Best Glamping near Hayden, AL

So many things are fantastic about this place. It’s close to the interstate (easy to get to), is mostly surrounded with water (and there are big swings to sit and enjoy the water views), has 3 clean pools (one an infinity pool) and an amazing splash pad, has a laundry, hosts are super friendly and upbeat, it’s clean, showers and restrooms are air conditioned, well lit and clean, well behaved pets are allowed. It would be especially fantastic for folks that are traveling with small children (up to young teens) or with no children. The only thing that we wished for were bigger sites. The sites around the water are very large and beautiful, so I’m referring to the interior ones. Ours would have been narrow for a pop up (all other RVs there were conventional hard sided self contained ones), except that the host put us in one with another empty one next to it (see how thoughtful and accommodating they are!) The gate is locked after 8pm, but you can get a key for a deposit of $10, which you get back when you leave. This means it is pretty secure at night. Lots of folks come and stay for several days, and return year after year, but ours was just an overnight, on our way home from the beach. We have a very good impression of this place.

My 3 kids and I pitched a tent at the camp ground and then took a dip in the lake. Lake was a short walk from our tent, we stayed an hour and all enjoyed the refreshing water. Beach area was not crowded but me most enjoyed the doc where my kids could jump off. I swam as well and loved it. View of the mountains was very nice. 

We cooked dinner at our tent and scored a spot very close to the bath house which included a utility closet with a sink for cleaning dishes, etc. Tent site was well marked and orderly. Including a fire pit with grill attachment. Beautiful canopy of trees making for great shade. Beautiful evening, very quiet and orderly.

Enjoyed cooking breakfast the next morning followed by hiking and a trip to Peavine Falls. Very nice and highly recommended.

Staffing at Oak Mtn was great. Plenty of folks patrolling and looking after the camping community ☀️⛺️

PROS 

Senior discount 

Reserved 363 days prior to arriving 

Very friendly check in staff H

Huge park…very nicely landscaped and neatly mowed 

Quiet 

Regularly saw ranger driving through campground 

A30 level site and nearly full shade coverage 

Moveable wooden and metal picnic table 

Metal fire pit with cooking grate 

Campfire wood for sale at park office 

Don’t miss the TREE TOP NATURE TRAIL! 

Good food at The Grille at Oak Mountain State Park inside the Pro Shop at The Oaks Golf Course 

All major shopping and eateries just beyond the park boundaries in Pelham, Hoover and Birmingham 

CONS

$5 reservation fee for making my own on-line reservation 

Street lights throughout campground 

Toilet/shower facility heavily used which badly needs updating 

Campground trash dumpsters are beyond the campground gate…not walkable 

Poor signage upon entering Park. We stopped at the first building on the right, as it was marked RANGER OFFICE with a large, rig-friendly parking area, but it was not a check-in for campers. Then we went through another gate on the main roadway and it wasn’t the campground check-in either. Campground directional signs after we got through that gate. Glad we didn’t arrive in the dark! 

Limited and very tight rig parking at campground gate check-in 

No notice by park on the south entrance roadwork and roundabout construction...horribly tight to maneuver... recommend North entrance/exit until construction is completed…that’s how we departed. 

Never saw a camp host 

No WiFi 

2 bars Verizon

We spent the weekend in site A59 with two tents and three people. It is a nice, level site with plenty of room for everything we needed. Most tent sites in the campground have cinder block retaining walls build in that make the sites level and are very convenient for setting up your kitchen area.  The picnic table was old, but large and quite serviceable. There was a sturdy fire ring with grill at every site. NOTE: ALL tent sites in this campground are considered walk-in only, meaning that you can't drive right into the site with your car. Some are closer to the road than others, and it is hard to tell this from map. A59 was maybe 75 yards uphill from the parking spot on the road. Not a problem for us to carry our gear up, but it might be for some. We really liked this site because it backed up to the woods and was nice and shaded. Other tent sites were visible, but not close enough to feel crowded at all.

Check in was easy. You do not have to pay the park entrance fee if you are camping over night. Maps are available at the store. Staff was very nice and friendly. Firewood is available for $8 a bundle, but it was green and would not burn. I will take the propane fire pit next time.

The bath house was fine. Not luxurious, but not bad at all. As always, take your own toilet tissue - better safe than sorry. The bath house was warm and cozy, the toilets worked, and there was hot water (very hot) and soap. The hand dryer in the men's side was broken. As far as COVID precautions, there is a sign asking that only one person go in the bath house at a time, but that is not really practical, so a mask is a good idea.

The activities in the park are fantastic. We hiked for 5 hours and never had to cover the same ground. Views are glorious. There are dozens of other things to do, also. The kayakers seemed to be having a great time, as did the mountain bikers. People are friendly here. Lots of dogs, all responsibly leashed.

I arrived without a reservation trying to get one of the first come first serve spots. There is a gate without intercom, so you can’t just drive up. I called the phone number listed and the woman on the phone gave me the gate code and told me which sites were available. Worked out pretty well. Stayed in 22. One bathhouse is open. Another one I tried was locked due to Covid. Clean. Yellohammer sites have full hookup. Then there are tent sites. I was contemplating getting a tent site with my van, but they were pretty unlevel and small. There is a public boat ramp and one specifically for the campground. Water level was still very high in the lake after recent rains and storms.