Best Glamping near Tuscumbia, AL

This campground is located in our hometown of Florence AL and is a Gem of a City Campground.  It is a staple as far as local campers are concerned because of its serene setting while at the same time being so coinvent to so many wonderful attractions. Only a mile or two from some wonderful local restaurants and retail as well as being convenient to the Cities of Sheffield, Tuscumbia and Muscle Shoals, all of which are 5 miles or less.  Its a beautiful setting along the Tennessee River (Pickwick Lake).  Boat launches, picnic pavilions, frisbee golf, fishing pier and a beach in the same park.  Wonderful place to watch sunsets and Sun Rises on the River

Ended up at this location after a crappy night in Alabama. It was very clean nice location. Very nice Mississippi State Park Campground. All the staff were very friendly and Gary was a great guy that we chatted with for a bit after checking in. Restrooms were clean and air conditioned. Family type campgrounds with friendly happy campers. We will be back a lot more in the future.

Located in Northwest Alabama, not far from the Sipsey Wilderness, Dismals Canyon offers an unparalleled camping experience that stands out in the state. While it may lean toward the higher end in terms of cost, the memories you create during a special weekend getaway here are absolutely worth it. During our most recent visit, we chose to stay in one of the cozy cabins, but the campgrounds also present an excellent lodging option. These cabins feature a generously sized kitchen, a warm and inviting living room complete with a fireplace, and two comfortable bedrooms. Outside, there are ample spaces perfect for relaxation and al fresco dining. The campgrounds are situated just across the street from the rest of the park and require a short stroll to reach. They offer a variety of camping choices, each with its unique appeal. For more detailed information about these options, you can refer to their website. A standout experience during our stay was embarking on the night hike the first evening we arrived. This adventure allowed us to explore the canyon in the darkness before immersing ourselves in its beauty during daylight hours. We were fortunate enough to enjoy a private tour on a Friday night and were treated to a mesmerizing display of glow worms, which call this canyon home. While the trails within Dismals Canyon may not be particularly lengthy, you'll find yourself utterly captivated by the allure of the surroundings. Be sure to allocate a full day to fully explore and lose yourself in the canyon's enchantment. In summary, Dismals Canyon delivers a camping experience like no other in Northwest Alabama, close to the Sipsey Wilderness. Whether you opt for the cozy cabins or the campgrounds, you'll be treated to a remarkable getaway. Don't pass up the opportunity to embark on a night hike to witness the canyon's beauty illuminated by the glow worms. With its captivating charm, Dismals Canyon guarantees cherished memories.

I really liked staying here. Lots of space in the forest and a few spots right at the water. Almost no one here in July 2023. Free!

Cant camp here anymore it’s private property and closed off don’t go there

I have camped here twice so far and it is a nice, basic campground. We tent camped but there were a couple of RV's there, so I know there are places for them. It is on a nice stretch of the Tennessee River, and you can swim, fish, and boat there. Plenty of camp sites and very spacious. Popular with the locals and fairly secluded. Pretty woodland all around. There is a bathhouse with toilets, sinks, and cold showers. The bathhouse is pretty centrally located and there are electric lights around it. Usually not crowded. Plenty of dead wood to collect for firewood. There is a covered area with picnic tables near the bathhouse. Also a few picnic tables around the grounds. There are also plenty of trash cans and fire pits. You can park right next to your site. Very good for family camping. Within a few miles there are a couple of gas stations/convenience stores. Some cell service works out there, some not so much.

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.

This is a nice little spot but they nickel and dime you to death. Sites are anywhere from $27/night to $48/night. But then they also charge you a $5 cleaning fee (for a campsite????) and a "one time admission fee" of $30 (good for up to 4 people, additional people = additional money). Oh, they also charge a $50 refundable damage deposit due to excessive issues with campfire damage. Feels more like renting an apartment, not a campsite.

There's no denying that the scenery is beautiful, but I don't know that I would stay here again as amenities are minimal and fees are excessive.

Expensive fees, but worth a visit. They protect the canyon habitat. Primitive sites, but bathroom access near the canyon entrance. Beautiful campsite at sleeping water. Great for a larger group.

My family has been going to Dismals Canyon since I was a child, and my mother's parents took her when she was a child. Now I take my children. The reason we return year after year is that it is absolutely gorgeous, and is one of the few places in the world where you can see the tiny glow worms called Dismalites. When you first arrive, you go down to the little general store that now has a cafe. I have not eaten at the cafe, so I can't attest to the quality of the food, but I can say everyone who has worked there has always been very friendly and knowledgeable about the canyon. Here you will pay for your campsite and/or your canyon access. Day tours are self guided, but the night tours to see the dismalites are guided. The campground is relatively expensive, for our area anyway, but it is very clean and beautiful, and each campsite we have visited has been very private. There is a nice bathhouse for campers. Each campsite also provides garbage cans and a fire pit. They DO NOT let you bring in firewood, but you can get firewood there. Also you cannot park right next to your site, you will have to park in the parking area and walk to your site. All of their rules are very strict, but they do so to preserve the park in a clean, natural state. There is a nice fairly deep reservoir to swim in, as well as creeks and streams throughout. Also waterfalls, giant trees, and many neat rock structures. The trail through the canyon is not terribly difficult. I hiked it with my 2 year old strapped to my back the last time we went, and my 62 year old mother and 5 year old in tow. The hardest part is really the long stairs going into and out of the canyon. The cost is really the only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5. Bring bug spray.

Totally recommend seeing the canyon, but the campsites are in rough shape. Totally eroded with no level spot for a tent. Not an enjoyable camping experience for a really cool place.

We stayed in early August for 2 nights in the Sleeping Waters campground.

We got there pretty late (after dark) for setting up camp, and I do not recommend doing that. It's about a quarter of a mile walk to the campsite, but the site is absolutely gorgeous! Very secluded and very roomy! The waterfall at the campsite is not large, but it still makes noise.

After we got everything set up and got all the lights out, we noticed the glowing dismalites along the Canyon wall behind our tent!! It was super cool. We also had a creek flowing with crawdads, minnows, and bull frogs. Plenty of wildlife!!

The canyon was pretty cool! The waterfalls were awesome and I loved all the spur trails. Disclaimer: be prepared to get your feet wet!!

The Canyon and campsite were pet friendly. Dogs were even welcome in the country store!! Just not in the seating area for the Soda Fountain.

I have few, minor complaints.. 1) I booked this campsite earlier in the year (early spring, I believe). I specifically wanted a night tour. They did not tell me that they wouldn't have night tours at that time of year. I wish I would've known, as I would've planned the trip for spring or fall. 2) the gate to get into the Canyon after hours for the bath house was difficult to operate. I'd pinch the code in and it wouldn't open. It would take several tries. The gate for the campsite area worked great! 3) The gate leading to the campsites was not marked. At night, it was challenging to determine where to park. 4) In the Canyon itself, not all of the landmarks were marked!! We had a map, but we had never been there before, so we weren't able to find everything easily.

The scenery was absolutely amazing! I’ve been to dismals canyons a few times but this was my first camp. We stayed under the waterfall the first night which was amazing but the other site had zero level ground and we found ourselves waking up multiple times just to scoot ourselves back up in our tent. We also had an awful experience with the lady at the desk after we were completely jipped our night tour that we weren’t given and weren’t refunded. But the nature itself is amazing. I won’t be back

We camped over the weekend in the old part of the campground. All sites have a firepit and a picnic bench. The sites are not very leveled and some were kinda flooded after heavy rain. It was just a bit run down. The bathhouse was old but clean and had good water pressure. The sites on the other side of the lake were absolutely beautiful and definitely newer. A lot of things in the campground were closed like the pool, lodge, and nature center. It seems they were under construction. The park has several trails to hike on. We did the one starting on the swinging bridge. They was good water access from a creek along the way, which was perfect for the dogs to cool off. We also visited Tupelo, which is about 50 min away. It was very interesting to see, where Elvis was from. I'm not sure if I would camp here again. Maybe in the late fall or winter time, when it's not so hot and humid.

We stayed on site 61. The spaces are all on or near the water. There’s plenty of wood to gather for campfires. The park has beautiful hiking trails and the ride down the Natchez Trace Parkway to get there is a must take drive, free of red lights, billboards and traffic with many amazing points of interest along the way. Highly recommend!

We've visited Tishomingo State Park twice in the last few months.  The first was in February when we stayed at the cabins.  They have big porches, a kitchen, bathroom, and two beds which was perfect for two couples to visit.  They are quite old, but it adds to the charm of the cabins.  We had a fire in the fire pit at night, played disc golf, hiked, and walked down to the river to sit a bit.  Such a nice weekend!

Easter weekend we took our camper to Tishomingo State Park.  It was a lovely time despite the rain on Friday night!  We spent one afternoon playing disc golf and hiking.  The hiking trails are lovely!  Our dog enjoyed it too.  On Easter weekend, there is a huge Easter egg hunt for children which drew a lot of people.