Best Tent Camping near Helena, AL

*It's been a while since my last visit, but since I camp there every year, several times each summer, I figured I'd go ahead and do a quick review anyway.

Every summer for the past few years I've traveled to Oak mountain, typically going several times each summer (July and August) to run the Southeastern trail series. Although there are numerous back country camp sites, I've always stayed at the campground due to its convenient location, and always stay at the same campsite (B6) each visit. The campground is divided into two sections (A & B) and each campsite has parking right at the site itself.

Although the first few tent sites on the B-side are located right off the road, they're set back far enough that they feel pretty secluded with plenty of trees to give a slight sense of privacy. These first few sites have no electrical hookup or water, but are located a short walking distance from the front bathhouse (bathroom and shower). The bathhouse directly across from my site is rarely busy, and the single shower is clean with plenty of hot water.

Each site has a cinderblock retaining wall, a picnic table, and a steel fire ring with a flip-top cooking grate. If you're tent camping, the pad is dirt with a layer of pea-gravel, so a sleeping pad is a must. Firewood is easy to find in the surrounding woods if there hasn't been a lot of people thru the area. Otherwise, wood is available at the store at the entrance to the campground. The campground is easily accessible from the parks back gate entrance, which is only a short driving distance to pretty much anything you could need (restaurants, gas, groceries, etc).  There's even a small beach area at the back of the campground exclusive to campground guests. The staff is always friendly and reserving a campsite online is easy.

One of the great things about Oak Mountain State Park is that there's plenty to do aside from the camping; hiking, mountain biking, horse stables, a BMX track, an archery range, canoeing, paddle boats/ paddle boarding, several lakeside beaches with playgrounds, a wakeboarding course, a wildlife rehabilitation center, and a treetop nature boardwalk which features several enclosures where you can view birds of prey up close. Also, if you're into trail running or mountain biking, there are several race series held at the park each year.

All in all, I love this park and already have my reservations made again for this summer!

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 a very small campground- 13 improved sites (nine of these have 50 amp electric and can accommodate all sizes of rigs; four are designed for smaller units and have 30 amp electric) plus five primitive sites, which have communal water only (no electric). There is zero privacy/separation between the improved sites, which would make the unimproved sites possibly more appealing (but further from the restroom and it was pouring when we were there). Improved sites are gravel and include a BBQ, fire ring, and a very large picnic table. Rates are $16 for a primitive site/$29 for an improved site plus a $4.75 processing fee for the first night of your stay. Senior discounts are given. 

The restrooms are functional and clean but basic. There was a leak in the roof from the pouring rain that could pose a slipping hazard. 

There are a large picnic pavilion and two short hiking trails of about a mile each. We hiked the Fossil Mountain trail, which is very rocky. The main draw to this park is the cave. Tours are offered four times daily, January through November. If you camp, you receive a discount on the tour. The tour is worth doing.

Oak Mountain State Park is Alabama’s largest state park. Located just outside of Birmingham, it’s easy to escape to nature without being too far off the beaten path. This park is HUGE! There’s so many things to do here, we plan to return when we have more time to explore!

We saw several hiking trails, a horseback riding area, a golf course, a lake with a beach and swimming area, plus kayak and boats, we also saw some kind of skiing tow rope area! It was really cool, I’d never seen one of those! I read the park is known for mountain biking also, and I noticed a few road bikes in the bike lane driving in.

We originally booked a tent site without electric, but it was blazing hot, so we decided to move to a site with electric so we could have fans in our rooftop tent and ended up in site A06. The site was shaded and there was no one in that area so we had great privacy. Our site backed up to the woods, so it was nice.

The tent (no electric) sites are the best in my opinion. Most are back in the woods and shaded. I don’t believe you can reserve a specific tent site, as they assign you one when you arrive, but there were so many great tent sites, i don’t think it would be a problem unless it was a super busy weekend. Most of the tent sites are walk in also, so if you have a rooftop tent, or car camping, these won’t work.

A loop seemed to have larger, wooded, sites with more privacy. B loop was wide open. The tent sites were great in both loops though.

The restrooms were ancient. They could use some updates, but they were clean and functional, and there were multiple facilities throughout the campground.

There’s a camp store at the check in area, they have the essentials, and they do have ice. The ladies working in there were really nice and helpful too.

Oak Mountain is a great spot to camp, just go when there’s not a heat wave in Alabama, and you have time to explore the park!

I tent camped with two kiddos in spot #30 and we had a lovely view of the woods. Each spot has a gravel platform and some of my stakes wouldn’t grab but the tent held up. It was noisy at night with some folks partying but eventually it died down. Spots are a bit close (you can see the camper parked across the street from us) and you can easily hear comings and goings of other campers. It was May when we camped here and hot and very humid during the day. Cooler but still super humid at night. Each site has a nice fire ring, picnic table and a grill.

The guy at the front gate was super nice and helpful.

My kids enjoyed hiking and the bball court (where some other kids congregated). The nets were barely hanging on but still playable. The bathrooms were clean.

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.

The campsites at Oak Mountain are fairly well travelled and can get pretty packed though they provide all the necessary amenities for camping. Most of the tent sites have a level gravel area with a picnic table and fire pit to set up your site. However, the water pumps are often a little bit of a walk and shared between several sites. They are also very strict about the number of cars and this can make it tricky with a larger group. Overall it is a ok campsite but in a great park with awesome hikes. I would still recommend a visit to anyone who is willing to deal with camping close to your neighbor.

This state campground in the Birmingham AL metro area is a quick getaway for city and suburban dwellers. We were looking for continued warm fall weather on a slow trip north; this met the warmth and fall criteria in late October. The proximity to the city made it a good choice for exploring Birmingham.

Campground as Hotel

We left in the morning and came back in the evening. Using the campground strictly for accommodations worked out well; it wasn't a place where we would have wanted to hang around the campground all day. The large RVs crammed on sites that weren't very large gave us a closed in feeling. We pulled down the shade in our teardrop to avoid the light pollution from the campers who leave ground lights and other decorative lights on all night. (Do they leave their outdoor holiday lights on all night at home?)

Tent Only Sites

• The tent only sites are the best feature of this park. You can pitch your tent among the trees away from the RVs packed together in the rest of the park. 

• There's no power or water at these sites.  

• These sites are listed as tent only, but the park office attendant told us there were a few where we could fit our vehicle and teardrop. We declined because we thought we'd be too close to the road although we later saw several that would have been fine

• Site 42B is the BEST SITE IN THE PARK! You walk down to the site from the parking area, and then there's a great view of the water. I took a photo looking back at the site from the beach area.

Other Sites

• All sites not designated tent only have electricity and water. There are some sites with sewer hookup as well as 50 amp power. See site map photo.

• Loop A's sites are more spread out than sites in Loop B.

• Loop B: B33 was ok. I recommend sticking to the outside of this loop because there are two roads down the center where you'll have sites on both sides, across the road and behind you. Inside the loop seemed crowded because there were large RVs.

Restrooms

Several restrooms are spread throughout the park. They each have a couple toilets and a shower along with hot and cold water in the sinks. Restrooms are clean and a checklist indicates they're inspected 2 or 3 times per day. Everything works fine, but they could use an update inside. If the usage at the end of October is any indication of overall usage, this park is heavily used. It's close to Birmingham which has over a million people, one-fourth of Alabama's population. The state of Alabama should step up and do some renovation.

Site Taxes are HIGH

Be prepared for a significant jump to the cost when taxes are applied. Our campsite fee was a reasonable $22.65/night which included a 15% senior discount. Regular price is $26.65. Taxes and a $4.50 one-time fee were added for a grand total of $85.62 for 3 nights. If you're counting, that's 20+% in taxes.

Things To Do In The Park: boating, fishing, swimming, hiking. You can purchase a detailed hiking map for $1. If you aren't from the area and want to take in some Birmingham history, there are options.

• Red Mountain Park has hiking trails along with old iron ore mines. There's an adventure park with zip lining, climbing, etc.

• The base of Vulcan, Alabama's entry in the 1904 World's Fair, is the best place to see Birmingham. The museum next to the statue was well done; it provides a history of this steel city.

• The park across from the 16th Street Baptist Church (site of the bombing on 9/15/1963 that killed 4 young girls) is a window into the sad part of Birmingham's history. There's also a civil rights museum nearby.

• The craft breweries (Good People and Avondale) were good. And great barbecue at Saw. Pizza was good at Post Office Pies but they need to put more basil on a pizza advertised as a white basil pizza, not 5 little scraps.

Rickwood Caverns was the first car camping experience I ever had. My husband and I went sans kids to see if we liked tent camping and test out our gear. We are total beginners. 

We got there at 5:15 and the shop/office closes at 5pm. There was a sign with a phone number for assistance in late check in. No one answered and our VM was never returned. No big deal. We didn’t have a pass in our car and no one cared or checked.

The campground is small. Each of the primitive campsites has a fire pit and picnic table. Our table had seen better days and was missing one bench. Somewhere in the vicinity, there was a faucet for washing dishes, etc., but it was surrounded by a giant mud puddle. There’s another faucet area in the parking lot near the bathroom/shower building. 

We reserved site #17 and there were two other tents pitched nearby. I reserved the site on Alaparks’ website and I think I paid $14/night. The park is gated and locked each evening. It is an old state park and a bit run down. The bathroom/shower building is very old, but it was tidy and I did see someone clean it on Saturday morning.

We toured the caverns on Saturday at 10am with a small group and enjoyed the tour. Tours are discounted for campers. The tour didn’t include so much geological information as it was about rocks shaped as animals, etc. It would have been cool to learn more about the history and sciency stuff. Something really interesting about the history to me was that the caverns were basically blasted out and excavated by Boy Scouts in the 50s. Seriously. With dynamite. 

The caverns have steep stairs that can be muddy and wet. Lots and lots of steps, so definitely not an activity for folks with mobility issues. Children might struggle too. 

The park is kind of near a highway and I could hear cars in the evening and at night. 

Cell phone reception was fine. 

Temps were low 50s in overnight and bugs were only an issue around dusk. (This was in late April).

Because the campground is so small, primitive camping area is close to camper parking lot, so there was a little camper community close by but that didn’t bother us. 

Rickwood Caverns is a low frills place for tent camping for beginner campers. The caverns might be fun to tour again in December when they have their Christmas lights up.