Best Tent Camping near Kinston, AL

We were greeted by the kindest friendliest host as we were setting up. He made sure we knew the rules and amenities. We stayed in camp site 2. The sites were spacious and grassy. Each site had a fire pit, a picnic table and shared a water spigot. Hurricane lake surrounds the campground so every camping spot has a view of the beautiful lake. I love that the tent campers are in a separate campground from RV campers. This makes for a more peaceful camping experience. There are bathroom facilities although, no showers. I will definitely camp here again.

We love this place. Our campsite was in Loop2 #37 right next to the bath house the bath house/shower was clean. We tent camped and the light from bath house super bright. The site itself had one perfect spot for our tent all the sites I believe have water, power, picnic tables, fire ring ours had good trees for our hammock several sites had hammocks. The lake is close within walking distance, but they’ve blocked road so if you wanna drive you got to drive all the way around ugh. A cart would be helpful. Sites are super close together so it’s not necessarily a quiet campground. The people next to us had 80s music blasting, but turned off around 8pm. I think if you had big RV some sites would be a challenge to back into. No sites pull through. For one night it was $37.40 I believe. There is no fishing allowed in this lake, but there is a walking trail to bear lake you can fish there but not swim. The water wasn’t as clear this year as last year. We went on a Friday and it wasn’t really crowded. The beach area was clean. There is a grass area on the side of the beach with shade and tables and grills people were arriving Saturday morning 7:30-8am to get a table for their group. They have the water sprayers to get sand off your feet and restrooms close to beach area. They should add a slide that would be awesome! No double floats allowed but single ones are. No dogs allowed anywhere so that kinda stunk my dog don’t bark all night and would love to go. There is a boardwalk through woods but it was too hot for me to be walking but I it goes to Bear Lake. Life guards were on duty.

We stopped here for one night on our way from Alabama to Florida and were pleasantly surprised how much we liked this part of southern Alabama and how nice the park was. After a long days drive it was a perfect place to take our dog for a walk to stretch our legs and settle in to a great campsite. The lake adjacent to our campsite made for a beautiful backdrop for our evening campfire. 

Turns out this 2,050-acre park is a hot spot for anglers which cruise the 1,000-acre Lake Jackson looking for hungry fish. The ranger told us the lake is stocked bass, bream, crappie and catfish and holds numerous tournaments. We really liked the setting of the campground with many sites being directly on the lake. Our gravel site was a long back-in right on the water and perfectly level for our RV. The park recently added primitive tent sites which offer more privacy and a nice setting away from RVs. Our campsite was set under large trees and we had nice privacy on one side by the other side had a neighbor pretty close. Luckily for us when we were there the park was not crowded and the lack of campers made for a quiet setting.  (Tip: Site #1 has a great view of the water and set off by itself and is probably the best in the park.) 

For a state park this differs from many in that it has lots of modern features. The 32 RV sites have electric, sewer, water and Wi-Fi and cable! You can even stay for a whole season, if you want. Prices vary widely depending on whether you want a primitive tent site, site on water, or off water. Additional fees of a reservation fee ($4), 3% resort fee, and 12% lodging tax are added to the cost and really add up.

Amenities include a large playground, swim beach, boat launch, laundry, and restrooms with showers. There are miles of hiking trails winding through the woods and a boardwalk that takes you over to trails on an island. You know you are in the south when the swim beach has a sign that says “Beware of alligators and snakes, Swim at your own risk.”

During our stay the park was hosting its annual “Scarecrows in the Park” function.  For this event, walking trails are lined with decorative scarecrows made by local individuals, businesses, organizations and school groups.  The scarecrows and scenes they depict are quite creative but some are a little creepy.

Overall, this is a good place to stay in southern Alabama if you are looking for a nice full hook-up site that is in a pretty setting. The price was on the high side because of all the added fees but it was the perfect location for us to stop on our route.

Bear Lake Campground within Bear Lake Recreation Area - Blackwater River State Forest is off the beaten path, high in the Florida Panhandle. Blackwater River State Forest has 210,000 acres of woods, lakes and streams, and further south is the 630 acre Blackwater River State Park. So there is much to choose from...but reserve early...its busy even in the spring and summer.

Bear Lake Campground is a smallish, but nice and clean campground. The tent only loop is beyond the RV/Camper/tent electric sites (32 sites), past the showerhouse/restrooms and beyond the Bear Lake fishing dock and boat ramp to the right. Eight tent only sites are $15 nightly, each site has a water spigot. Tall white pines dot the tent only site area and all sites are visible to each other but are fairly spaced apart. All have a view of 103 acre Bear Lake.

This is mostly a very quiet and tranquil campground, when fighter jets and helicopters from Eglin AFB are buzzing overhead. The Elite Army Ranger School Jungle Phase is conducted 30 or so miles south.

A pine forest surrounds the meandering Bear Lake, which is loaded with bass...drawing electric motor clad aluminum skiffs each day. The 4 mile Sweetwater trail travels around portions of the lake. Frogs bring their delightful chorus most the day and night...the Pig frog's song my favorite. No swimming permitted in the lake...as it is with most Florida lakes...gators. Early morning and late evening paddles would be peaceful, as the tall, long-leaf pines that surround the lake, shelter it from most of the wind.

Bears are prevalent so keep food stored up and out of your tent area. There is no cell service...and no pay phones present. Unplugged and loving it!

Showerhouse with modern restrooms are acceptable but nothing to write home about. There is a picnic shelter and also a pavilion (which remains locked unless rented). An onsite host cares for registration.

With several campgrounds and recreation areas nearby, hiking, mountainbiking, paddling and fishing are the draw and very popular.

Arrived at guard gate and was welcomed by friendly staff. Quiet campground with waterfront site 8. Plenty of space between sites. FHU, level gravel, waterfront site with picnic table, fire ring, and grill. Felt safe, and across the street from bathrooms/laundry. Dated but clean. Woman’s bathroom with showers & bathroom stalls. 2 washers & dryers, as well as a folding table. No dog park, but plenty of nature, paved roads for walking, as well as easy to find, marked trails. 10 minutes to town, with restaurants and a few stores to pick up groceries & necessities. Playground is on the other side of the trails, as well as the boat ramp. Lots of wildlife. Would stay here again!

This park is cared for and very nicely executed. The sites all look level (ours was) and the hookups are well placed and maintained. Everything is aesthetically pleasing and done well. The pool and rec room are quite nice and the lakes are fun to paddle around. Our only complaint is the lack of space. Our site was separated from the one next to us by about 10 feet. We look for a more spacious, nature-oriented park, and this was not that at all. No picnic tables, fire rings, or grills-because there’s no room for them on any but a few spots. Nice for a friendly crowd, but not the right place for a peaceful camping experience.

My kids and I absolutely loved it here. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We did tent “glamping” so we had electric, water and wifi nearby but still enjoyed our time away from concrete buildings. We had a fire pit, picnic table, and parking to ourselves. The pool came in clutch since it is very humid and hot over there. It was nice, CLEAN and refreshing. My kids are not too big so we had enough space to play backyard games not sure there is enough grassy area for older kids or adults. You can walk around and down to the pond and check out the surroundings for added entertainment. The bathrooms and showers were tidy and clean. I really did love it here and based on my experience here I will be looking at other KOA Journeys to visit. My experience is based on a tent site and I’m fairly new to camping. Hope this helps!