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Best Tent Camping near Gallion, AL

100 Reviews

Tent camping options near Gallion, Alabama include several established sites within a short drive of town. Runaway Branch in Forkland offers basic tent sites with drinking water, picnic tables, toilet facilities, and allows campfires. Lock 5 and Lock 7 campgrounds provide more primitive camping experiences with minimal amenities. Payne Lake Spillway, located near Moundville, offers boat-in access tent sites with the most amenities among the local options.

Facilities at tent campgrounds in this region are generally basic. Runaway Branch and Payne Lake Spillway provide drinking water and toilet facilities, while Lock 5 and Lock 7 lack these amenities. Payne Lake Spillway additionally offers sanitary dump stations. All sites have variable terrain with limited site improvements. Campers should plan to bring essential supplies as services are limited. Most tent sites lack electrical hookups, showers, or trash collection. The campgrounds maintain a natural setting with minimal development appropriate for tent camping.

The tent camping experience in the Gallion area centers around natural surroundings and quiet recreation. Payne Lake Spillway provides access to lake activities and picnicking facilities. The area includes a pavilion with picnic tables, fire pits, and grills near the water. Forest cover provides natural shade at most sites. The boat ramp access makes this location suitable for campers interested in fishing or water activities. Sites generally offer good separation and natural settings. A visitor commented that "The Payne Lake spillway is a nice place to have a picnic and view the lake," though they noted that "no camping is allowed in this area of the campground," indicating designated camping areas are separate from the spillway recreation facilities.

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Best Tent Sites Near Gallion, Alabama (4)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Gallion, AL

100 Reviews of 4 Gallion Campgrounds

  • Hannah C.The Dyrt PRO User
    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
    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

  • Ali Z.
    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.

  • Cat R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 16, 2022

    Sunset RV

    PARKING LOT CAMPING

    We stopped here just for a quick overnight stay on our way to Louisiana. Gravel spots with a concrete slab in front. Definitely just a no frills parking lot with full hookups. No trees, no playground, no pool, no picnic table, no fire ring. There are 2 parking areas. The first area has the office, laundry and bathroom. Our site was 53. Each site faces the one parking next to you! See pictures. But, for 29 dollars a night for full hookups, it's ok.

  • Evelyn R.
    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
    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.The Dyrt PRO User
    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.
    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.The Dyrt PRO User
    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.

Guide to Gallion

Tent camping near Gallion, Alabama offers a chance to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the simplicity of outdoor living. With several options available, campers can find a spot that suits their needs.

Tent campers appreciate these amenities

  • At Lock 7, you'll find a peaceful setting perfect for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle, although amenities are quite basic.
  • Runaway Branch provides drinking water and allows fires, making it a great choice for a cozy camping experience.
  • For a more secluded experience, Payne Lake Spillway offers a quiet environment, ideal for tent campers seeking tranquility.

Affordable options for tent camping

  • Camping at Lock 5 is budget-friendly, making it accessible for those looking to enjoy the outdoors without breaking the bank.
  • Lock 8 offers a no-frills camping experience, perfect for those who want to keep costs low while enjoying nature.
  • At Runaway Branch, you can camp without any reservation fees, allowing for spontaneous outdoor adventures.

Tent campers should check out Runaway Branch

  • Runaway Branch is a well-reviewed spot where pets are allowed, making it a great choice for families traveling with furry friends.
  • The scenic views and the ability to have campfires at Runaway Branch enhance the camping experience, perfect for evening gatherings.
  • With picnic tables available, Runaway Branch is ideal for those who enjoy outdoor meals amidst nature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Gallion, AL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Gallion, AL is Runaway Branch with a 0-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Gallion, AL?

TheDyrt.com has all 4 tent camping locations near Gallion, AL, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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