than **2:00pm**. This 2 hour window allows our staff adequate time to clean and maintain each site.

Two camping loops contain 52 campsites, with electrical, water, and sewer hookups. There are four bathhouses, with warm showers, serving the camping areas. A boat ramp is provided for campers. An entrance station with an electronic gate is available to control access to the campground. Corinth also offers eight rustic tent camping sites with nearby community hydrants and a bathhouse. No garbage bins are in the campground; users are required to pack out trash and deposit it in the dumpsters by the dump station. ADA accessible sites are available. 

The day use portion of the recreation area focuses on the swimming beach, served by a bathhouse with an outdoor beach shower. Twenty-nine family picnic sites are available nearby, and paved access paths connect all. Near the beach is a 100-person group picnic pavilion, with a flush toilet that serves both it and a portion of the picnic sites. A 1.25-mile hiking path is located along the shoreline of the lake. A year-round boat launch is available, with an SST vault toilet; and it has boat/trailer parking. A separate boat launch is available to the campground. 

[Welcome to the Corinth Recreation Area...](https://www.dropbox.com/s/nrcw3icsuj3b26f/Welcome%20to%20The%20Corinth%20Recreation%20Area%20with%20QR%20Codes%20%26%20Map.pdf?dl=0)

**Use the Recreation.gov Mobile App.**

Visitors on-the-go can use the Recreation.gov mobile app to reserve and pay for upcoming stays, reducing the need for on-site transactions and cash handling. Download the Recreation.gov app through the Apple App Store or on Google Play.

[Functionality of the iPhone app available here... ](https://recreationonestopprod.servicenowservices.com/external?id=kb_article&sys_id=e314be5edb5cbf00bbe83a8c7c9619a3&table=&utm_campaign=2020+-5+-+21+Field+Connection+-+May+%232+%28FINAL%29&utm_content=Second+Edition+May+Field+Connection&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Newsletter)

[Functionality of the Android app available here... ](https://recreationonestopprod.servicenowservices.com/external?id=kb_article&sys_id=05d2f3bbdb93730011ac348c7c9619c9&table=&utm_campaign=2020+-5+-+21+Field+Connection+-+May+%232+%28FINAL%29&utm_content=Second+Edition+May+Field+Connection&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Newsletter)

## Recreation

  * Day-use visitors and campers have access to a boat ramp and swim beach. 
  * The lake provides excellent fishing for Kentucky Spotted Bass and Hybrid Striped Bass. 
  * Hikers can access the 1.3-mile Bobwhite Trail. 
  * Interpretive programs are hosted during the summer.



## Facilities

  * All facilities are wheelchair accessible. 
  * Flush toilets, drinking water and showers are offered for both campers and day-use visitors. 
  * The campground offers spacious standard sites with full hookups that can accommodate RVs of any size. 
  * Sites contain paved parking spurs, picnic tables, grills and tent pads. 
  * There is a reservable group picnic shelter that can accommodate up to 100 people, as well as 29 first-come, first-served picnic sites.



## Natural Features

The 180,000+ acre [**Bankhead National Forest**](https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/alabama/about-forest/districts/?cid=fsbdev3_002553) is in northwestern Alabama, and its prominent feature is the [**Sipsey Wilderness**](https://webcam.srs.fs.fed.us/psd/sipsey/) . Known as "The Land of a Thousand Waterfalls," the Sipsey is at the juncture of three separate geologic areas: the Appalachian Plateau, the Cumberland Plateau and the Coastal Plain. The vegetation from these three unique environments blend into a remarkable diversity of species, with overlapping ranges creating many unusual plant associations. The Sipsey is a 12,726 acre area of swift streams, waterfalls, sandstone cliffs, undisturbed gorges, majestic hardwood forests, wildflowers, birds, animals and is home to Alabama's largest tree, a tulip poplar with a 21-foot circumference at its base. 

**Lewis-Smith Lake** (or Smith Lake) is located in the counties of Cullman, Walker and Winston. The 300-foot high dam, completed in 1961 by Alabama Power Company, impounds the **Sipsey** Fork of the **Black Warrior River** to form the lake. Smith Lake has a surface area of 21,200 acres, 500 miles of shoreline, a watershed area of 944 square miles, a retention time of 435 days, and a maximum depth of 264 feet.

[**What's Happening in Your Alabama National Forest Video**](https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/fseprd584698.mp4)

## Nearby Attractions

Four nearby attractions within Bankhead National Forest are: 

  * **The Little Natural Bridge** is the longest rock arch east of the Rockies. It was formed 200 million years ago when the sea washed the sandstone away leaving iron ore veins holding the bridge. In this area thrive 27 varieties of Ferns and a number of Canadian Hemlocks traced to the Ice Age. [Satellite Map of Natural Bridge Park ](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Natural+Bridge+Park/@34.0926803,-87.6315145,14922m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x8887de66f838639f:0xdd606d5ac9735bd!8m2!3d34.0936111!4d-87.6152778)
  * The 19th-century **Pine Torch Church** is one of the oldest churches in Alabama and one of only four surviving log churches. The church is located in the Bankhead Forest in Lawrence County at the intersection of Country Roads 70 and 73 Several online sources say it was built in the 1890s but a sign at the site claims in was built in the 1840s. According to legend, Pine Torch got its name from the pine knots that were set ablaze to light the building after dark. It is made of hand-hewn logs. The original floor, made of hand-hewn poplar planks, was stolen piece-by-piece and was replaced in 1940, according to a historic marker at the site. The original roof was made of hand-split wooden shingles. It was later replaced with tin. Behind the church is a cemetery whose grounds are covered with sand to make maintenance easier. A newer and larger wooden church was built at the back of the property. It is still in use. [Satellite Map of the Pine Torch Church](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pine+Torch+Church/@34.3223133,-87.2981973,3720m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x888819f502b38463:0x4376d4a459b571a1!8m2!3d34.321575!4d-87.2990988)
  * The **Houston Civil War Jail** \- Houston, Alabama served as the first county seat for Winston County. The area known today as Winston County was originally established in 1850 as Hancock County, named after John Hancock, signer of the Declaration of Independence. In 1858 the county was renamed Winston after the first native-born governor of Alabama, John Anthony Winston. Old Houston, located a few miles away from present day Houston, was the first county seat. Citizens voted to move the county seat to present day Houston in the late 1850's and a log jail was constructed at that time. The jail burned during the Civil War and was rebuilt in 1868. The Houston jail was built of hand-hewn logs filled with nails to prevent prisoners from "sawing their way to freedom". The jail held prisoners and provided a site for court. In 1884 the county seat was moved from Houston to present day Double Springs. [Houston Historical Society](http://www.soloso.com/houston/index.html)
  * Discover the **Incredible Variety of Habitats and Birds** in the Bankhead National Forest. [Birding on the Bankhead ](https://www.dropbox.com/s/umt2xty3fzzu2mk/Birding)

Corinth Recreation Area

Boondock Dispersed Camping Alabama

Sipsey Wilderness Backcountry Site (Trail 200 Site J)

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The Best Campgrounds in Mobile, Alabama | AL Camping

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The Best Campgrounds Near Tuscaloosa, AL | AL Camping

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The Best Camping Near Dothan, Alabama

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The Best Camping Near Decatur, Alabama

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The Best Camping Near Madison, Alabama

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The Best Camping Near Bankhead National Forest, Alabama

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The Best Camping Near Conecuh National Forest, Alabama

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The Best Camping Near Talladega National Forest, Alabama

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The Best Camping Near National Forests in Alabama, Alabama

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The Best Camping Near West Point Lake, Alabama

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THE BEST CAMPING NEARDonaldson Mill, Alabama

About Donaldson Mill Camping

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