Marion is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that Alabama camping has to offer. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Marion. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
"The Payne Lake spillway is a nice place to have a picnic and view the lake. There is a pavilion with four picnic tables underneath it and then there are isolated picnic tables around the area."
"Also known as Bob Woodruff Park, located right on the Alabama River, there's access to swimming, hiking, fishing and of course boating."
"The tent sites are very nice and groomed and have a wonderful view of the lake. They have individual water pumps at each site and room for several cars to pull up and park."
"The beach can be pretty crowded during the summer but it's a decent size and the bathrooms are nearby. Last time I went I found a needle in the sand, so keep an eye out."
TravelerI 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.
TravelerWifi non-existent.
sketchy phone service...we have verizon and had very limited coverage.
great staff...very helpful.
showers...pressure was great! restrooms were old(er), but clean!
Site was very level....ours had good shade...fair amount of space and many concrete pads (but not all).
Some have raised issues about the ants...we did see ants, but ONLY on the tent walk in area...and there were places there that looked like the ants would have been a real issue.
LegendSince this is the recreation area associated with the Deerlick creek campground I will include my review from the campground here along with photos of the area and things to do!
The tent sites are very nice and groomed and have a wonderful view of the lake. They have individual water pumps at each site and room for several cars to pull up and park. They were also very friendly and easy going about moving sites and check in/out times. I would highly recommend this site for anyone in the Tuscaloosa area. Also easy access to the nearby lakes for boating and swimming.
After having a great experience at this campground we decided to go back for a second visit with a larger group. This trip was even better than the first and we really love this campground. The people who work at the entrance are always super friendly and the tent only sites are all very large and private. We set up our site with 3 tents and brought 8 people along. We had no issues checking in and getting our site set up and we got some swimming in down at the beach area. The campground also has a great bathroom facility that they clean daily. If you are in the Birmingham or Tuscaloosa area I highly recommend checking out this campground.
LegendThis is a great campsite if you want a secluded quiet place with river access. There is a boat launch that leads you straight to the Tombigbee river before it meets the Black Warrior in Demopolis. There are tent sites and each has a picnic table and fire pit. Some sites have water access. There is a bathroom, but no showers. There is also a large pavilion that could be used for events.
ScoutWe had a great time visiting Payne Lake this weekend! We stayed at a primitive campsite with a beautiful view of the lake.
My biggest advice is to bring. your. own. firewood. As far as we could tell, there was nowhere at the campground to purchase bundles of firewood, and even the local grocery stores/gas stations weren't stocked with any either. We spent quite a bit of time using a hatchet to cut up down trees to fuel our firepit.
The campground is organized well and we were able to have our pick of campsites (mainly due to the fact that it was 30 degrees the whole weekend). The primitive campsites all had picnic tables and fire pits. Our group also uses hammocks and there were plenty of trees near enough together for hammock hanging.
When we got to the campground, the check in area is quite simple. There is a box with envelopes/forms to fill out that ask for your payment (in cash!), car information, and site number. Once you fill out your information, you simply drive and park at your campsite. As far as we could tell, each site had ample room for parking 2 cars within 15 feet or so. We paid $6 a night for the site, as well as an extra $3 fee/day because of a third car.
The area is quiet and peaceful, and the lake is a beautiful spot to catch the sunrise. On the East Side of the lake, we got a large amount of late afternoon sun, but minimal sunshine until later in the morning. The West Side saw a lot of sun early in the morning.
We got the chance to meet the Camp Host, who was very gracious and also introduced us to his dog, Reecie. He even offered to take our trash out for us!
We took a walk around the entire campground, and it is clear that the West Side of the lake sees more visitors and is generally kept up with more. The blue hiking trail on the East side required quite a bit of bushwhacking and didn't seem to have much upkeep at all. On our hike, we ended up walking the roads of the campsite and seeing the whole grounds.
LegendPROS
Immaculate grounds throughout the campground. Always saw someone working at it.
Site 49 level concrete pad surrounded by pea gravel, with moveable aluminum table, pedestal BBQ grill, metal fire ring and wooden fish cleaning table.
Bathhouse very clean and in good working condition with soap and TP
Quiet except for occasional train whistle
Sue at gate check in very nice and helpful and then Bill escorted us to our site. What great customer service!
Security gates closed at 10p; open at 6a. No overnight entry.
America the Beautiful Pass discounted the site to$15/night...WHAT A STEAL!
No reservation transaction fee incurred
T-MOBILE 2 bars
CONS
Site numbers painted on asphalt and on electrical box
Roads are narrow in some areas
No park WIFI
Don’t Miss
Barges on the waterway
Smokin’ Jack BBQ in Demopolis
Lower Pool park with the damn and the last lock heading south
RangerDeerlick Creek is a wonderful campground located northeast if Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I believe this is one of the best ACOE parks we've stayed in. An engineering challenge to put such well planned sites in such a diverse terrain... and making it beautiful and functional. We stayed in Site 33 which was a back in with a tiered layout from the parking pad to the balcony. The sites had 50/30/15 amp electrical, good water and pressure, table, fire ring, separate BBQ grill, tables and lamp post.
The bath house was very clean with showers and hot water but only one for the entire campground. However, I never saw a crowd there during our 5 days though so its probably all that's needed.
The camp hosts are awesome! Very friendly and super hard working the entire day. Every site is blown for leaf removal, grill and fire ring debris removed, water and electric verified operational after each use. Site pads are concrete and pretty level or at least site 33 where we stayed was. Our reservation tag was already posted when we arrived at our site so check-in was quick and without issues.
There are sites designated as tents only that are great! Very private with space and vegetation between them. There is also water and electric at each site.
A great paved bike path with deer abundant in the evenings. Boat ramp and beach swimming area.
We loved the park and the only reason for four stars vs five is due to sites 36 though 40. These are some of the most beautiful sites here but also the most difficult to get out of if your trailer is long. This is a dead end loop with a small turn around at site 39 and 40. Most rigs 26' or longer can not make this turn around. While we were there three campers required backing their rigs out of a challenging narrow single lane road with trees along the road way sides. A sign warning campers beforehand would be helpful.
Overall a great campground, we will return to this park again.
TravelerIt’s more of an RV park than campground. There are spaces for tents, but they don’t have picnic tables. The trees are actually behind the sites. So, don’t think about a hammock. The bathrooms are clean, but there are no showers.
TravelerWe loved this campground. We stayed at site 43, which is in the tent only "Settler's Camp". The sites were big with a lot of space between them as well as having water and electric (1 - 50amp; 1 - 30amp; 2 - 20amp). Although all the sites throughout nice, fully shaded with a good bit of privacy, the tents only sites actually had the most space between them as well as the most privacy. The entire campground was beautiful and well maintained. The bathhouses were older but also well maintained and very clean. The showers had better water pressure than a lot of hotels we've stayed at. The only thing to be aware of, if mobility is an issue, is that there are steps leading down from the parking area to the tent pad. Verizon cell service was good.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Marion, AL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Marion, AL is Payne Lake Spillway with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Marion, AL?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Marion, AL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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