Best Tent Camping near Equality, AL

Tent camping with family during Hurricane evacuation. Beautiful park, numerous bath houses, laundry, camp store, playgrounds, mini golf, and so much more. Secluded campground with RV and tent sites right on Lake Martin.

I had read about the mill and covered bridge, and we had planned to visit after leaving Cheaha State Park but we didn’t know there was also a campground. I looked for someone to talk with but did not see anyone out and about at 10 am on a Sunday (even though the park was open and many of the sites were occupied). The park itself is open Wednesday – Sunday, 9 am – 5 pm (although the website says 10 am). The admission price for the park listed on the website was $3 but had increased to $5 per person (payment is on the honor system if not staffed). I called later to find out if the camping rates had also increased and yes, they had. There is a choice of primitive tent camping ($15), tent sites with lights ($15), or camper pads ($30); the camper pads are FHU. The sites all appeared to be level and many of them (primarily the tent sites) are on or close to the river. 

The restrooms were dimly lit and not the best but doable. 

Canoe rentals are available (assuming only on days when the park is open) for half days: $5/hour, $15/half day, or $25 for a full day. The entrance sign also advertises disc golf.

Note that there are railroad tracks running through the park, but no trains went by when we visited so not sure how active they are (given our track record with trains and campgrounds, likely one would go thundering through at 3 am!) 

Even though we visited when the park was supposedly open, I could not find anyone to talk to so this review is based on my observations and a follow-up phone call.

Parked late one afternoon to get a driving break in road trip. Tent camping from dusk till dawn was peaceful. Lots of areas to climb though the trails.

Secluded and quiet, but 10 minutes from anything you forgot to bring. Ideal for RV'ing, this place is good for picnics, hiking, or just peaceful reflection. Tent camping is also available.

I am rather new to tent camping so I really appreciated the helpful folks running the camping area.  Each spot had electricity, water, great internet, picnic table and places to build a fire.  Each site is shielded from the next by trees.  Bathrooms and showers are used but clean.  Clear maps available for hiking or biking.  Nice lake with swimming and boating.  Pet friendly.  Could not have asked for more or better.

This place was awful. We pulled into our “camping spot” and pulled right back out. It was packed in like sardines and even if we were not in a pandemic, it was too crowded. Not exactly camping. It’s just a spot on a over crowded lake to park you’re RV. Do not expect to tent camp here. The staff was super helpful and very polite though, which is why I am not giving it one star.

Nice hiking trails here. Mountain biking is also allowed on many of the trails. Trails are along the lake, along the creek, and in the woods. Trail map is well done and helpful. Easy to get to this state park that is not far from interstate hwy I-85 near Auburn, AL. Some pictures attached taken while hiking and sight seeing. Both RV camping and primitive tent camping can be done here. Cabins/cottages can also be rented.

The tent sites are walk in only...guess I missed that bit of info when I reserved. The guy at the gate was nice enough to change us from the furthest site to the closest...with 2 kids in tow I definitely didn't want to carry all the our supplies in! Sadly the sites were infested with ants!! They were everywhere..inside everything and we had to toss food that was in containers...just gave us the jitters! Spray killed many of them but we used an entire can and still had ants!

The bath house and washer/dryer were clean.

Ppl were friendly. The lake wss gorgeous

This is an okay campground but really caters to RVs. There's a whole lot of concrete, perfect for recreational vehicles but not so much for tent or hammock campers. It's more of an RV resort of sorts.

Tent sites are cheap at $5/night but you're limited to only 7 nights. Which probably won't matter to a tent camper here, as I would think being here for that long would be a bit much.

There are a ton of amenities here, including an old softball field turned into a dog park of sorts. There is a nice little lake but that's about it in terms of 'natural' amenities. Okay spot if you just need a place to stay the night but I wouldn't prolong a visit here. Also sort of loud given its close proximity to the train tracks.

Campground Review: My wife and I had the amazing opportunity to stay at Parksland retreat this weekend making our first campground reservation through the Dyrt. Parksland is a beautiful off the grid campground and home that is well cared for and a wonderful experience to stay at. They have set up several areas for guests depending on what your camping preference is. The owners live at the highest point of the property and have an outdoor kitchen surrounded by a garden and chicken coop with woods in every direction. If you are interested in what would typically be considered classic car camping you can stay at one of the many tent sites they have set up around the kitchen area. Many of these sites already have tents set up for you to rent or if you prefer to bring your own tent you can use one of the other available spots. All of the sites in this area are already covered with large industrial tarps so you can stay dry no matter the weather. If you are interested in a more private area they have two more primitive, trail campgrounds a short hike down the hill that each has cleared ground providing space for several tents. On this trip, we had reserved the further, more private and smaller site but ended up staying at the closer site since it was available and more convenient with the weather conditions. 

We arrived at the campground on Saturday around noon and got a tour around from Dustin the owner where he showed us all of the options. We then climbed down the steep hill with all our gear and set up camp before the rain came in. Since the site was relatively large we were able to find the perfect spot for our tree tent. After a quick lunch of grilled cheese, we headed off to explore the hiking around the area. Dustin suggested we take the Ridgeline loop trail and with only a couple of wrong turns, we managed to complete the loop and finish at the swimming hole. Although the water was cold it still felt wonderful and is a much welcome amenity in the hot and humid Alabama weather. Other than the poison ivy (which you can’t really do anything about) the hike was really scenic and a good afternoon trek. Make sure to take the map though cause it helps to make the turns at the right spots. We got back before the rain began so had time to take advantage of the hot shower they have available and cooked dinner by our fire (firewood is provided). We whipped together a wonderful sweet potato and chili combo with recipe inspiration provided by Fresh off the grid. After dinner, we cleaned up around camp, moved everything under our tent, and climbed in for the night. 

Although we were prepared for the rainstorm that we knew was coming overnight we were not prepared for rain inside our tent… We woke up in the middle of the night with puddles on our sleeping bags and a storm raging outside. Luckily we were able to stay warm and relatively dry but woke up intermittently. In the morning with rain still pouring we decided to just trek back up the hill with the gear and load up the car since we were already wet. We packed everything up and headed on home discussing how even with the crazy weather and unfortunate leakiness we had a fun and adventurous time and were glad we went. 

Overall, Dustin was so welcoming and helpful throughout our entire stay and he has created a wonderful oasis that makes a perfect getaway. I highly suggest checking it out. 

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Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to try out new and interesting products at campgrounds I visit. On this trip, I stored all my food in the RovR RollR 60 Cooler to keep it cold and fresh for the weekend. My takeaways from using the durable rolling cooler are:

1. Transportability: Although there are now several rollable rotomolded coolers out on the market none are designed with off-road capabilities like the RovR. With large inflatable tires, I was able to go over steps and rocks, move through waterlogged mud, and glide gently over gravel paths with minimal amounts of effort. The cooler is on the heavier side but this was barely noticeable since it is so much more maneuverable than any of the other options. On top of that, it comes with a collapsible gear bin that attaches to the top proving even more space to keep gear that needs to be moved around. Since this campground required a short but steep hike to get to over fairly rough terrain there was no possible way we were getting any other cooler to and from this campsite but with the RovR it took 1 trip. I was able to roll the cooler down all by myself with most of our cooking gear loaded in the bin on top. My wife could then carry down the tent and clothes and we were able to get camp set up much sooner and get to eating lunch. Although I wouldn’t want to backpack with a piece of gear like this (though you probably could) I can’t imagine a camping situation where the RollR 60 wouldn’t succeed in making food transport easier. I also loved the design feature with the handles on the side since I have a tendency to perpetually hit my heels while pulling things directly behind me. 
2. Temperature Stability: I didn’t get a chance to test this out to an extreme level since we only camped for one night but I did get a general idea of how well this cooler holds its temp. We loaded it up with ice and food on Friday afternoon to save time on Saturday and then unloaded it when we got home on Sunday and about half of the ice was still sitting in the bottom and everything felt like it was coming out of the refrigerator. The ingenious design also features a water runoff area underneath the dry bin so that you don’t have things sitting in a large pool at the bottom. This also ends up surrounding the dry bin with ice cold water turning it into a refrigerator of sorts. 
3. Dry bin: Speaking of the dry bin this is by far the best design I have seen for organizing a cooler yet. It has two deep sections that sit all the way in the lowest part of the cooler as I mentioned earlier. This was so helpful for 2 reasons. First, the items in the dry bin actually stay cold rather than when the dry bin sits at the top of the cooler in the warmest part making you decide whether you would rather have your frozen items in cardboard packaging either soaking in the water at the bottom or fully thawed in the dry bin at the top. The second amazing thing about this dry bin is that it is deep/tall enough to store items that need to stand straight up. We were able to put things like sour cream and open cans of olives and jalapeños without worry about them falling over when the ice melted. Take a look at the picture I included to see just how much it helped with keeping everything organized. 

Overall, this is by far the best high-end cooler I have had a chance to try out. My wife and I found ourselves continuously impressed and excited about how well this cooler was designed and how much fun it was to use. If you are ready to pull the trigger and spend a little bit to get a nice cooler I can’t recommend the RovR more highly.

This is one of the largest campsite areas along the entire Skyway Loop and is the most likely to have easy access to water in the winter months. There are around 4-5 different fire pits and plenty of flat space for at least 5 if not more tents. Make sure to check out my review of Cheaha Falls Campground where I discuss the entire loop and the best times of year to visit. I have been to this campground in both January and March and I would say it is better in the spring time and early summer if you dont mind the crowds and having a little more green cover blocking your views. There is a much higher likelihood of having flowing water that time of year and the temperatures are perfect for hiking. One of the other advantages is getting to see some of the amazing biodiversity we have in Alabama. You can find wild irises, flowering dogwood trees, tons of moss, and even some snakes along the way. And you can continue along from this campground along the ridge in 2 directions to see more of the amazing views. If you have the time I highly suggest making the slightly longer trek to McDill Point to get an open view of the whole area.

Clean and quiet. Great amenities. Get any size rv in the spaces. Tent sights. Very clean bathhouse.

State park. Very pretty and lots of trees. Camp with all amenities (a bit pricey) or with no hook ups. Lots to do. Family oriented. Lots of trees and lots of waterfront lots on the shores of one of Alabamas most beautiful lakes.

Lots of campsites, fishing, pavillions and bath houses. Sites for tents and RV's. Conveniently located near Alexander City in case you forgot anything. Loaded with activities for the whole family, fishing, water sports, hiking, geocaching, or just relaxing in the shade, this place has pretty much everything.

This is a small area for backcountry camping in the Weogufka State Forest. You can park fairly close to the site and there is enough space for a couple of hammocks or a single tent. There are better sites in the area but this one is easy to access and is already established. The hiking in the area is amazing.

We stayed here for one night while traveling through Alabama. Looks like most of the sites are level with concrete parking pads. Many great waterfront sites with lots of big shade trees. No sewer sites, but the bathrooms are centrally located and an easy walk. This campground even has a laundry with pay washer and dryers.