Looking for the best Talladega National Forest tent camping? Find the best tent camping sites near Talladega National Forest. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Talladega National Forest, Alabama's most popular destinations.
Enjoy nature at its best especially during the fall when mother nature dazzles you with an array of vibrant colors. This__ primitive camp is located near the Cheaha Wilderness Area and offers camping and hiking. Turnipseed Camp has sanitary facilities.
Follow the Cave Creek Trail until you reach the Pinhoti connector, and hang a right to take the Pinhoti Trail northbound. Look for a sign that points to McDill overlook, and follow a side trail for the last quarter mile. Along this side trail you’ll pass the wreckage of a small plane that supposedly crashed back in 1972. Look for blue and white pieces of the plane off the trail to your right. Keep going and you’ll eventually come to a campsite that would comfortably fit 3 or 4 tents, only about 100 yards shy of the overlook. Camping in this area is a great option because you’re close to the cliffs, but protected from the wind. There are also a few spots right at the cliffs that are big enough for a small tent or hammocks and have better views, but are a bit breezier. The boulder cliffs are an awesome place to hang out at sunset or for stargazing, just remember to keep a headlamp on you!
Bohamia is a 268 acre private forest retreat surrounded by 400,000 acres of the Talladega National Forest. You'll feel like a world away even though you are about an hour's drive from Birmingham and Atlanta.
Booking options include temperature controlled Glamping cabins with queen size beds and private decks, RV sites, and camp sites around the property. Gorgeous bathhouse (seriously) with private restrooms and endless hot showers.
Bohamia is best explored on foot or bicycle (or kayak in the case of our five acre spring fed pond and nearby Talladega Lake). We have miles of marked trails and many unmarked trails for adventurous types. We also have marked trail access to off property gems like Talladega Creek and the Blue Hole waterfall and swimming area.
All sites allow at least one vehicle to park nearby unless otherwise noted. In many cases you can have two vehicles by your site, or can park in group areas nearby when not loading or unloading.
$25 - $99 / night
Start hiking at Cheaha Trailhead, located at the far end of a parking area just before you get to Cheaha State Park on Highway 281. Follow the Cave Creek Trail until you reach the Pinhoti connector, and hang a right to take the Pinhoti Trail northbound. Look for a sign that points to McDill overlook, and follow a side trail for the last quarter mile. Along this side trail you’ll pass the wreckage of a small plane that supposedly crashed back in 1972. Look for blue and white pieces of the plane off the trail to your right. Keep going and you’ll eventually come to a campsite that would comfortably fit 3 or 4 tents, only about 100 yards shy of the overlook. Camping in this area is a great option because you’re close to the cliffs, but protected from the wind. There are also a few spots right at the cliffs that are big enough for a small tent or hammocks and have better views, but are a bit breezier. The boulder cliffs are an awesome place to hang out at sunset or for stargazing, just remember to keep a headlamp on you! The next day, backtrack the quarter mile and continue on the Pinhoti back towards Cheaha State Park. Several rocky outcroppings provide some good views along the way.
Not far from Cheaha State park is Lake Chinnabee Recreation Area. This 17-acre lake is tucked into a pastoral valley of peacefulness. Lake Chinnabee Recreation Area offers sanitary facilities, hiking, picnicking, fishing and the Chinnabee Silent Trail connects the campground to Cheaha Wilderness. Lake Chinnabee is an ideal spot to enjoy nature for daytime recreation.
Dispersed backcountry sites
Scout
Tent camping with family during Hurricane evacuation. Beautiful park, numerous bath houses, laundry, camp store, playgrounds, mini golf, and so much more. Secluded campground with RV and tent sites right on Lake Martin.
Guide
Cheaha was such a pleasant surprise. More like a resort, this park had tent camping, RV camping, a pool, a lake, cabins, a playground, and a restaurant with a view. We had a little trouble with the upper tent sites not being level because we have a roof top tent, but we were able to switch our site to one that was more level without much hassle. The views were just amazing, and it was lovely to have access to a pool.
Legend
This is another one of the U.S. Military Campgrounds (similar to the Maxwell/Gunter AFB one in Montgomery) and similarly, it caters primarily to RVs. There are a few tent sites available but they aren't very nice or well maintained. The whole campground is a bit run down and in need of attention and updating.
There is a boat launch and beach area. However, I wouldn't recommend spending much time in the beach area due to the large amount of garbage and pet waste. Oddly, dogs are allowed within the park but only if you are camping in a camper or RV. Dogs are not allowed in the tent camping area which I find odd.
We stayed here while visiting family in the area and I wouldn't stay here again. There isn't much to do unless you have a boat so you would be better off finding a different place to spend your time.
Legend
I had read about the mill and covered bridge, and we had planned to visit after leaving Cheaha State Park but we didn’t know there was also a campground. I looked for someone to talk with but did not see anyone out and about at 10 am on a Sunday (even though the park was open and many of the sites were occupied). The park itself is open Wednesday – Sunday, 9 am – 5 pm (although the website says 10 am). The admission price for the park listed on the website was $3 but had increased to $5 per person (payment is on the honor system if not staffed). I called later to find out if the camping rates had also increased and yes, they had. There is a choice of primitive tent camping ($15), tent sites with lights ($15), or camper pads ($30); the camper pads are FHU. The sites all appeared to be level and many of them (primarily the tent sites) are on or close to the river.
The restrooms were dimly lit and not the best but doable.
Canoe rentals are available (assuming only on days when the park is open) for half days: $5/hour, $15/half day, or $25 for a full day. The entrance sign also advertises disc golf.
Note that there are railroad tracks running through the park, but no trains went by when we visited so not sure how active they are (given our track record with trains and campgrounds, likely one would go thundering through at 3 am!)
Even though we visited when the park was supposedly open, I could not find anyone to talk to so this review is based on my observations and a follow-up phone call.
Traveler
Great RV park, new owners are awesome! Close to Talladega Super Speedway, Talladega National Forest and so much more!
Legend
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!
Traveler
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. 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.
GuideBeen tent camping here since 1997 and it continues to get better every visit!
Guide*It's been a while since my last visit, but since I camp there every year, several times each summer, I figured I'd go ahead and do a quick review anyway.
Every summer for the past few years I've traveled to Oak mountain, typically going several times each summer (July and August) to run the Southeastern trail series. Although there are numerous back country camp sites, I've always stayed at the campground due to its convenient location, and always stay at the same campsite (B6) each visit. The campground is divided into two sections (A & B) and each campsite has parking right at the site itself.
Although the first few tent sites on the B-side are located right off the road, they're set back far enough that they feel pretty secluded with plenty of trees to give a slight sense of privacy. These first few sites have no electrical hookup or water, but are located a short walking distance from the front bathhouse (bathroom and shower). The bathhouse directly across from my site is rarely busy, and the single shower is clean with plenty of hot water.
Each site has a cinderblock retaining wall, a picnic table, and a steel fire ring with a flip-top cooking grate. If you're tent camping, the pad is dirt with a layer of pea-gravel, so a sleeping pad is a must. Firewood is easy to find in the surrounding woods if there hasn't been a lot of people thru the area. Otherwise, wood is available at the store at the entrance to the campground. The campground is easily accessible from the parks back gate entrance, which is only a short driving distance to pretty much anything you could need (restaurants, gas, groceries, etc). There's even a small beach area at the back of the campground exclusive to campground guests. The staff is always friendly and reserving a campsite online is easy.
One of the great things about Oak Mountain State Park is that there's plenty to do aside from the camping; hiking, mountain biking, horse stables, a BMX track, an archery range, canoeing, paddle boats/ paddle boarding, several lakeside beaches with playgrounds, a wakeboarding course, a wildlife rehabilitation center, and a treetop nature boardwalk which features several enclosures where you can view birds of prey up close. Also, if you're into trail running or mountain biking, there are several race series held at the park each year.
All in all, I love this park and already have my reservations made again for this summer!
TravelerHad a great time we primitive tent camped toilets where very clean non drinking pump close by. Will be back soon
Scout
we stayed in a tent site in dec '22'' , the sites are very close together and the tent site we were on hardly had enough space for our 3 person backpacking tent . there are fire pits, grills, and tables available on each site as well as water . we appreciated the security gate and extremely clean and heated bathhouses with showers . the park has a nice playground and a pool we were unable to try during the winter months . the campground is very close to town and as so expect alot of noise from traffic
GuideI had booked a tent site at Oak Mountain - site unseen.
The tent sites were across from the RV sites (the RV sites in this area were very close together- there were other RV sites with more distance between). My site had power and water. There were two section on my site. One higher (I assume for tent setup) and one lower, surrounded by a wall of cinder blocks . The power and water hookup was just above the cinder blocks so I assume that area was for table/kitchen set up, or canopy/screenroom. I chose to setup my tent below the wall due to the ground being more level and flat (and a bit more privacy). The site was completely shaded so great for camping in warmer months, and the tent sites were spaced a good distance from each other.
My only drawback was that this was a carry-on site. You couldn’t park directly on the site. It wasn’t too terribly far of a walk, but it was up and down a steep hill. So me being unaware, did not bring appropriate way to carry my heavy gear 1000 feet or more , up and down a hill. Not a problem if you have a strong man with you, but for this 60 year old bird-it was a challenge.
All in all the tent sites are fairly spacious (don’t think you could put an 18 person tent tho) have good space between each site, have power and
water and are shaded.
Drawbacks would be the distance from parking to setup area.
Guidehas clean bathrooms (showers, toilets, water), wonderful hiking trails, RV and tent sites, nice park store, excellent park hotel, beautiful views
Legend
Open space RV site with places to park and hookup and an office where you can check in and pay for your site. They have a range of sites and a nice atmosphere. Much better option than those down the road. It is also very close to the Talladega National Forest and lots of great hiking so worth checking out if you are driving through the area with an RV.
RangerThe highest point in Alabama, this park has some stunning views, especially from the Pulpit Rock trail (an easy—except for the first steep decline—and relatively short hike from the road). We stayed in the hotel, which was fine for the cost (but did lose electricity for several hours). The campground was quiet in mid-December, but the sites on the outer ring looked pleasant. Would definitely love to come tent camping here again in the fall or spring.
RangerMy husband and I tent camped at Cheaha State Park in February,2019 as part of our quest to hike the highest point in every state. This park is probably much better for those not tent camping. First the store and staff are AWESOME! We had to change our stay to one night vs two due to the upcoming storm, no, problem. The hiking trails are great and the views are awesome. I think we were the only tent campers in the park. The actual site had no level ground to pitch our tent, we even tried a separate site since we were the only ones there, but no luck. The bathrooms had no shower, otherwise nice. The highest point is actually in the park, so it wasn’t much of a hike, but there is a nice tower and a museum that has much of the history of CCC. There are Pavillions and a restaurant on site. We couldn’t decide between 3 and 4 stars, but for tent campers we chose 3 due to reasons stated.
Traveler
Did some tent camping brought my inflatable fishing boat fish the river caught about eight bluegill and a couple Bass campsite has a fire pit and a grill and the bathroom is fairly close a wonderful experience will be doing this again real soon
ScoutCamped in a tent in a power & water hook up site. Our site wasn't the greatest. It didn't have any trees and one very bright street light, however, it was close to the bath house and pavilion. We were with a SOTF group, so I could hang my hammock on a friend's trees. We hiked around the large lake. It's a beautiful park! The staff was very friendly, helpful and had a great sense of humor! There are lots of trails, several lakes, horse stables, golf course, and a wildlife rescue center that does tours. Oh and a beach and paddle boats to rent. Would camp there in a heartbeat!
GuideI've been here a lot over the years and always find something new. There are cabins, RV and tent camping available. There is a bmx area, an aviary, kayaks, canoes, paddle boats. You can fish, ride horses, golf, swim and hike. They have an amphitheater and have lots of concerts, too.
GuideRV and tent sites, pool, clean bathrooms (running water, showers, toilets), close to gas stations, food, and a dollar general smaller sized campround. the falls makes it worth the stay. easy gravel walking/biking trails. Trails around and beneath the falls.
Legend
This is a really great option super close to the racetrack. The facilities are really nice and the staff takes great care of the space. They even have a dog run to let your pets run around. I don't know if it would be my first choice if I were tent camping but with an RV it is a wonderful place to stay.
GuideBeautiful large park. One night. Likes the site arrangements - interspersed with tent sites, parking pads at a different angle next to each other. Enjoyed the Peavine Falls Trail on the way out of the park in the morning. Have to buy a trail map. Damp wood from the camp store. TMobile good signal.
Legend
This is a classic RV campground that is along the Coosa River and provides easy access for launching a boat. Although they don't allow tent camping they have nice amenities for those traveling in an RV or other campervan. Overall, the rates are very reasonable and the location is great. There is not a lot of privacy but it is an ok trade for having such easy access to I20.
TravelerThis campground was a great place to get away! There are a lot of tent sites that are back in the woods for quiet and solitude. The swimming area and dock were a short walk from our campsite. The kids loved it. There are many beautiful trails for hiking. We did the hike to peavine falls! Beautiful!
Traveler
Great property and campground. A few RV sites, tent sites and all setup with privacy. Lots of land to explore and run around. About 45 minutes from Cheaha State Park which is very beautiful with lots of hiking and biking to do. John the host is very accommodating and takes great pride in this gem of a campground he has. We will be back!
TravelerThis place was awful. We pulled into our “camping spot” and pulled right back out. It was packed in like sardines and even if we were not in a pandemic, it was too crowded. Not exactly camping. It’s just a spot on a over crowded lake to park you’re RV. Do not expect to tent camp here. The staff was super helpful and very polite though, which is why I am not giving it one star.
Guide
Well maintained clean campground. Trails close by, beautiful creek runs through although not all sites have access because of high banks. Clean bath house but no power at sites. Large sites if you have a group (reservations for groups of 20 or more other wise first come first serve. Used mostly by bike riders on the trail. We tent camped but travel trailers are welcome and plenty of room. We have Verizon phones and service is there but weak.
Tent camping near Talladega National Forest in Alabama offers a serene escape into nature, with a variety of well-reviewed sites that cater to outdoor enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Talladega National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Talladega National Forest is Turnipseed Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 16 reviews.
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