Looking for an adventure where you can explore Gulf Shores and then fall asleep in your tent? Find the best tent camping sites near Gulf Shores. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
Campers must reserve a site via www.nwfwater.com or by calling (850) 539-5999.
This area is available reservation throughout the year for organized youth groups comprised primarily of young people under the age of 18. This group camping area is located near Gulf Breeze, Florida and has direct access to Pensacola Bay for water recreation. The campsite features restrooms, outdoor showers, a picnic shelter, and campfire ring. The Naval Live Oaks Area has over 7.5 miles of trails for campers to explore.
Traveler
Nice and quiet. Good separation between campsites with shade. Bathhouses clean and close to most campsites. Plenty of walking trails. Love the Bird tower and kayak launch. Sandbar near launch to hangout when paddling. Perdido Key state park is close by for great beach access. Free if staying at Big Lagoon.
GuideCampground and beach area as well as bathrooms are in good shape. Camp sites are missing shade trees from hurricanes. Worth a stop👍
Guide
Really nice place to camp for folks who enjoy access to an uncrowded beach. There's a 25$ entrance fee(one time fee for campers)at the gate coming into the Gulf Islands area so not many folks who just want to go to the beach. The sites aren't spectacular(not a lot of shade)but they do have the basics 30/50 Amp service at many sites (campground D is tent/popup specific). Clean bathhouses and well maintained grounds. This was our 1st time visiting in the middle of summer (who knew FL is hot and humid in July) we enjoyed the trip but in the future will make spring and fall for our target dates. Access to beautiful beaches and the sound are minutes away. Fees were 40$ a night at the time of our visit.
ScoutThe staff at 밤의전쟁 are friendly and attentive.
Ranger
If it didn’t have the Gulf weather and bugs and or for that matter, the campers, this would be a five star campground. I sit here writing this review at the pool. I opened my book to read and the lady next to me brought out her Bluetooth speaker to blast music. Last night, a family chowed down on a can of pringles in the pool. Trash everywhere at the fishing docks. My husband went to put our wash in the dryer last night and dryers were filled with abandoned clothing. People have bicycles with horns.
We did make the mistake of coming here during one of the busiest weeks of July, but that doesn’t mean that every campsite should be littered with crazy amounts of gear, despite it being so obviously oppressively hot and muggy that much of it seems unusable. I want to reiterate: the weather is vile but I still can’t imagine bringing fans to plug in OUTSIDE of my camper. The campers next to us have a large trailer, camper bus, a large truck and a golf cart. In one spot. That doesn’t include the bikes, the chairs, the tents, etc.
The actual campsites and facilities are nice. Individual campsites are spacious and level and come with a grill and picnic table. Some site locations are much better situated than others (I would never want to camp along Campground Road - it’s insanely busy with cars and bicycles). It’s great to have a large pool w backside, clean and fairly large laundry facilities, a camp store and an exceptional network of bike trails. There is also a very awesome nature center, several playgrounds, pickleball courts, a boat ramp, and free bicycle rentals! There is ten bathhouses and while only three bathroom and shower stalls each seemed insufficient to me there wasn’t anyone in the bathhouses any time I utilized them. They were super clean and in reasonable proximity to all of the sites in the loop.
The campground, which is massive (500 plus sites) consists of several loops, and is smack dab in the middle of the State Park. Campers get free parking at several beaches in the Park, which we utilized (beach was pretty quiet in the morning). I thought that was a great perk. We didn’t get to bike much between the heat and rain but the trail system looks amazing and there were plenty of staged opportunities for both free and paid bike rentals.
The campground is located right smack dab in between Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, which is ideal if you want to go play some miniature golf or grab a bite to eat.
I think coming off season is probably the best bet - we honestly didn’t even feel like we were in nature when we came and it was so darn humid I didn’t really want to nature anyway! I think the campground would benefit from allowing less vehicles at each spot - from my vantage point, I’m literally staring out at nine trucks for maybe three campers.
GuideWe stayed at spot 448. It was a pull through spot with a good amount of morning and late afternoon shade. Site was somewhat level, maybe about.75” lean on one side. Bathrooms were relatively close, but there was a lack of stalls for how many campsites there are. There is a lack of places to throw trash and the dumpsters are all the way back at the front of the park, it’s quite a drive. Not a lot of street lights throughout the campground made things nice and quiet at night. It was very nice that almost every spot had full hookups. The site had decent Verizon cell service, around 10-20 mbps. The Tmobile service was around the same. Service seemed to be better the closer to the main road you were in the park. The biking trails were amazing, very wide, with a good amount of shade. Lots of activities to do around the park besides the beach. You can walk or bike to the beach, although it's around 2 miles depending on where your spot is. Your parking pass for the campground also provides free parking at various beaches around the park. It’s only about a 15 minute drive to either gulf shores or orange beach for even more things to do. Overall the campground was clean, relatively quiet, right next to the beach, with a ton of activities. Negatives would be how expensive it is, lack of bathroom stalls, and since the park is so massive, it takes a while to get everywhere.
TravelerClean restrooms and nice clean showers,nice big pool,beach nearby
Traveler
Very clean, well kept park. Good space between sites. The only downside I could find was I10 is close enough to be heard. 5 minutes away from battleship park. Plan for a whole day there if you really want to see everything they have to offer. Only an hours drive to the Naval Air Station at Pensacola. Highly recommend the museum there as well as Blue Angels practice viewing.
ScoutPerfect for anyone wanting to have a nice quiet stay near the beach. Can get pretty packed during the busy season though
Legend
Our site was pull thru, all with FHU, great water pressure, gravel sites. Great place to decompress and unwind, in a natural environment. Spacious sites, also saw a nice tent area, several portable potty’s, and a free to use washer and dryer in the Hanger/guest clubhouse , that also has a sink station, picnic tables, and grilling area! Lots of added touches! 3 dog parks, dog washing station, mutt mitts throughout park(which was much appreciated,) a nice playground, tree swing, volleyball area, soccer field, and disc golf. This is our third time here, the first was for the balloon festival, and we stayed in a smaller back-in site, second time was for our granddaughter’s cheer competition, in Orange Beach, and now we are here to kick off the summer with our grand at OWA! The pull through site was partly shady and more than accommodating, with our truck and 40” RV. T-Mobile was ok, but we used our Starlink for work and streaming, which was awesome…no interference. We went to the fireworks at OWA tonight and ate at The Goat and watched the playoffs! The rest of the week will be full of fun at Tropic Falls, and ACC is within minutes of restaurants, stores and beaches!
ScoutThis was a nice spot and was free. You do have to have a reservation. It's a little unlevel and best to back in. Be sure to get a site map, or it will be hard to find.
TravelerThe staff at오피스타 are friendly and attentive.
RangerAwesome state park with incredible facilities. We had reserved a campsite for our camper van, with my elderly parents renting a cabin at lakeside eagle cabins (also part of state park). It wasn’t a feasible option to walk between the two on a regular basis, so we ended up staying with them in their cabin so we could be together. It was phenomenal. New, modern, three bedroom cabin with awesome screen porch. Campground was clean and nice too. Good hiking trails in the park. We would return!
LegendThis is a beautiful state park with lots to do for the kiddos. They have nature trails, a swimming pool, tennis courts, shuffle board and a nature center where you can learn about local wildlife. There are several lakes for fishing. The beach is across the highway from the park, so you have to drive or take the shuttle service - there is a shuttle that runs throughout the park. It is a large park and very spread out. Tons of bathhouses - We did not use so can’t comment on the status. We did see alligators on the nature walk. Super cool. Most of the sites do not have shade, just fyi. the beach had one of those rollout handicap mats so you could get your wheelchair closer to the water. LOVED that!!
GuideThese campgrounds areamazing. We have full hookups, wifi, activity center with pool, tennis courts, horseshoes and volleyball. Great hiking and biking trails.
TravelerWhat can I say? Gulf State Park is the one by which all other parks in the region (NW Florida/Alabama) are to be compared. Everything you want: Hiking, BIKING, access to the beach, fishing, etc. Many sites have shade and a degree of seclusion. 28 or so paved bicycle trails, great Wifi, etc.
Only caveat: Good luck trying to book a site. Takes a pro, or a bot or something. It's rightfully popular.
Scout
They are not calling guests with reservations to let them know that there is no longer free cable or internet. The outside pool is empty and unsafe. They have removed putt putt, basketball, and docks for fishing. Also, the amenities listed, like alcohol and market, do not exist. More lies to get people in. After raising rates and getting really bad feedback, they are now begging people with promos to get them to stay. And don't let them tow your rv because they don't have the truck that they use insured. So if they damage it who pays for it? They can't afford repairs in the park so don't count on them paying for your repairs if it gets damaged. I see no future for this park with the " investment " management company they brought in. More worried about filling their pockets than caring for guests. It's sad that the summer folks will show up and find all of this out and be stuck because all of the other parks will be full for summer. It's companies like this that take the fun out of the rv life. If you want to see for yourself Google REEAF and RVPM. They don't even treat outside investors well.
TravelerThis site's op사이트순위 is soaring with such informative posts.
LegendFort Pickens CG: (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer.)
Overall Rating: 3.5. Most of the campsites do not offer much privacy. Bathrooms and showers look to be poorly cleaned.
Price 2023: $ 20 w interagency pass
Security: Gate w code.
Usage during visit: 90% over the weekend.
Site Privacy: Open sites
Site Spacing: Close
Site surface: Blacktop
Reservations: Required
Campground Noise: Not bad
Road Noise: None
Through Traffic in campground: There can be a little traffic for bayside beach access.
Electric Hookup: Yes
Sewer Hookup: No
Dump Station: Yes. There is one in A Loop . There is also one at the entrance to B,C,D,E Loops
Potable Water Available: At sites
Bathroom: Flush toilets. Unfortunately, the men’s bathrooms have very small seats. Bathrooms seem sanitary, but there is a lot of grime.
Showers: Private. Not all doors lock. They need to be more thoroughly clean.
Cell Service (AT&T): 1-2 bas.
Setting: Open surrounded by dense forest and saw grass prairie.
Recent Weather: Cloudy and dreary w a front moving in.
Host: Yes
Rig Size: Large rigs
Sites: In my opinion A Loop is the best of loops. It is smaller and sits by itself.
Outside sites which have a little extra to offer: C35,C39,C45,A4,A27,A29,A30,A34,A37,
Nicer inside sites: E 14, E 13, E11 E9, E7,
C24, C 22, C 21 , C20, A 24, A26,
Ranger
Cute little beach that wasn’t crowded at all. The water gets deep fast. It’s a nice spot to park and be to your spot with little walking.
Guide
I’ve camped at Mystic Springs numerous times. I book the group site. Very large & spacious. Perfect for a large group or multiple people. Plenty of room for several tents. It has a fire ring, grill, covered structure with 2 picnic tables, a garbage can and a large portapotty. It’s generally very quiet. It’s a gated site so to me it feels more secure. People do walk through the site occasionally but not too often. It’s primitive camping so no power & no potable water. Most sites have water view.
Traveler
Passed through one night stay. Convenient to get to off I-10, shady spot and full hook up. Should have used our own shower, but I like to look around......not good. Code to use the shower wasn't necessary because door wasn't shut and locked, shower was NASTY, but they did provide your own personal brillo pad for cleaning.....Wait, that wasn't a brillo pad!......lol. Walked dogs in the morning to have to retreat back to camper due to pit bull running around off leash. Probably won't be back.
Ranger
Seems newer, close to town but not with all the noise, set far back from the road, clean, really nice pool, great amenities. Reasonably priced. We would visit again
TravelerI know there are new owners but when I pulled in there was no one in the office. They had a lot of long term people with some pretty old rigs. Did not like the place at all and I moved on.
LegendLevel pavement sites. Stayed in C loop. Site are well spaced. Water and electricity at site. Dump station at entrance.
Traveler
Great location, concrete pad, full hook up
GuideThis was our first visit to Gulf Shores State Park in Alabama. The check in was as slow as molasses even though they had lots of staff, mostly standing. Waited in line for 45 minutes with one person ahead of us taking her sweet time to book a future campsite. Our site was nice, spacious with privacy. We were worried about the alligators and snakes so kept pups on a short leash.
The beach was beautiful, with sandy white shores and lots of shells. However, if you have dogs, it's a no-go so they have to stay back at the camp. They do have a lovely dog park, right on the lake where dogs can run and swim, but the 'do not feed alligators' was a concern. Locals said they had never seen one in 15 years... so not sure and not sure I want my dog to be the exception.
We enjoyed the friendly, southern hospitality of the town and would definitely return. I would investigate other dog friendly places in the area.
Camping near Gulf Shores, Alabama, offers a mix of beautiful beaches, outdoor activities, and family-friendly fun. Whether you're pitching a tent or parking an RV, there are plenty of options to enjoy the great outdoors.
Camping near Gulf Shores, Alabama, has something for everyone, from beach lovers to families looking for fun. Just keep these tips in mind to make the most of your outdoor adventure!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Gulf Shores, AL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Gulf Shores, AL is Mystic Springs Recreation Area with a 4.4-star rating from 7 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Gulf Shores, AL?
TheDyrt.com has all 4 tent camping locations near Gulf Shores, AL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
