Best Tent Camping near Grand Bay, AL

Tent Camping Reviews near Grand Bay, AL

422 Reviews of 7 Grand Bay Campgrounds

• 

  Asher K.

  Legend

  Jun. 27, 2017

  Blakeley State Park Campground

  Educational Trails

  The park is set up on a historic site where they have several trails set up talking about civil war battles that occurred there. They have two separate areas for camping where one is for RVs and tents and the other is the more basic tent only sites. I visited the tent only area which had many many sites and most had a nice amount of space with a good bit of privacy. I was there in June though and it gets really hot during the day and night and also very buggy. If you were here in the fall or winter it could be a great place to camp though. The bathrooms were nice but nothing special. There is a single bathroom for all of the tent sites so if you are far you could have a pretty long walk. The sites are pretty cool to see so if you are a civil war buff it might be worth checking out. The camping is expensive though at $20 a night for the tent sites and $30 for an RV site. People were friendly though and it was one of the nicest places in the area.

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• 

  Karen L.

  Guide

  May. 17, 2018

  Blakeley State Park Campground

  Very large park, hiking, camping, battlegrounds

  Blakely State Park is a very large State Park, with different choices for camping. There are larger primitive tent sites, smaller tent sites with power/water hookups, RV sites, two primitive cabins and 2 newer cabins which are very nice. There's TONS of hiking, a battleground for history buffs, a playground, a boatdock, lots of hiking, horseback riding etc.

  I stayed in one of the two Squirrels Nest, which are primitive cabins. Basically open air cabins. 2 walls, a roof and 2 walls of screens. There are two wooden platforms for beds. A twin and a queen, and barstools to sit inside and look out into the woods, over the hill in which they are nestled. There's a sink (but no water) and a cabinet, and outside a large deck with bench seating. Below is a fire pit and picnic table. There is a shared porta potty outside of the two cabins. These cabins are a bit of a drive out in the woods, so make sure your vehicle is up to it. It's very peaceful out there. My cabin was inhabited by mice at night, so I kept my food in airtight plastic paint bucket containers & my belongings covered by garbage bags on one of the platforms and had my air mattress inside a pop-up mosquito tent, so the mice did not bother me. I was after all in their house. I sprinkled peppermint oil around my gear & my bed platform to keep the mice away. Next time I will have my food in a large cooler so that the wildlife is not attracted.

  There are hiking trails by these sites, as well as, steps down the hill, leading off into another trail.

  i would stay there again. Great place to get away.

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• 

  Lisa S.

  Ranger

  Apr. 5, 2021

  Harper - Blakeley State Park

  Beautiful Well Maintained Huge Park

  April 4, 2021 Camper Van Site: Harper #7 Primitive $20 Over 2,000 acres crisscrossed with trails. Interesting replication of the ghost town of Blakeley which disappeared around 1830, but before then it rivaled Mobile in population and economy. Harper loop, where I camped, is at least a mile into the woods and has no hook ups. The sites have picnic tables and fire rings and offer decent privacy. Bath house is 7 minute walk. My shower was cold. Dumpsters near bath house. Staff house nearby. Staff very pleasant and helpful. Wish I could stay more than two nights.

  RV park closer to entrance.

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  Meghan S.

  Scout

  May. 16, 2018

  Gulf State Park Campground

  Great Spot for Family Fun

  You could stay at this park for your whole trip and not have to leave. There is an awesome pool and splash pad, basketball courts, and boat launch on the property, plus a laundromat and impressive camp store. The restroom facilities are relatively nice and are always air conditioned during the warmer months. The only complaint I have of this park is that there are only 11 tent camping sites. They claim any site can be used for tent camping, but no one in a tent wants to set up on a concrete pad, especially when it is hot! The tent sites they do have are primitive without water or electrical hook ups - it would be nice to have some sites with hook ups. The sites they do have for tents are very shady and clean. They do back up to a swampy canal, but I have never seen any alligators although I am sure they are in there somewhere.

  I would definitely recommend this park for families.

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• 

  Lynn G.

  Ranger

  Sep. 30, 2017

  Blakeley State Park Campground

  Civil war history and beautiful scenery

  When you think Alabama this is the kind of beauty you imagine. The water, huge oak and cypress trees, Spanish moss, boardwalks are all lovely to explore. The Civil War history is interesting and the rangers are well-versed in history (I think they have reenactments sometimes). Great hiking trails (all easy, not too long) that are horse friendly (BYOH). There’s a nature center and lots of different ecosystems.

  Yay: Campgrounds are shaded in fairly dense forests for good privacy. They have simple campsites to full RV campsites, all have a fire ring and similar atmosphere. There are a few different campgrounds, one is tent only. They also have relatively new camping shelters that get you out of the bugs.

  Nay: Close to Mobile so can be crowded. A little expensive for camping. Some areas have just a pit toilet and some have full flush.

  Surprise: amazing cruises along the Delta with lots of wildlife viewing and history!! They have sunset cruises, seafood cruises, and seasonal themed cruises. Definitely the highlight of visiting this whole area. Loved the boardwalk.

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• 

  Sarah C.

  Legend

  May. 27, 2018

  Gulf State Park Campground

  Tent Camper Beware

  I will preface this review with this: if you're an RV camper who enjoys all the amenities then you may very well love this campground. I will also say that the staff were very accommodating when we expressed our concerns and we were able to move to my parent's RV site and pitch our tent there for our four night stay. That being said, I am going to continue my review as it pertains to my experience as a tent camper.

  I've stayed here before and the tent sites, of which there are only 12 (the entire campground has over 500 RV sites, so it's big) have really been neglected. When we arrived to our site it was littered with trash, the lantern post had been run over and was on the ground, there were more fire ants than grains of sand and the small marshy canal that ran through the back of the site was only about 10 feet from the picnic table and frequented by large alligators sunning themselves in the campsite. There was no way, especially with two dogs, that we were going to stay in this site. The campground personnel had us move to another tent site which was just as bad as the first one. We wound up pitching our tent in my parent's RV site where the grounds were actually maintained and landscaped.

  You can rent bikes here, there's also a pool and a cool little nature center. Lot's of amenities available to guests and many of the RV folks are here for weeks upon weeks. It's a short bike ride to the beach and there are many miles of bike/walking paths throughout the park (it's quite large in terms of real estate).

  There is a "dog park" but use at your own risk. My cousin lives a short drive from this spot and passed by frequently, often seeing large alligators sunning themselves on the "dog park" beach. They live in the "pond" that is fenced in as part of the dog area. There have been a few incidents and interactions with dogs and gators.

  The RV sites are quite nice, large concrete pads and picnic tables. Stand up grills and lantern/trash poles (not run over and on the ground). Be aware of the raccoons and other critters that like pilfering through the garbage at night. Some of the sites are on canals which are home to large alligators and they do sun themselves in the sites from time to time. Unlike the heavily wooded tent sites, you can see the reptiles in the RV sites due to the impeccable landscaping in that part of the campground.

  BONUS: We were there during the super moon and it was spectacular!

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• 

  Chirleen E.

  Scout

  May. 13, 2020

  Blakeley State Park Campground

  We love Blakely!

  Great tent campground. Most sites have some privacy but a few are close to neighboring sites. Its a short walk to the bathhouse and tons of hiking trails are nearby. Rates are reasonable, picnic tables, and fire rings at the sites. Our favorite nearby camlground!

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  Kristina M.

  Traveler

  Jan. 23, 2021

  Harper - Blakeley State Park

  Spacious and Historic

  Harper Campground is designed for tent camping, $20 for unimproved and $30 for improved (electricity and water). If you have a $20 site, you have to bum water from one of the $30 sites. The restroom is nice and clean, showers are hot, and dumpsters are close to restrooms, but is a bit of a walk since the campground is so spacious. I rode my bike to use the bathroom. Enough brush to discreetly pop a squat if that’s your style. A small RV or camper van can easily fit in most of the sites. They’re quite spacious and only a couple (17 and 19) had mud pits. Every site is quite flat and clear and has good hammock trees. Sites 20 and up are not very private since the day use people can see right into your camp but otherwise they’re quite private since the shrubs are thick. Lots of cover meant less dew-covered gear in the morning. Each site had a nice wooden picnic table and fire pit. They sell small bundles of wet firewood for $6 a pop online and at the gatehouse so I recommend buying the regular sized dry bundles at the local supermarket a couple minutes down the road. Wildlife was good for birds, and we had an armadillo visit us all 4 nights! The history of the place is also really cool and we did not get any creepy vibes.

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• 

  Asher K.

  Legend

  Jul. 9, 2019

  Gulf State Park Campground

  Ranger Review: Morsel Spork XL at Gulf State Park

  Campground Review: 

  Let me start by saying this is a very large park with a variety of campground options so I will do my best to first review the overall park then discuss each of the sites individually. The park sits alongside the gulf coast and has multiple access points to the beach. It also has an extensive paved trail network that is perfect for all kinds of activities including running, walking, and biking. While visiting the park we biked and explored the butterfly garden which I highly recommend. We also had the chance to visit the pier and the education center and everything is so well organized and taken care of. Overall, there is so much to explore you will definitely need multiple days worth of adventure. There are two major campground areas in the park and I will start by discussing the yurt option. 

  There are several yurts that are set up and organized for camping during certain parts of the year that each have 4 cots and a fire pit. There is also a large pump sink and a wild west looking shower in this area. If this option is available I would highly suggest checking it out. It is perfect for groups and provides a nice private area to spend your night away from the more crowded RV sites. This area is also centrally located and remote from the remainder of the park so you will have an incredible view of the night sky. The site is kept very clean and mostly covered in sand so it was wonderful to walk around barefoot. Finally, although you will have to bike or hike to get to these sites there is already firewood available for purchase so you won’t have to carry that in with you. 

  The tent/RV area is very large and has a variety of amenities that will make your stay very enjoyable. Overall, it is on the slightly more expensive side for a campground but provides easy access to the beach and is significantly less than many of the nearby hotels. One thing I really liked was that they have created a separate area for tent-only sites from the combined tent/RV spaces. This gives you a slightly more rustic experience if that is what you look for. On top of all the usual features, they have a pool and picnic areas that campground guests can use and don’t forget to stop by the wildlife education center. You can also join in for one of the rangers led educational walks to see wildlife around the park

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  **Product Review:** As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I tried out the Morsel Spork XL. After eating several meals using this innovative spork some of my favorite features are: 

  1. Length: I got the long-handled spork to be able to use it both for regular campground meals on plates or bowls and also with backpacking meal bags and eating out of cookware which each has its own needs in terms of reachability. However, until I opened the package I didn’t imagine just how long the XL spork was and this was very exciting to see. I haven’t had a camping tool that provides nearly as much reach as the Morsel Spork. Besides the obvious use of reaching to the bottom of a dehydrated backpacking meal bag, the long spork is also incredibly helpful for not burning yourself while cooking in deep pots or stirring large meals without worrying about getting your hands dirty. 
  2. Multi-edged spoon: The spork spoon end is designed to have both a rounded edge and a sharp-angled edge both with a flexible rubber edging. This makes it even more multifunctional by allowing it to clean any remaining food out of all types of pots and bowls. I found this was helpful to enjoy every last bit of our delicious camping food and made clean up so much easier. Its such a simple design idea but makes such a huge difference in practice. 
  3. Durability: I loved how lightweight the plastic material was but also didn’t ever worry about it snapping or breaking during use or in my backpack. They used a strong but slightly flexible plastic that won’t easily snap in half but also can withstand heavy use in tough foods. We were able to use the spork to cut through hard cheeses and also mix rice dishes. The curved shape of the long handle gives it extra strength and they even designed it to be washed in the dishwasher when you get home. Overall, this is the best spork I have ever used and has even become part of my daily lunchbox. When you use it to eat while camping you can quickly tell the amount of thought that went into engineering each aspect and finding the way to make it not only effective but also last you many years of adventure.

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