Best Glamping near Hodges, AL

Ended up at this location after a crappy night in Alabama. It was very clean nice location. Very nice Mississippi State Park Campground. All the staff were very friendly and Gary was a great guy that we chatted with for a bit after checking in. Restrooms were clean and air conditioned. Family type campgrounds with friendly happy campers. We will be back a lot more in the future.

Located in Northwest Alabama, not far from the Sipsey Wilderness, Dismals Canyon offers an unparalleled camping experience that stands out in the state. While it may lean toward the higher end in terms of cost, the memories you create during a special weekend getaway here are absolutely worth it. During our most recent visit, we chose to stay in one of the cozy cabins, but the campgrounds also present an excellent lodging option. These cabins feature a generously sized kitchen, a warm and inviting living room complete with a fireplace, and two comfortable bedrooms. Outside, there are ample spaces perfect for relaxation and al fresco dining. The campgrounds are situated just across the street from the rest of the park and require a short stroll to reach. They offer a variety of camping choices, each with its unique appeal. For more detailed information about these options, you can refer to their website. A standout experience during our stay was embarking on the night hike the first evening we arrived. This adventure allowed us to explore the canyon in the darkness before immersing ourselves in its beauty during daylight hours. We were fortunate enough to enjoy a private tour on a Friday night and were treated to a mesmerizing display of glow worms, which call this canyon home. While the trails within Dismals Canyon may not be particularly lengthy, you'll find yourself utterly captivated by the allure of the surroundings. Be sure to allocate a full day to fully explore and lose yourself in the canyon's enchantment. In summary, Dismals Canyon delivers a camping experience like no other in Northwest Alabama, close to the Sipsey Wilderness. Whether you opt for the cozy cabins or the campgrounds, you'll be treated to a remarkable getaway. Don't pass up the opportunity to embark on a night hike to witness the canyon's beauty illuminated by the glow worms. With its captivating charm, Dismals Canyon guarantees cherished memories.

We stayed at two cabins at Elliot Branch in August with some friends.  It is a short drive to Bear Creek if you want to kayak or canoe, but the cabins are on lakefront property and you can just jump in!  

The cabins are clean and quiet.  They have a full kitchen, bathroom, and ours slept two in a double bed, but there is room in the living area for cots or sleeping on the couch if you wanted.  The couches are huge, and the cabins have cable.  WiFi is also available, though it is slow.

The campsites are also nice.  We drove through the area, scouting out where we want to tent camp in the future.

My family has been going to Dismals Canyon since I was a child, and my mother's parents took her when she was a child. Now I take my children. The reason we return year after year is that it is absolutely gorgeous, and is one of the few places in the world where you can see the tiny glow worms called Dismalites. When you first arrive, you go down to the little general store that now has a cafe. I have not eaten at the cafe, so I can't attest to the quality of the food, but I can say everyone who has worked there has always been very friendly and knowledgeable about the canyon. Here you will pay for your campsite and/or your canyon access. Day tours are self guided, but the night tours to see the dismalites are guided. The campground is relatively expensive, for our area anyway, but it is very clean and beautiful, and each campsite we have visited has been very private. There is a nice bathhouse for campers. Each campsite also provides garbage cans and a fire pit. They DO NOT let you bring in firewood, but you can get firewood there. Also you cannot park right next to your site, you will have to park in the parking area and walk to your site. All of their rules are very strict, but they do so to preserve the park in a clean, natural state. There is a nice fairly deep reservoir to swim in, as well as creeks and streams throughout. Also waterfalls, giant trees, and many neat rock structures. The trail through the canyon is not terribly difficult. I hiked it with my 2 year old strapped to my back the last time we went, and my 62 year old mother and 5 year old in tow. The hardest part is really the long stairs going into and out of the canyon. The cost is really the only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5. Bring bug spray.

Totally recommend seeing the canyon, but the campsites are in rough shape. Totally eroded with no level spot for a tent. Not an enjoyable camping experience for a really cool place.

We stayed in early August for 2 nights in the Sleeping Waters campground.

We got there pretty late (after dark) for setting up camp, and I do not recommend doing that. It's about a quarter of a mile walk to the campsite, but the site is absolutely gorgeous! Very secluded and very roomy! The waterfall at the campsite is not large, but it still makes noise.

After we got everything set up and got all the lights out, we noticed the glowing dismalites along the Canyon wall behind our tent!! It was super cool. We also had a creek flowing with crawdads, minnows, and bull frogs. Plenty of wildlife!!

The canyon was pretty cool! The waterfalls were awesome and I loved all the spur trails. Disclaimer: be prepared to get your feet wet!!

The Canyon and campsite were pet friendly. Dogs were even welcome in the country store!! Just not in the seating area for the Soda Fountain.

I have few, minor complaints.. 1) I booked this campsite earlier in the year (early spring, I believe). I specifically wanted a night tour. They did not tell me that they wouldn't have night tours at that time of year. I wish I would've known, as I would've planned the trip for spring or fall. 2) the gate to get into the Canyon after hours for the bath house was difficult to operate. I'd pinch the code in and it wouldn't open. It would take several tries. The gate for the campsite area worked great! 3) The gate leading to the campsites was not marked. At night, it was challenging to determine where to park. 4) In the Canyon itself, not all of the landmarks were marked!! We had a map, but we had never been there before, so we weren't able to find everything easily.

This is a nice little spot but they nickel and dime you to death. Sites are anywhere from $27/night to $48/night. But then they also charge you a $5 cleaning fee (for a campsite????) and a "one time admission fee" of $30 (good for up to 4 people, additional people = additional money). Oh, they also charge a $50 refundable damage deposit due to excessive issues with campfire damage. Feels more like renting an apartment, not a campsite.

There's no denying that the scenery is beautiful, but I don't know that I would stay here again as amenities are minimal and fees are excessive.

Expensive fees, but worth a visit. They protect the canyon habitat. Primitive sites, but bathroom access near the canyon entrance. Beautiful campsite at sleeping water. Great for a larger group.

The scenery was absolutely amazing! I’ve been to dismals canyons a few times but this was my first camp. We stayed under the waterfall the first night which was amazing but the other site had zero level ground and we found ourselves waking up multiple times just to scoot ourselves back up in our tent. We also had an awful experience with the lady at the desk after we were completely jipped our night tour that we weren’t given and weren’t refunded. But the nature itself is amazing. I won’t be back

We camped in a pop up and really enjoyed ourselves. Most of the sites face a small pond and have a good view. The staff is very nice and have activities throughout the weekend. Some sites after small, so check before you book.

This is a beautiful park and will definitely be worth the trip.

Lucas and I camped and canoed. We stayed right on the water.

We stayed on site 61. The spaces are all on or near the water. There’s plenty of wood to gather for campfires. The park has beautiful hiking trails and the ride down the Natchez Trace Parkway to get there is a must take drive, free of red lights, billboards and traffic with many amazing points of interest along the way. Highly recommend!

Always packed with hikers but nonetheless we always have enough space and a good time. The downfall to this park is the camper pads. There are a few that are perfect. Most of them once you step out of your camper has a huge drop off. Just remember to park as close to the hookup side as possible. Clean bathrooms and nice hosts when we go. Love the trails. The Bear Creek is peaceful to sit beside. Hoping to kayak here this summer. Can’t wait to go back.

Gold hiking trails but most RV sites are built up for parking but a lot of sites drop off steeply right off the pavement.   Facilities are fair but dated.

Handicap accessible" shower is far from it! You can get a wheelchair into the stall, but that is the only help. No seat in range of the shower and a stationary shower head. Vert difficult if you're an amputee with severe arthritis. Also the water, electric and general infrastructure need updating badly. It is beautiful and could be a very good campground with some work. I only paid for three nights to have use of the amenities as we usually boondock. We won't be back

Super easy access from the Natchez Trace Parkway. All sites are level concrete but narrow. No room for error on either side. Grills and some picnic tables close to each site but not close to be convenient to an RV kitchen. At 20.00 a night it is well worth an overnight stay.

We've camped  to Tishomingo State at least 3 times in the last 6 months. It's the first site we visited after purchasing our Wildwood Travel Trailer. Sites are level and most are easy to back the trailer into. No full hookups but all the sites have electricity and water. Plenty of trees and amazing views from all the site. Cellphone coverage is not good here for Verizon or AT&T. Better at front of camp. 

I can't state enough how much there is to do in Tishomingo! Plenty of trails that would satisfy an Ultramarathoner. A lake for fishing (honestly never seen anyone catch a fish 🐟) and canoeing. Tishomingo has disc golf, large pavilions, and historic sites to visit. 

Overall it's always clean when we've been there but there is quite a bit of age on the campsite. Roads are pretty rough in areas as well. 

Spots We Like --- 19, 31, 30, 32 (waterside), 38 (private), 44, 48

The hiking trails are beautiful and well marked. Campsites are very spacious and most offer a great view of the lake. My biggest complaints are the bathhouses being in need of updating/maintenance, the fire rings are just rocks placed in a circle (hard for kids to see when the terrain is rough everywhere), and the number of people speeding through the state park makes it dangerous to walk from the campground to the hiking areas. On the plus side, they are remodeling about half the sites and they look amazing.

We love this campsite, nestled away in the backwoods relatively easy to get to. We go here all the time, the rangers are always nice and constantly watching/riding around making sure there is no one causing trouble. New campsites with full hookups are coming soon but even the older ones are nice, just no sewer. And most of the older sites are on the water

We tent camped at Tishomingo and it was beautiful. Not only did it have nice campgrounds but the trails along the river were awesome!

Tishomingo State park is one of the beautiful places Mississippi has to offer. So many hiking trails, cliffs and sites to see. Also you can visit Mississippi’s highest point only a few short miles away in the neighboring town of Iuka.

There is a lot of history here and a lot ot learn about Native Americans, geology, plants, animals, etc. Great park for a weekend or a whole week. We mostly did hiking and canoeing, also lots of fishing. Great hiking trails for kids since there are a lot of neat geologic features, bridges, etc. to keep their attention during a hike.

Yay: This park has a lot of extras like playing fields, kayak rentals, ranger programs, educational signage (history and nature), etc. We stayed at a tent site near the little lake and it was just lovely. There are also adorable cabins to rent.

**Nay: some campsites are a little crowded but nothing unusual.  **

Surprise: absolutely beautiful old stonework, bridge, buildings, etc. add so much to the natural scenery!

We stayed at the group campsite which was located a bit of a climb up a steep hill. The view was great but finding level ground for tents was a bit interesting. The bathhouse was close, clean and stocked with tp. There were toilets and hot showers. The hiking was great with numerous trails nearby. The hikes were mostly easy terrain. Overall, this is a beautiful campground with security and gated at night.