Best Tent Camping near National Forests in Alabama

Tent Camping Reviews near National Forests in Alabama

242 Reviews of 25 National Forests in Alabama Campgrounds

• 

  Katie S.

  Ranger

  Jun. 18, 2019

  Tomahawk Campground

  Ranger Review: GCI Outdoor Pod Rocker with SunShade camp chair at Tomahawk Primitive Campground

  Campground Review: 

  Tomahawk Primitive Campground is located near Cullman, AL right off of Highway 278. The campground is primitive, and has no electricity or water pumps or hookups at the individual sites, but there is a common room area attached to the back of the owner’s house that has a clean bathroom, a coffee maker, and electricity. There are 3 campsites with fire rings as well as a large, open field at the main campground area, and additional sites by the creek, about a 10 minute walk from the main area. The trail to the creek-side sites was partially cleared, but there were a few fallen trees blocking the path that could make it difficult to carry gear to those sites. My husband, puppy and I stayed at one of the tent sites in the main campground area. If you are staying in a tent, I highly recommend air mattresses for this camp. While the ground has been somewhat cleared, there are still large stocks sticking one or 2 inches out of the ground that would make sleeping without an air mattress very uncomfortable. However, the bigger issue making sleep difficult for us was the road noise from the highway, which stayed busy throughout the night. I assume that if you are in a camper you won’t notice it as much, but in a tent it made us feel like we were camping on the side of the highway and not at a camp. Another problem that we ran into, unfortunately after we set up camp, is that our site had a ton of fire ants. I’m not sure if this is a problem at all of the tent sites or if it was just ours, but I advise caution when choosing your site and where you set up your tent. Our favorite part of this campground was the creek. It was beautiful and clear, perfect for our dog to play in, and had good locations to set up a hammock and enjoy the peaceful creek sounds. If we were to stay at this camp again, we would bring gear that could be hauled to the creek-side campsites. 

  Gear Review: GCI Outdoor Pod Rocker with Sunshade 

  As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I sometimes get gear to review on my camping trips. For this trip I got the GCI Pod Rocker with Sunshade camp chair. I LOVE this chair, and so did my husband and dog. The chair comes in a durable carrying case, which is great because I’ve had many camp chair bags fall apart after just a few uses. The chair was a little confusing to set up/take down at first, until I realized that easy-to-follow instructions are attached to the bag. The chair is larger than most camp chairs and provides more support. The sunshade is adjustable and can be moved in several positions as well as completely collapsed. The only complaint that we had about the Pod Rocker is that the included cup holder is a pouch that doesn’t seem like it would actually prevent your drink from spilling. For me, the benefit of having a camp rocking chair far outweighs this one detractor. This chair was wonderful for camping but would also be perfect for outdoor sporting events and concerts. I highly recommend the GCI Pod Rocker with Sunshade! Here is the link for the GCI Pod Rocker with SunShade:  https://www.gcioutdoor.com/rockers/pod-rocker-with-sunshade/

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• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  Mar. 7, 2020

  Rickwood Caverns State Park Campground

  The cave is the star attraction

  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.

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• 

  Morgan Z.

  Guide

  Sep. 7, 2016

  Houston Recreation Area

  Sipsey Wilderness

  During my time in Alabama, I kept hearing wonderful things about Sipsey Wilderness, and its many waterfalls, rocky landscapes, and great hikes. Since it's "wilderness," there are no established campsites, and there is a strict "leave no trace" policy. That being said, the opportunity to pick your own home away from home on your backpacking trip leaves you with a plethora of gorgeous options! Be sure to check the water levels before your trip, because while Sipsey is always beautiful, it isn't abnormal for many of the waterfalls to be dried up after a hot summer. Also, if you park at the Sipsey River Picnic Area Trailhead, be sure to pay the $3/day parking fee. They will give you a steep ticket otherwise! I had read about the fee, but upon arriving didn't see where to pay and figured it must have been an outdated post. Turns out, there was just a car blocking the pay station, which is near the chemical toilet when you turn into the parking lot. It's a dated deposit system, where you put your payment in an envelope, drop it in a dropbox, and put the perforated proof of payment tag on your dashboard. So be sure to bring exact change!! I was expecting something a little more modern, so even if I had seen the deposit box, I wouldn't have had exact change on me.

  The trails can get a little complicated, as there aren't really any trail markers, so be sure to buy a map of the area and bring it along with your compass. I found a map at mountain high outfitters at the Summit in Birmingham, AL, and it served us well. The 209 trail follows the river and is known as one of the more scenic routes. Nearby sites within the Sipsey Wilderness include Big Tree (the biggest tree in AL), Eye of the Needle, Ship Rock, numerous waterfalls, and several scattered cemeteries. All of these will be marked on a good map.

  The area is very buggy, and the trails can get cramped/overgrown in parts, so I'd recommend wearing long pants and lots of bug spray!

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• L

  Linda S.

  Traveler

  May. 6, 2023

  Rickwood Caverns State Park Campground

  Great for Beginner Campers

  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.

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• 

  Asher K.

  Legend

  Apr. 30, 2019

  Sipsey Wilderness Backcountry Site (Trail 203 Site A)

  Closest to the Car

  This campground is the first you pass after coming down the road from the parking area. It is located right at the 203 trail junction near the bridge and along the water. On this trip, it was occupied by a family that had walked down the hill at the same time as us and carried in all their gear in their arms with no packs. This is an ideal site if you need an easy to find a campground that is as close as you can get to the parking area. It is on the smaller size but has a nice firepit and plenty of area to put up at least two tents. It is also high enough off the bank for you to stay dry in case of flooding. One small downside is that to access water you will need to climb down a steep slope or walk around to the bridge slightly down the trail. Another downside is that the trail passes right through the campsite so if you are a late sleeper you may get disturbed in the morning by other hikers passing through. If you are able I would suggest going a little further down the trail and checking out the 2 other nearby sites. Read some of my other reviews from this area for more info about backpacking in Sipsey Wilderness.

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• 

  Thomas H.

  Guide

  Jan. 10, 2021

  Corinth Recreation Area

  Perfectly Designed for RV Newbies!

  Loved this park! It was our first trip in our new Travel Trailer and it couldn't have gone better. We stayed at Yellow Hammer site #9 easy pull through with plenty of room. Not only did all the sites have amazing scenery but the roads were well maintained. Full hookups and AT & T cellphone coverage good enough for working from Trailer. Verizon cellphone coverage didn't work here. Each site fully equipped with fire ring, picnic table, and lantern poles. Wood available for purchase from host. 

  Beach & Bath houses were closed due to COVID-19

  We spent a lot of time walking with our kids on the trails and riding scooters around the campsite roads. Nature trails were extremely well kept with great views on the water

  Best site is Yellow Hammer #17

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• 

  Anna M.

  Guide

  Apr. 20, 2025

  Corinth Recreation Area

  It's commercial camping with tons of kids.

  Very expensive, crowded and noisy but what do you expect. The hot water was out in the bath house so no showers. $10/day to enter if you have more than 2 vehicles. Everyone wants to be outside and camping most in large RV's with all the amenities and a dozen loud kids per. This is typical if you are looking for something else you will have to keep looking. Night time quiet hours are not enforced. Spaces are a little closer and tighter than other campgrounds.

• 

  Michael H.

  Scout

  May. 21, 2018

  Brushy Lake Recreation Area

  Beautiful park

  Currently there are 2 bathrooms with flush toilets and running water (1 nearest road has cold water showers), 3 covered pavilions with multiple concrete picnic tables. Sites are decently spaced with picnic tables near sites close to water, will need to form your own fire ring with stones. Boat ramp, dump station, and beautiful trees everywhere. There are water moccasins in this area so beware of them.

  Park is currently making an RV area with pads and it is closed while they upgrade.

  Free to camp there at time of review.

• 

  MickandKarla W.

  Legend

  Jun. 7, 2023

  Quail Creek RV Resort

  Well Run Campground

  We received an email with arrival information, which stated to pick up our site and park information at the shower and laundry facility as you entered the RV Park portion of the golf resort. The information provided a campground(CG) map and our site number. We proceeded to pull through site 25 with FHUs. The site was plenty long enough to situate and disconnect for our two-night stay. Some pull-through reviews stated spacious, and I guess if you rate pad length, that could be accurate, but the sites are close together. The water pressure was excellent, and we really liked the new cedar picnic table. We noticed WiFi transponders throughout the CG. This CG has the most WiFi transponders we’ve ever seen, counting five per row of 20 campsites. The CG WiFi was pretty good, but we put up our Starlink with no problem getting a northern shot. There would not have been a problem with a southern sky shot as well. Soon after we set up, the very nice CG host/manager came by to ensure we didn’t have any issues or questions, which we did not. We got 3 bars on Verizon. The CG is fairly large, with full-time or seasonal leases. They do not have a dog park, but there are plenty of areas to walk your dog. They have dedicated spots for short-term campers. The motel and golf course facilities are adjacent and are located further back on the property. It was nice that there was a separate road to the resort area as the locals drive rapidly to and from the golf course. We played a round of golf and were surprised that the course is not very well maintained, but it does get a lot of play. The CG and the golf course are actually separate entities even though they are co-located. Drove the 15 minutes into Hartselle and were pleasantly surprised by amenities such as the Walmart and especially a very nice, well-stocked Krogers. We enjoyed our stay at this very nice CG.

  Tip: Go left at the stop sign on Mt. Zion Rd from Nat Key Rd when departing the CG! When we departed, heading back towards the interstate, you come to a stop sign. Our RV GPS and Waze wanted us to turn right on Mt. Zion Rd instead of going left as we did when we arrived. We took the right turn, and about the time the trailer swung, we saw the drop-off into the ditch, and the driver’s side wheels went into it, knocking off a snap pad. We stopped at the old country store parking lot at the next turn and checked for damage. Thank goodness we only lost a snap pad.

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