Tons of things to do. Many great playgrounds, beach swimming, pier fishing, etc. However, campsites were ridiculously close together. Girl at the office was supposed to call when our site was ready, then never called. It would have helpful if she had mentioned that there was a code on our paperwork needed to get through the gate.
Oak Mountain State Park is Alabama’s largest state park. Located just outside of Birmingham, it’s easy to escape to nature without being too far off the beaten path. This park is HUGE! There’s so many things to do here, we plan to return when we have more time to explore!
We saw several hiking trails, a horseback riding area, a golf course, a lake with a beach and swimming area, plus kayak and boats, we also saw some kind of skiing tow rope area! It was really cool, I’d never seen one of those! I read the park is known for mountain biking also, and I noticed a few road bikes in the bike lane driving in.
We originally booked a tent site without electric, but it was blazing hot, so we decided to move to a site with electric so we could have fans in our rooftop tent and ended up in site A06. The site was shaded and there was no one in that area so we had great privacy. Our site backed up to the woods, so it was nice.
The tent (no electric) sites are the best in my opinion. Most are back in the woods and shaded. I don’t believe you can reserve a specific tent site, as they assign you one when you arrive, but there were so many great tent sites, i don’t think it would be a problem unless it was a super busy weekend. Most of the tent sites are walk in also, so if you have a rooftop tent, or car camping, these won’t work.
A loop seemed to have larger, wooded, sites with more privacy. B loop was wide open. The tent sites were great in both loops though.
The restrooms were ancient. They could use some updates, but they were clean and functional, and there were multiple facilities throughout the campground.
There’s a camp store at the check in area, they have the essentials, and they do have ice. The ladies working in there were really nice and helpful too.
Oak Mountain is a great spot to camp, just go when there’s not a heat wave in Alabama, and you have time to explore the park!
If you enjoy being in the woods alone, and free camping, this is the spot for you! We camped one night at the Hollins WMA camping area, and we were literally the only people there! I imagine it might be different during hunting season, but we stayed a night in early August and we were all alone!
We arrived at the campground late, as we were just looking for a place to camp for one night on our way to another campground, luckily the directions link on The Dyrt lead us right to it, via google maps. There is a Christmas tree farm at the entrance of the WMA, so when you see it, you’re close to the entrance, and the campground is a couple miles in, just keep going until you see the sign.
The camp is truly primative, however the road was in good shape, and the area is great. Lots of level spots, you can see the remnants of campfires, but it appeared as if no one has been there for some time. There’s no restrooms, water, electric, etc, but nature! Which is way better, if u ask me!
This spot was definitely one of the nicest free camping spots we’ve been to. Didn’t see any trash, and there were so many level spots to choose from. Really a great spot for us!
This place has a heartfelt history with the Indians and loads of stuff to do! There is a petting zoo, hiking trails, campgrounds, swimming spots, train to ride, and during the winter they have a light show!
Lots of trails and overlooks. Had lunch in the restaurant overlooking the area. The restrooms are very clean and nice. We stayed 2 nights in a travel trailer
Great Campgrounds and so much to do in the park. Great hiking trails and amazing views!! I come to Cheaha several times a month just to take pictures and find peace. I always look forward to coming up there.
We booked last minute hoping to squeeze in a camping trip, our 2yo first camping trip. We haven’t been camping in years but instantly impressed by this park. Very well maintained. Some of the nicest bath houses I’ve ever been in. Clean, ac and working.
We stayed at c99 which was a perfect spot for tents and kids. We were on a wedge between a water cove the bathrooms and the playground. Perfect location. The kids would play at the water, feeding fish or ducks and the adults would do the chores they needed too. The donut truck also shows up at the playground every morning. The big beach is a little walk (2-3blocks) but it’s worth it! There is a snack shack with pizza sandwiches burgers and ice cream, a zip line and the silo tower to explore.
The playground is practically brand new and huge. All the kids loved this. There is put put, kona ice and boat rentals.
The park seemed like it was at 90% capacity but you wouldn’t know it. It felt like a handful of people were at the beach and the playground, etc.
Definitely will be back soon.
The grounds are well maintained and the staff is on top of things. Great location on the lake, close to everything. So close you don’t even need to leave the RV park to see the frequent fireworks or the huge pelican gatherings.
We were pleased with the setup of this park and of course the beautiful Noccalula Waterfall!! We did a Girls trip with my 11 year old daughter and her friend. We loved the hiking down to the beach of the falls as well as finding the secret path to the rocks behind the falls. It’s beautiful and a great trip for children, youth, teens and adults! The Waterfall is definitely an AL Bucket List item, everyone should see. Nice park, and exceptional campgrounds. Loved it All!!
We stayed here for Camp-o-ween. Campers really got into decorating for the trick or treaters. Lots of fun activities planned by the park in the campground and around the park. Lots of variety in the sites for tent and RV campers.
Pine Glen is my favorite campground in this region of Alabama. It is fairly remote and has few amenities. (vault toilets and trash cans but nothing else at time of writing.) Shoal Creek runs right past the campground, giving a pleasant white noise at night, and it is situated in a glen of pine trees. It is open with little underbrush, but the sites are spaced out enough to have some privacy. The Pinhoti Trail runs straight through the campground and provides hiking opportunities, and if you are willing to drive a little while there is a lot to do in the area.
I loved the campground. My wife and kids were safe while I was away. The staff was more than awesome. They were very flexible working with me
Small sites Very long drive into the campsite. Some like the drive it wasn’t for us. Otherwise it was a really neat with bike trails wakeboard park fishing, golf, horseback stuff. Neat for a week stay or passing through
I love this park. Super friendly staff Storm shelter Zip line Boat rentals Restaurant Beach’s on the lake Boat ramp Places were alittle tight but was worth it. Little bit noisy at night but not unbearable. Also understandable bc there are over 500 spots. I spent 2 months there and loved everyday. We hated to leave
We stayed at campsite 117. Water spigot at site. Picknick table and fireplace. Lots of trees for hammocks. A few rocks on the ground and mostly level. The park has 4 separate camping areas, this one has no showers but flush toilets with sink at the picnic pavilion. This area is on an inclined road, just something to keep in mind when walking it up and down to pool area, campstore or bathrooms. Bigfoot trail start at the last campsite. About every 5th site has power, 117 has not. Sunrise and sunsets are both viewable since this campground area is right on top of the park. Easy access to secured trash cans. Fenced in dog park is located near the top of the road near the bathrooms. Overall very clean sites. Some are more level than others. They allowed us to check in early (11am) since the site was unoccupied. All trails are very short (0.5-1mile). Longer trails are accessible via a short car ride. Pool is available to all campers; clean and cool with restrooms. Staff was very friendly. Fire trucks rolled through in the mornings checking sites.
So many things are fantastic about this place. It’s close to the interstate (easy to get to), is mostly surrounded with water (and there are big swings to sit and enjoy the water views), has 3 clean pools (one an infinity pool) and an amazing splash pad, has a laundry, hosts are super friendly and upbeat, it’s clean, showers and restrooms are air conditioned, well lit and clean, well behaved pets are allowed. It would be especially fantastic for folks that are traveling with small children (up to young teens) or with no children. The only thing that we wished for were bigger sites. The sites around the water are very large and beautiful, so I’m referring to the interior ones. Ours would have been narrow for a pop up (all other RVs there were conventional hard sided self contained ones), except that the host put us in one with another empty one next to it (see how thoughtful and accommodating they are!) The gate is locked after 8pm, but you can get a key for a deposit of $10, which you get back when you leave. This means it is pretty secure at night. Lots of folks come and stay for several days, and return year after year, but ours was just an overnight, on our way home from the beach. We have a very good impression of this place.
This is a very well maintained campground with plenty to do. The facilities are very clean and management is very friendly. The only issue we had was the sites are extremely close together. However, if you had a group going together with multiple campers it would be awesome.
We 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.
Cheaha is beautiful and fit perfect for kids and families! We stayed in the Semi-Primitive space and picked a tent. Very clean and water was code by as well as restrooms. Picnic table and fire ring made cooking and dining simple. Parked right next to our tent spot. Walking distance to pool, look-out tower, and one of the picture perfect views at the hotel. Our first excursion was the lake. Very nice! Beach was clean with plenty of space. Park was there too. My kids loved the diving platform. Bathrooms were nice. It was super refreshing and awesome view! We cooked Chili for supper. Canopy of trees was pleasant and shady for Summer. We hit the lake again early the next morning. Hiked 3 trails with excellent views. All easy and enjoyable for all 3 of my kiddos, ages 6, 11 and 12. High Falls was my personal favorite. Also hiked Bold Rock and Pulpit Rock. Great park! We are for sure going back in the Fall!
Simple and enjoyable. Caretaker and author Sunny Eberhart (Nimblewill Nomad ) is wonderful to talk to. Access to southern terminus of the Pinhoti Trail. CCC tower and cabins from 1930’s.
My campground was great for true car campers. The campsite was only a few strides from my car and there was a water spigot 5 steps away. I went on a very busy weekend but typically there is less action. Also, I love that you can choose what type of camping you want- RV, car camping, or even backcountry!
We stayed in 2 sites over 3 days. One in each loop. Absolutely a place will would stay at again. The B loop is more packed in and your view may be of other campsites. The A loop is more spread out but your site will be right on the main road. The park is very well kept and the staff was more than friendly. There is something for everyone to do within the park including a golf course.
This was recommended by a friend and it did not disappoint . It was a great place to relax and unwind. We planned on just staying for the day and stayed the night just so we could spend another day at wind creek .
Primitive, some sites are maintained ground is unleveled in many places so be careful when picking a spot for your rig. They really could do some more updating but I’ll always return for that deep serene connection with nature. Horse trails are usually well maintained and marked which makes up for the super primitive camping. Nevertheless I will always love this place. Also don’t forget to visit the shoal creek chapel it’s lovely.
Clean, well kept and managed. Loads of stuff to do here! My kids love the hike to Peavine falls and swimming at the beach area. Bringing your own kayak saves you money and you can bike or ride horses all day!
