Camping near Chickasaw National Recreation Area

Fun area with waterfall, camping, swimming, and zip lines. You have to pay to enter the park and than you have access to everything inside including restaurants and stores. It can get real loud in here as people tend to have music playing loud ALL DAY. The trails are awesome, there is even a cave in an off the trail area back behind the bathrooms at the waterfall. Stay in the wash out area and hike up a ways and than off to your left you climb this up hill rock boulder up to the cave. I'd ask for directions. There are trails back there to that take you up the creek above the waterfall. It's a big area

 We've never been to Chickasaw National Recreation Area so I tried to reserve a site online but they were ALL booked (Memorial Day Weekend). We drove down Thursday night to try to snag a FCFS site. We drove first to Buckhorn but almost every site was full. This seems like the popular grounds for campers with kids. A bit active for our taste so we made the 30 minute drive over to The Point expecting the same. We found all of the tent sites at The Point were empty. I don't know why, the energy was much calmer and quieter. We walked around to found the best site for us. By Friday night the RV sites were all full but there were only a few other tent campers. On the topic of RV’s… The generator hours are 7AM-9AM, 7PM-9PM. We didn’t hear a single generator over our 4 days there. 

The tent sites are walk-in, not too far from the parking spots. Each are pretty secluded and quiet until Saturday when one of the tent sites decided to play their music loud enough for half of the grounds to hear all day long. There is NO cell or internet signal other than one sweet spot by the bathrooms, so you may get a surge of texts and missed call notifications while you're doing your business. 

The grounds are very well kept, bathrooms clean, roads clear, and minimal trash at the sites. The timed showers are solar heated and the water temp was pleasant. 

When the sun starts setting the wildlife start to appear. 3 deer passed right by our campsite with no fear. And I watched a family of squirrels having a good day in a tree we had our tarp tied to. We’ll be going back to experience all of the touristy stuff that we missed due to last minute planning.

I stayed at Red Bay Acres RV Resort for a week while passing through northern Alabama, and overall, it’s one of those places that delivers exactly what it promises— a calm, no-frills base with just enough personality to make it memorable. The grounds are mostly flat, which makes parking and leveling easy, especially for larger rigs. There’s a light mix of trees across the property, so while it’s not heavily wooded, you’ll find a bit of shade if you plan your site right. The resort isn’t overly packed with amenities, but that kind of works in its favor. If you’re looking for a peaceful stopover rather than a full-on campground experience with rec halls and loud music, this is your spot. It’s quiet, clean, and the community vibe is friendly without being too close for comfort. The hookups worked flawlessly, and the Wi-Fi was surprisingly decent considering how remote the area feels. Red Bay itself is small but has a certain charm, especially if you’re into RV culture. The Tiffin Motorhomes factory is just a few minutes away— a great tour if you’ve never seen how those rigs come together. The Red Bay Museum also adds a nice local touch if you want a quick dose of history without the usual touristy feel. Grocery options are limited, so plan ahead if you're staying more than a couple days. Evenings were laid-back— just enough time to sit out, unwind, and do a bit of light reading or casual browsing. I tend to rotate in and out of quiet digital distractions during downtime, and lately, I’ve found platforms like megapari surprisingly effective for short, low-pressure play sessions. Just something to tap through while the sun drops behind the trees and the campground settles in for the night. If you’re rolling through Alabama and need a well-kept, simple place to recharge— Red Bay Acres does the job. Nothing fancy, but exactly what it needs to be.