Best Tent Camping near Natural Bridge, AL

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

Great if you want to canoe or paddle board while camping. Has a little island not far by canoe. You can’t drive to the tent spots, but there is a parking lot close by. The tent camping is almost never crowded.

I arrived without a reservation trying to get one of the first come first serve spots. There is a gate without intercom, so you can’t just drive up. I called the phone number listed and the woman on the phone gave me the gate code and told me which sites were available. Worked out pretty well. Stayed in 22. One bathhouse is open. Another one I tried was locked due to Covid. Clean. Yellohammer sites have full hookup. Then there are tent sites. I was contemplating getting a tent site with my van, but they were pretty unlevel and small. There is a public boat ramp and one specifically for the campground. Water level was still very high in the lake after recent rains and storms.

We had one of the primitive tent sites. It was great and hardly anyone else was at the park. Too cold for the water when we went. Bathrooms could have been nicer but better than nothing.

I went here for tent camping and had a nice time but it was mostly families with RVs. There is a nice lake where a lot of people were boating as well. I did the firefly loop and I was the only tent camper everyone else was in an RV. Restrooms at the campground were closed due to covid. Also they emailed me the gate code and info to get into the campground but I didn’t see it until after I left. I luckily ran into the campground host and she was able to direct me.

My husband and I went on our first camper trip here. It was breathtakingly beautiful! They have a rope course, water activities/rentals, cabins, rv/camper/tent sites waterside, and more. We fished feet from our camper off of the bank. They have a tie-down for animals, fire pit (with grill), all the hook ups for the rv/campers, and even gave us free food upon arrival. It was a perfect getaway for just the 2 of us, but we plan to bring our children next time!

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.

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!

This campground is a nice quiet campground. They have about 90 spots for you to camp which includes primitive spots. The campground is very shaded with tall pine trees, for most of the day depending on what site you are on. Most sites have very nice views of the water also. Most sites a spacious and have plenty of room behind them. There’s several RV sites right on the water and all tent sites are on the water. The tent sites didn’t look to level to me but there were some places that I saw that wasn’t bad. All the approved sites had water and electric hook ups, concrete picnic tables that were on a slab so that didn’t move. One downside was no grills or fire rings at the sites. However previous campers had makeshift rings out of rocks that were at several sites and you can make your own so fires are permitted. They did have a couple of bathhouses which had only one shower for each gender. They did not have doors going into them. Water was hot but no pressure. There was a huge open grass area were all the kids would gather and play. To use the lake or go to the beach area that was down the road you had to purchase a BCDA permit for ages 16-65. $3 a day or $10 for 3 day for each individual. There is a play ground at the entrance that has a pavilion, and a basketball court. There’s a boat ramp at the entrance as well. The dump station and garbage dumpsters are at least a 1/4 mile from any of the sites. There is no store to purchase things but there is a Dollar General about a mile from the campground if you need something. This campground is a first come first serve and do not take reservations, but if you call the day of you can pay over the phone to ensure you have a spot. The attendant was very friendly and helpful. Overall we enjoyed our stay and will definitely be back.

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.

I had never really heard about this wonderful place until it was suggested to me on a comment asking about finding the elusive Hellbender salamander. Tucked in the northeast corner of Mississippi are the foothills of the Appalachian Mountain Range. You all know how much I love mountains. So we had to go check it out. And I'm so glad we did.

The landscape is like no other you'll find in MS. The various rock formations, trails and creeks that make up the park provide numerous opportunities for exploring all aspects of this well kept secret. The park is also steeped in a rich history of the Native Americans who once walked the lands and the Civilian Conservation Corps who constructed the park. If you're into geology, the rock formations are pretty fascinating.

Whether you're a small kid or a kid trapped in an adult's body like myself, you'll find something to do here. The pictures in the link will give you an idea of what to look forward to along with a few nearby spots. My only minimal complaint was that the standard campsites were a little too close together, in my opinion. Otherwise, I was uber impressed.

Things to do:

Tent camp - Standard & Primitive

RV or Car/Truck camping

Hammock camping

Group camping & Family Cabins

Fishing, Hiking, Kayaking, Canoeing, Rock Climbing (with permit), Bike Riding, Herping, Birding, Disc Golf or just plain Relaxing

Amenities:

Power connections at all camping slots with the exception of the primitive sites

Bathroom and Shower facilities

Pavillions

Picnic tables & grills

Park office

(You can view my photos via FB on Crazy Camping Chick.)

Campground Review:

Sipsey is one of the real jewels of Alabama for backpacking and you really feel like you are in another world while wandering though these woods. There are so many different trail loops and through each you can see lots of different streams and waterfalls. The major advantage to backpacking in Sipsey is that there are tons and tons of campgrounds. You hike along the river and almost every quarter mile you come across a set up campground and each is more beautiful than the last. We did a backpacking trip with friends here in the middle of the summer and it sure was hot. Luckily though the rivers made for a great way to cool off. Just make sure to check the weather in advance cause the rivers can be dried up the wrong time of year or you can get heavy rain. The weather in Alabama can change at any moment.

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**Product Review:**

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I tested the Tentsile Connect Tree Tent. I got it as a graduation gift and it is one of the coolest tents I have ever used.

After using it both car camping and backpacking my favorite things about the tent are:

1. Coolness factor: I mean who can say they never dreamed of living in a tree house! This is definitely the adult version of that dream. Every time I set up the tent I get tons of questions from people who are interested. It is such a cool experience to sleep off the ground while not being cramped up in a traditional hammock.
2. Location flexibility: Because the tent can be setup anywhere you find 3 trees that are spaced far enough apart you don't have to worry about the ground not being flat. This is also useful if rain is in the forecast because we had no issues with ground water. Although it can be a challenge at first to learn the setup process after a few years with the tent it gets much easier. The key is just getting everything level and balanced.
3. Comfort: When you get the tent set up right it is one of the most comfortable ways to camp. My wife and I each have our side of the tent and you don't have to worry about rocky ground.

I'm updating my review from 2 stars to one because not only are these the world's tiniest campsites with no buffer between you and next site, they apparently have no limits as to how many people, vehicles, or tents are allowed on one site. The tiny site 5 feet from my camper had 6 vehicles last night blocking the road so I could not even get to my site. They have 8 people a pop up camper and tent all encroaching on what little space I had. The other side of me has now set up two tents on my site. Horrible. Alabama state parks should be ashamed of themselves. What a rip off.

Sipsey wilderness is one of my favorite places in Alabama to go backpacking, especially in the spring in fall when the weather is not absurdly hot and the mosquitos are not out to kill. There are many small backcountry campsites all along the trails and I have tried to catalog and review as many of them as I can to help people plan their trips to the area. Make sure to take a look at my other reviews to get a more comprehensive view of my favorite trails and places to stay. This site is located right next to a small waterfall in a little alcove off of the main trail. It is really an incredibly beautiful space and I suggest visiting even if you don't end up setting camp here. The ground is relatively level and sandy which makes for a comfortable tent setup. However, the water levels in Sipsey are highly variable since we get a lot of rain in Alabama and most of the levels are dependent on runoff. Overall, it may not be the best option depending on the time of year but if you gauge it right the space is peaceful and the sound of the water can help lull you to sleep.