Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Talladega National Forest

Stayed at site 13, level gravel sites with picnic table on concrete pad, fire ring, FHU. Extended stays at the back of park and closer to hwy 20. There is a nice dog park, playground, covered pavilion, laundry room, dated bathroom, but clean. Shirley reserved our spot, and helped us pull through,and hook up, with our new RV! There is a little path/bridge, so We walked over to Camping World to get our bigger RV. The next morning, we had a few questions, so the Camping World service employee, came over (on a golf cart)to answer them. We decided to stay another night, and it was easy enough for Shirley to extend our reservation. If we were in the area again we would go back. There is a lot to do in the area….Talladega National Forest, Talladega SuperSpeedway and Cheaha State Park.T-Mobile was good, and paid about $30 night with Good Sam Discount. This Campground is also known as CWGS Campground of Oxford.

Check out my other reviews of this trail to get a better picture of the backpacking options in the area. Talladega national forest has some amazing trails and campsites available. 

This particular site is located a short way into the woods from the parking area for the Chinnabee silent trailhead and not far from the Turnipseed campground. It is at the intersection of two trails leading down from the main road. It could work for several tents in the dry season but we somewhat waterlogged when we were there in the spring. Not the worst last-minute place to set up camp but there are much better sites further along the trail.

This campground is great for two reasons. First off it is in the Talladega National forest and close to some incredible hiking and views. Second it is well setup with lots of space for each campground along with individual picnic benches and fire pits. Camping here you will get lots of privacy and it wont feel overcrowded like so many of the other sites in the area. Additionally you don't have to worry about pesky check ins since you just fill out a form and drop off your $5 fee in the box. The fall is a great time to see this area since the leaves are gone and the views open up. Give yourself plenty of time to go on several hikes to see the different peaks in each direction on the trails.

My wife and I recently got a chance to escape all the craziness of COVID lockdown and take a socially distanced backpacking trip in Talladega National Forest. We took the Chinnabee silent trail from the parking lot along Cheaha rd and camped out in one of the secluded sites next to the falls. The site we stayed at is in the area of Cheaha falls but is behind a couple of other campsites in its own secluded area. You just follow the river upstream to get there. The site is fairly large and big enough for a couple of tents with nice flat cleared out ground. It also has enough tree cover that you get a good bit of privacy and are away from the main trail. It also has a wonderful access point to the water for filling up your bottles or rinsing off after a hot day of hiking. We even found the perfect tree for hanging out food bag. I would definitely suggest visiting in springtime since everything is magical when the plants are blooming and all the wildlife is out and exploring. Also, make sure to continue along the trail for a couple more miles to see the larger falls where you can climb down and get a much-needed swim in the hotter months.

The Chief Ladiga Trail is a rails to trails bike path running from Piedmont, AL to the Georgia state line then continues almost to Atlanta as the Silver Comet Trail. My wife and I decided to try out bike camping on this trail since the wide flat paved path makes it easy to carry a bunch of gear on the back of your bike. The paid campground is located a couple miles before you hit the state line and makes a great spot to sleep at after 1 full day if you start at the Alabama trailhead. The campground is in the middle of the Talladega national forest and when you arrive it has a path directly off of the trail. When we were there in mid April the campground was only about 10 percent full so we had a lot of privacy which was really wonderful. Most of the sites are fairly spacious but there is no trees or other dividers since they are mostly organized in an open field. The nice thing is though the sites are along a little stream that is large enough to go swimming in and helps to cool off after a long day of biking. The facility also has bathrooms and showers if you prefer though they were a short walk from where we stayed. The people at the campground were super friendly and didn't have an issue with the fact that we didn't pay till the morning after we camped. The cost was $25 which was on the more expensive side for a campground but would be worth it if you bring a group since the cost is not per person. Another advantage to this campground is its proximity to the Pinhoti trail.

My wife and I recently got a chance to escape all the craziness of COVID lockdown and take a socially distanced backpacking trip in Talladega National Forest. We took the Chinnabee silent trail from the parking lot along Cheaha rd and camped out in one of the secluded sites next to the falls. (Check out my other review related to that site) After setting up camp we continued our hike passing the shelter at the top of the hill along the way. Although I have visited the site on previous trips I have not been here in the height of spring and seen just how beautiful the space is with all the flowers blooming. The shelter is situated at the top of the hill after crossing the falls and it has a magnificent view of the surrounding mountains. Although you won't get the same sight distance as you do by taking the Pinhoti to the top of the ridge the cover provided by the trees creates a magical environment. On top of the beauty of the foliage, the wildlife was really starting to come out. We saw so many birds and even found a nest that was built in a bush along the trail. In terms of the sleeping accommodations, the shelter is like most you will find along these kinds of trails with a raised platform and a roof that is closed in on three sides. Others in this wilderness area have loft areas but this one is a single level and is relatively exposed. Overall, it can really be a lifesaver if bad weather or heavy rain is in the forecast but personally I prefer to be under an open sky whenever possible. Another thing to consider is that the shelter is often occupied but there are enough alternate campgrounds that this shouldn't be too much of a concern.