Best Glamping in Alabama

PROS 

Quiet 

Minimal streetlights 

Site 435 level 

Asphalt parking pad is extended as an area for the picnic table 

Pedestal BBQ in good condition and free of ash upon arrival 

Moveable metal and wooden picnic table 

Super clean climate controlled bathhouses 

Very nice, large, park laundromat with coin changing machine. Detergent sold at camp store. 

Recycling available at dump station 

Super bike trails 

Good park WiFi 

TMobile 3 bars 

CONS 

No senior or vet discount 

15.25% resort fee charged 

15% sales tax charged

$5 reservation fee charged 

Site 425 no shade - we were HOT in January! 

No info provided that state park does not provide campfire rings. Campfires are permitted but you must bring your own campfire ring/pit 

Picnic table top rotted leaving large holes and unuseable

Two roll-off compactors for the campground located at the dump station near the entrance/exit. If you are not camping in that area you are in for a hike.

We stayed 4 nights at Gulf State Park, over the 4th of July, 2019. We made the reservations online, and would have done better to have made them a few months earlier, so that we could have insured more shade for our site. But, we could see the lake across the road, and we were really close to the air conditioned bath house/restrooms, and within a short walk from the swimming pool, nature center, lily pond, camp store, air conditioned laundry, tennis courts,swings, etc. It was a pretty good site, if lacking good shade. There was a camp dog show, a poster contest, a bicycle decorating parade/contest, and an ongoing day camp for the kids (seemed to be Christian based, and we didn’t have time to check it out). The beach is not close enough to walk, but you drive to a parking lot and walk out on the boardwalk next to a pavilion which has restrooms, and an outdoor shower to help you get rid of sand. Waves are pretty calm, so older kids a can enjoy it without having to have an adult holding them. Nice afternoon breezes. When we needed medical care for a problem, the staff were very helpful in telling us which place would be best for our needs. Friendly staff all round. We all felt very safe in this campground.

We stayed in the Antioch loop on site 93. The site was super close to 92 and 94. We felt we had no personal space. A couple kept walking through our campsite to get to a boat they had parked at our site. I love rustic but Antioch was not rustic, it was over grown and did not look maintained. We think they are letting the Antioch loop go. If that something you like, over grown and close, Antioch loop is for you. We do plan to come back and will try out the Catoma Loop. Catoma Loop looks more like what we enjoy; spaced out, maintained and welcoming.

The retreat offers several amenities including showers, laundromat, and gas grills. There are even bouncy houses and playgrounds for the kids.

It's located on the river and they have a pet beach separate so even your dogs can enjoy the water.

The camp manager is nice and very helpful. They are definitely a great asset.

Full service hookups are currently limited as they work on an expansion, but they do have plenty of water/power hookups both off and on the river. There's also a cabin, glamping tents, and a tiny house. There are plenty of shaded spots.

There are a few long term residents who are friendly and welcoming.

I definitely recommend this campground for a fun, relaxing stay.

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.

I stayed here for 8 weeks while travel nursing at a local hospital. I had previously moved from another campground I did not feel safe at. Boy was this place a breath of fresh air! The staff was very nice and accommodating! They patrolled the grounds on golf carts frequently. There are only two single serve bathrooms with showers on site, but they were well maintained and also had heat lamps for the wintertime. The laundry room was small with only two slightly dated washers and dryers, but they got the job done. You just had to time it to get in the queue. Each site had a picnic table, but sadly not all of them had fire pit rings. Mine was one that did not. All of the sites were gravel paved, but they were very level. The staff works hard to upkeep the sites by delivering fresh gravel to sites with a tractor when campers leave. The staff was very kind to come by and warn us when we were expecting freezing temps to help prevent our pipes from freezing. They even carried my trash bag up to the dumpster once on their golf cart so I wouldn’t have to! My biggest complaint here was the spotty WiFi, but that’s to be expected at most parks. This park is right up the street from Alabama Safari Park, and there are a few restaurants up the road near the interstate. Overall, I highly recommend this park! Loved staying here, and would definitely return again! It’s a quick hop on the interstate to get to Montgomery or Prattville.