5 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Coleman Lake Recreation Area provides equestrian facilities separate from its main campground. The horse campground section offers campsites specifically designed for equestrians traveling with their animals. Sites include space for horse trailers, water access for animals, and proximity to riding trails. The main campground does not have horse corrals, but the dedicated equestrian area accommodates riders with appropriate facilities. Campground hosts are knowledgeable about local riding conditions and trail access. The Pinhoti Trail that extends from south Alabama to north Georgia goes right beside the lake and offers excellent section riding opportunities for equestrians. No cell phone service is available in this remote setting.
Oak Mountain State Park features an equestrian campground with pull-through sites and newly remodeled bathhouses. All equestrian sites include full hookups with 50-amp electrical service, making them suitable for larger horse trailers with living quarters. The bathhouses remain exceptionally clean even during busy holiday weekends. The park maintains numerous trails appropriate for horseback riding throughout its extensive grounds. Horse owners can access multiple riding routes directly from the campground without trailering to separate locations. Security personnel and park rangers regularly patrol the grounds to ensure safety for both animals and campers. The campground provides morning sun with afternoon shade, creating comfortable conditions for horses during summer months. Horse campers at this site can explore extensive natural areas while staying relatively close to the Birmingham metro area.
"But regular RV campers are allowed at the Equestrian center. We are close to the farm/petting zoo. Also the horses are next to the campground. Very quiet and reasonably priced."
"It's the largest state park in Alabama."
"Coleman Lake is in the Talladega National Forest and very remote. There is no cell phone service at all. We have been camping here all my life. It is one of my favorite campgrounds."
"This can certainly be seen as a positive."
"Lots of trees and lots of waterfront lots on the shores of one of Alabamas most beautiful lakes."
"Of course you are on the at one time largest man made lake so all those water activities. There are nice trails that are adequately marked. Once again updates would be nice."
"We attended North Alabama trails and recreation’s Rock and Rig event here. The park is beautiful with amazing views."
"the locals) since 2011, starting back when it was still largely undeveloped and free…totally worth paying for these days - they’ve made it such a great place: showers, bathrooms, dumpsters, plenty of walk-in"
from $0 - $35 / night
Check Availability"You’ll never run out of things to do between the endless hiking trails, the museum of wildlife, and the wildlife rescue center. There’s an archery station within the park and a petting farm."
from $6 - $18 / night
Check Availability
GuideVery happy at this campground. But there aren't many campers here. I think they are at the main campground. But regular RV campers are allowed at the Equestrian center. We are close to the farm/petting zoo. Also the horses are next to the campground. Very quiet and reasonably priced.
TravelerColeman Lake is in the Talladega National Forest and very remote. There is no cell phone service at all. We have been camping here all my life. It is one of my favorite campgrounds. Sites are first come, first serve, water and electric. There is a campground host on duty. A campground for equestrians is near the main campground. The Pinhoti Trail that extends from south Alabama to north Georgia goes right beside the lake and is a great section hike.
ScoutOak mountain state park has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. There's so much to do; and its always growing. It's the largest state park in Alabama. Theres lakes, waterfalls, nature trails, basket ball court, volley ball, a petting zoo, horses back riding, water sports, dirt bikes trails, BMX course, archery, cabins, primitive camping and rv's , a beach, a wildlife rescue center and so much more. If you're in the area do yourself a favor and check it out.
GuideWhat an amazing campground! Alabama knocked this one out of the park. From the first time you enter the park, which isn’t too far from BHam or the interstate, you’re transported to a different place where things move much more slowly just the way we like it. The campground is a 5 mile ride from the main entrance. A beautiful winding road takes you all the way, deep into the property. If you’re lucky, you will see plenty of wildlife (we saw 7 deer and one rabbit). The campsites are very spacious, we stayed in site A30 which was great! But if you want a view, try A26 which overlooks the lake. There is a general store on property that even has propane. If you’re active, they offer bike and hiking trails, horse riding, kayak and paddle boat rentals, and a couple of beaches. Don’t wait, book your stay here ASAP!
ScoutI've been wanting to visit Oak mountain and we booked last minute May 1st-3rd. They were booked completely except for an equestrian pull through site. I had already made plans with my family and another (both first timers with our own young families). I asked about pitching tents on the gravel and they said people do it. We had two tents on complete gravel and had enough tarp and mats that it really didn't bother us. The stables were right in front of our eyes, and we could hear the peacock next door, which was lovely actually. Their horses on their farm were roaming around and it was beautiful! Bathrooms were absolutely perfect and cleaned what seemed twice a day from the cleaning logs. They were maybe 300 feet from us and since the RVs all have hook ups we seemed to be the only ones using them, really. Everything else was basically closed down, but when we went to hike the water fall trail, it seemed so crowded that I wasn't surprised when we saw the ranger show up to send people out of the falls, so we didn't waste our time. I'd go back to enjoy the beach and trails, with a bike definitely!
GuideWe needed a one night stopover Campground. Aesthetics are important, so we chose Oak Mountain State Park for its mountain beauty. We thought we’d reserve the campsite (B36) based on its being at the end of the area and near the shower/restroom. Major pros to the campground would be an apparent lot of things to do: what looked like a zip line water skiing place, lots of major inflatable stuff in the beach swimming area, equestrian trails and stalls for horses, hiking trails... and our site was near one of the playgrounds in the campground. The staff in the office and host folks were wonderful and friendly. But, our site was an asphalt pad ( perfectly level) with no grass around it. While the campground is surrounded by forest, There were some trees, and some shade, but not enough space around us to sit back ( on our asphalt) to enjoy them. The shower was perfectly hot and adequate water pressure, but there is one shower in each shower house/restroom, and it was right inside the restroom door with a bend in the wall and one plastic shower curtain. My daughter felt exposed, but there weren’t so many people using the showerhouse to be problematic. The two toilet stalls were also enough for the number of people that needed to use them. (There are other similarly sized showerhouse/restrooms not too far away.) This campground met our needs well, but we weren’t overwhelmed and didn’t rush to book a return overnight after our trip. There are many reasons to love this place ( and the tent camp spaces looked fantastic!!!) but for what we needed I’d have to say it was just perfectly adequate.
LegendThis 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.
GuideWe stayed at the equestrian campground at Oak Mountain. It was very nice and quiet. Once you go through the gate take your first left and keep driving. We only stayed 2 nights and didn't get to see everything they have at the park. We want to go back!
LegendOak Mountain is a great camping spot for people that want to have a quick escape from the city of Birmingham. It is located only about 20-40 min outside downtown. Oak Mountain has several of options of things to do away from just camping and hiking (which of course are also great to do here). The roads offer a great opportunity for a nice long bike ride. There is a huge lake which is perfect for swimming and family picnics, especially on a hot and humid Alabama summer day. We had a fantastic time camping at Oak Mountain and will definitely be back!
Coleman Lake Recreation Area and Oak Mountain State Park offer prime equestrian camping near Munford, Alabama. The Talladega National Forest region supports horseback riding throughout the year with average summer temperatures reaching 90°F and mild winters rarely dipping below freezing. Trail conditions remain suitable for riding except after heavy rain when some lower sections become muddy.
Trail riding opportunities: At Coleman Lake Recreation Area, equestrians can access the Pinhoti Trail that runs alongside the lake. "The Pinhoti Trail that extends from south Alabama to north Georgia goes right beside the lake and is a great section hike," notes AMANDA D. The trail system provides multiple day-ride options.
Lake activities: Wind Creek State Park Campground offers equestrian campers lake access when not riding. "Great location, water views. Only negative is that the wifi is not strong, but Verizon signal is great," reports Matthew K. Riders can cool off in Lake Martin after trail rides.
Rock climbing: At Cherokee Rock Village, horseback riders can explore the unique rock formations during breaks. "We explored the caves and climbed the rock formations. There are also trails to hike, run or bike," explains Dori H. Many trails accommodate both hikers and horses.
Clean facilities: Horse campers appreciate the well-maintained bathhouses. At Coleman Lake Recreation Area, campers note: "Restrooms and showers exceptionally clean. Not alot of paid spots with water electricity and first come first serve so no reservations," reports Steven W.
Natural setting: Backcountry Site — Oak Mountain State Park provides more remote options for equestrians. "I've been going here since I was a kid and it's one of my favorite places in the world. You'll never run out of things to do between the endless hiking trails," says Cat.
Spacious sites: Equestrian campers need extra room, which Coleman Lake provides. "Sites are level and we'll spaced," notes Micheal S. This spacing allows for horse trailers and proper distancing between animals.
Cell service limitations: When horse camping in Talladega National Forest, prepare for limited connectivity. At Coleman Lake Recreation Area: "There is no cell phone service at all. We have been camping here all my life. It is one of my favorite campgrounds," advises AMANDA D.
Road access considerations: Some forest roads require careful navigation with horse trailers. "Make sure you use Highway 78 to enter. Google Maps will send you on a 11.5 mile mountain trail (Dugger Mountain Road) that is a dirt 2 track over the mountain...an interesting trip with a camper," warns Micheal S.
Reservation policies: Many equestrian sites operate on first-come, first-served basis. At Cherokee Rock Village, "to register for the night you will need cash unless there's someone in the store. Best I can tell, there are more day visitors than campers," notes Kent H.
Holiday activities: Wind Creek State Park Campground offers special events for families with horses. "Tent camping with family during Hurricane evacuation. Beautiful park, numerous bath houses, laundry, camp store, playgrounds, mini golf, and so much more," shares Kim T.
Wildlife education: Families can combine horseback riding with wildlife education. "You'll never run out of things to do between the endless hiking trails, the museum of wildlife, and the wildlife rescue center," reports Cat at Oak Mountain State Park.
Seasonal experiences: Coleman Lake Recreation Area offers family-friendly seasonal events. "I camped there on Halloween with my grandkids. My Frankie's dressed in costume for me but the camp host saw them and made a point of inviting them for campground trick or treating. Almost every camp site gave candy," shares Evan S.
Site selection: Oak Mountain State Park Campground offers premium sites for larger horse trailers with living quarters. "Only Recent Reviews Count. They put a massive amount of money into updating this place. This is the #1 best state park campground I have ever been at," explains Soren B.
Campground layout: Wind Creek State Park accommodates various camping styles for horse owners. "Large lake for swimming, boating, fishing. Sites are very open to each other but a lot of shade. Bathhouses are large and very well taken care of," notes Rachel G.
Hookup availability: For equestrian campers with living quarter trailers, hookup options vary. "Popular campground with 39 sites, water & electric, flush toilets and shower. $16/nt. Overflow area has no hookups," reports David M. about Coleman Lake Recreation Area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Munford, AL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Munford, AL is Oak Mountain State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 101 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Munford, AL?
TheDyrt.com has all 5 equestrian camping locations near Munford, AL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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