great campground, better hiking!

Came to stay at this campground because we wanted to do some hiking nearby that we haven't done in FOREVER! We really loved this campground, and was surprised to find that it was super busy when we were there. People love this place, especially in the summer time. I also think people had the same thing in mind that we did, because the hiking trails were super busy too! The campground was fairly big, not sure how many campsites there were but seemed to be about 25ish. The restroom was fairly clean, and there was a water spigot as well which was nice. We brought plenty of water because we knew we would be hiking, but nice to know that you could use that if you ran out of water. The campground was easy to locate, and the road leading to the campground was in great shape. I read some reviews online that the road was super bumpy, but didn't seem to notice that. We did have a truck, though so maybe that's why. There is a picnic table and fire ring within the campsite which was nice. We used the fire ring during the evenings to make smores! Bring your own firewood :) We had to let some people borrow ours that we brought. Awesome hiking nearby, definitely put that on your to do list!

First to Review
Okay campground

I wasn't really a huge fan of this campground, but the hiking and outdoor nature was great. We saw tons of chipmunks around, they were definitely after our food both at our campsite and hiking. Wish I would have got some pictures of them! We also really enjoyed doing some bird watching and trying to figure out what birds were which. My grandpa brought his bird book, so we were able to look in there and find what birds we were seeing. The experience of doing it was worth it! There were definitely lots of different beautiful colored birds. Really enjoyed the hiking and nature walks. The paths were so beautiful, I couldn't help but take pictures of it all. Felt like we were the only ones on the paths, because they were bare and we hardly saw anyone. People used on of the trails for trail running, which looked like a ton of fun. We passed a few runners on our way up and back. The views from the top were amazing. The campground was a bit small and dirty. There was garbage everywhere it seemed, and the bathrooms were a mess. Not sure if people using the trails also use the bathrooms, BUT it was gross and smelly. Bring your own toilet paper would be my suggestion and plug your nose! We probably wouldn't come back and stay here again, but would come back to go hiking on the trails.!

Such a cool place!

This campground is so cool, I would definitely come back and stay here! The name of the campground is just so cool, too. There are waterfront campsites which we really LOVE!! You cant beat waterfront and being able to step outside your tent and see water. What also loved was that I didn't feel crammed by other people. There was plenty of room between sites, and going in the summer time I still didn't feel like I was on top of our neighbors. It was a bit loud but didn't bother us. Being able to play in the water was super nice as well. We love camping in places that have water close by to do things during the day. We brought floaties and just hung out in the water during the afternoon to escape the hot weather. We also did some hiking in the morning which was a blast. Highly recommend doing that. The campground was fairly clean, although we did pick up some trash a few times from people leaving their food by the water. This was a little annoying, but we picked it up anyways. There are garbage's around so not sure why people still leave there garbage around. Would come back and enjoy this place again, but would love to come with tons of friends next time!!

Had a blast!

What an amazing place to visit. We enjoyed camping here, and loved finding gem places nearby. We did a hike that lead us to a wonderful water hole that we were able to jump in and swing off a tree into the water. We had such a blast. The campground was great, clean and the people working there were awesome. They gave us the idea to hike to the place with the water hole. THe rangers were super helpful and nice! Recommend talking to them. Also, the campsite were big. The bugs drove me nuts! Bring bug spray however i felt like that didnt really work for me!

Great stay

Loved my stay here with my family and extended family. NC was a perfect place to hold a family reunion. We camped here and 2 other places, and loved every second of it. We did some awesome hikes nearby, and also did some biking. The trails were great, as was the weather. NC is such a great state, and I honestly didnt know how much it had to offer outdoors. We loved staying at this campground, and actually had 4 spots with RVS. They had hookups, and water hookups as well. It was perfect for our large family get together. We used the fire pits they provided and cooked dinner over them. It was a little busy because if the summer months, but it was nice we had an RV. It was a little loud because of how many people there were, but once we got inside our RV we couldnt really hear anyone else. They had a great picnic area that was large enough for our family to have lunch. There was also a playground for the younger kids, and a basketball court as well. 1 bathroom on site, but luckily our RVs had bathrooms so we didnt have to use them. There was an awesome lake nearby that we found a cool rock to do some flips off of!

Really enjoyed our stay

My family and I really enjoyed staying at the Piney Campground. Here are some things we really liked about camping here:

  1. Easy to locate- nothing is worse than printing off direction or using your phone to navigate and you still cant find the campground. This campground was easy to find, right of the road, and great signage.
  2. Big spaces- My family and I love when the campsite spaces are big enough for 2 tents, the table, fire ring and car. I loved that the spaces were big, and each campsite was separated by large bushes and trees.
  3. Hikes nearby- this is something we always look forward to doing when we camp. We do our research ahead of time to find the best hikes for us. The hikes were great, and so much greenery and flowers! See pictures attached. Great views as well.
  4. The park attendants were super helpful and nice. They directed us to our spot, and helped us with the hikes and where to go.

There was only 1 thing we didn't like, and that was there was only 1 bathroom and it was a porta-poty ty . It didn't smell very good, but what porta potties do?

Overall we loved our stay, and would definitely come back!

Beautiful place to stay

Avondale campground was a great place to stay, if you love water sports and activities. There is a beautiful lake nearby that is great for all water activities. Old Hickory Lake is gorgeous, and our family had a blast spending the days here. We did some kayaking, boating and fishing. Another amazing thing we did was hiking. We spent our early mornings hiking the trails nearby. We did have to drive 10-20miles to get to the different trailheads, but it was definitely worth it. The views were spectacular (see pictures attached.). It was a little chilly in the mornings, but that may have just been the spring time early morning chills. The campground has a picnic shelter area where you can go if you have a big group. These picnic tables were in a great location, and when we went they seemed to be pretty open. I bet once summer comes, these picnic tables are prime spots. There is also a boat ramp on site, just FYI. If you like easy trails, there is the 1 mile long loop called "Old Hickory Lake Nature Trail." This take you around the lake, and was a great well maintained trail. There is also a mountain biking trail called "Shutes Branch" that looked like a ton of fun! Overall, we really enjoyed our stay here. The best part about this place was that there was so much to do. I feel like there was something for EVERYONE! Hiking, biking, water activities, trail walking and more. Not sure what more you could ask for!

First to Review
Great area!

My family and I visited Alabama a few years ago while on a family reunion. We decided to do some camping the last 2 nights we were visiting. We stayed here, and really enjoyed our stay. We stayed in the tent area, and just set up 2 tents (there was 4 of us). The campsite fit both tents, had a table and fire ring. We spent the evening around the campsite roasting marshmallows. The place we stopped at ran out of chocolate and crackers, so we only had mallows. It was still super yummy. Bring your own so this doesn’t happen to you :). The campground was clean, although there was only 1 bathroom. It didn’t smell very good, so we were pleased that we weren’t close to the bathroom for that reason! Kinda felt bad for the people who had campsites near the bathrooms. Also, we really appreciated that there was a dumpster onsite as well. I think this helps with keeping the place clean. We found a hike to do in the morning and it was great. For my first visit to Alabama, I definitely enjoyed it and hopefully it won’t be my last!

Best scuba diving!

Some of the best scuba diving I have ever done is right next to this State Park. We scuba dived in the morning and then hung out on the beach at this park afterward. We had a late dinner/early dinner and enjoyed people watching and relaxing by the beach. We ate lunch at the picnic area in the park, enjoying some fish and chips we bought at a restaurant nearby. The picnic area was really nice, and had about 12 different tables. Some were under cover and some were not. There is a big grass area too where we saw some people laying on towels and others playing frisbee. We ate our lunch, grabbed our chairs and stayed by the water for awhile. We actually stayed longer than we thought we were because we caught the beautiful sunset. The park was pretty busy, but as the day went on there were less people. Highly recommend scuba diving, that was the highlight of my trip. This was adjacent to the park entrance. Had a blast here, and the weather was perfect.

Loved playing on the beach

Maui has become one of my favorite places to visit. My husband and I come here every year for our wedding anniversary. We love camping to save money, or staying in AirBNBs as well. This trip we decide to stay in a hotel, but we came to this State Rec Area to do some hiking, snorkeling and hanging at the beach. Not sure where you would camp in this area, but I’m sure there is a designated area. The water in some areas are a bit rough, so be careful. We found a great spot that had calm waters, and we did some snorkeling here. We loved getting in the water and seeing the underwater life. Another thing we did was a boat excursion where we did some fishing. This was a bit expensive but worth it. The boat rental place was right next to this park- which is how we saw the rental area. We were walking along the beach boardwalk and saw this company. We went in and started talking with the people, and decided to book for the next day. It was such an incredible experience and I’m so glad we did it.

Great place, great hikes

My family and I really enjoyed staying here. The campground was a decent size, although we didn't drive around the entire loop. We were lucky enough to get a spot close to the river, so at night we could hear the river rushing next to us. I know some people love this, and some people don't. A few things we really liked about this place:

  • Great hikes nearby. We hiked 3 different trails while here. One of the days it was a little rainy, so the trail was muddy but we made it work. Recommend looking up good hikes nearby. I don't remember the names of the hikes we did, but I think one was called "Conner Meadow?"
  • Spacious campsites. The campsites seemed almost "double" in size of other places we have stayed. Each campsite is divided off by trees and shrubs which we liked.
  • Clean. Fire ring and table at each campsite
  • River- Love having access to the river to swim in. There is also a lake nearby that we saw on one of our hikes

What we didn't like was that the bathrooms were a little far from our campsite. We were only able to find 1 bathroom, so not sure if there is another one located within the campground or not.

Beachfront Amazingness!!

Okay, this place is incredible and the best "camping" I have ever done. My husband and I went to Maui for our honeymoon and decided to stay here for a few nights to save some money and we also really wanted to camp. The cost is way cheaper than a hotel, and you get the outdoor/nature vibes. It seriously is a win-win. They also give you resources for snorkeling, scuba diving, hikes, and whale watching nearby. At this point in our lives, this was our first time visiting Maui (we have been back a few times since), so getting all the extra resources of things nearby was a plus. There are a few options you can choose from to stay:

  1. Cabin- These are right on the beach and look amazing. We didn't stay here, but would definitely stay in one of these. These actually were all booked at the time we wanted to go.
  2. Tentalows- This is what we stayed in and they were amazing! These are also next to the beach, but a little more upscale to tent camping. There were showers we could use which was nice. We had our own porch seating with a light which was super cute.
  3. Beachside camping in tents- You have to bring your own tents, but they have campsites available to rent along the beach.

Our experience was incredible, and we would definitely recommend this place. We did some hikes nearby that were awesome, played at the beach, and did some snorkeling. It doesn't get any better than this in paradise.

Fun scuba diving nearby

My family and I had a blast at Kanaha Beach Park. We went scuba diving with a company that was right down the road from this park. We actually went scuba diving in the morning, and then in the afternoon we hung by the beach. We ate dinner on the beach and watched the sunset, it was pretty magical to say the least. The scuba diving was incredible, with amazing underwater life. We got so many great pictures of fish, turtles, and other plant life. We didnt see any sharks on this trip, though. The park was pretty busy when we got there in the afternoon. I assume the park was pretty busy all day, though. We did see some tents and homeless people as the sun went down. Honestly, not sure if I would stay here at night because of this. It was nice during the day, though. Highly recommend checking out the scuba diving business because they were amazing there.

GORGEOUS

The Virgin Islands are my favorite place on earth. The water is crystal clear and the water life is amazing. Cinnamon Bay was hands down my favorite beach to visit. The snorkeling was incredible here. We brought our own snorkels and goggles, and we were out on the water for hours on end. We got to the beach around 9am and claimed our spot. We found a great spot with some trees, and hung our hammocks up and put our beach towels down with chairs. We immediately went out on the water to snorkel. We saw so many different kinds of fish, all beautiful colors. We also saw some turtles which was my top goal. The turtles were amazing, and they were fun to swim by. There was really pretty coral too. We saw some squid which was really cool. The next day we came back to this beach, but did a hike nearby first. I would recommend hiking early in the morning before the sun starts shinning and it gets miserably hot. We saw Cinnamon Bay from the top of the hike we went on. I seriously cant get over how incredible the water color here is!!

Great for RVs

This campground is great for RVs, however the road leading up to the campground is a bit narrow and hard to maneuver a big RV. Once in the park, though, the spots for your RV in your campsite are big and can fit your RV. There was enough room for us to back in our RV as well. There is a campfire pit and table in each campsite. We only stayed here 1 night because we were driving through and needed a place to stay before we went hiking in the morning. There is a great hike about 15 miles away from the campground, so we wanted to stay here instead of getting up super early in the morning and driving 2hrs to hike. There was hook ups for the RV which was really nice too. The weather was perfect when we came in the middle of August. I did notice there were some mosquitos out, but luckily we were in the RV most of the night. Easy access to get back on the highway as well. The wildflowers were amazing on our hike! So many beautiful colors and varieties of flowers. Couldn't stop taking pictures of all of them!

Loved it!

This campground is a great place to come and relax, and take a break from your everyday busy life. This campground is definitely unlike any campground I have ever stayed out. For those who like to “glamp” I would highly recommend this campground. It’s almost a spa like camping experience. Their campsites are pretty big, and they have RV sites as well. My family brought their RV, and we had a blast. There is a playground for kids and a really cool large chess game you can play in the grass area. The river is right there, so you get a water front view for some sites. There are also cabins available to rent, not sure how much or what they look like inside. I’m assuming they are pretty nice. You can rent kayaks as well, which we thought was an absolute blast. Highly recommend doing this. I believe it was $20 for a few hours. We also did some great mountain hiking which we always do when we camp. The hikes were amazing with gorgeous views!

Great hikes!

Tennessee Hills campground is absolutely gorgeous. One of my favorite things about this campground is how many great hikes are nearby. There is one hike right off the campground that has the best views! The campground is great. The campsites comes with a fire ring and picnic table which is really nice. The spaces are a little small, which was a downside. The campground was super busy when we went, but it seems like a lot of campgrounds now a days are busy which is kind of shocking. There is a small grocery store nearby that we stopped at and grabbed stuff to make s’mores as well as water and snacks. There is also a breakfast place down the road, but we found that to be pretty busy in the morning. There is a los a small lake about 10miles away that we went to one morning. The campground also has quite a few trees which is nice because it blocks the sun and is great shade. Definitely bring bug spray because there was quite a few mosquitos out. I probably got 30 bites during our trip. They were pretty bad on our hikes.

One of my favorite places

Maho Bay is such a gorgeous place! I mean anywhere in the Virgin Islands is amazing! The water is absolutely crystal clear, and the underwater life is my favorite part. We really loved Maho Bay. It’s definitely busy, so I would recommend getting there early to claim a spot on the beach. There was a great spot we snagged that had wonderful trees for shade AND they were perfect to hang up our hammocks! We enjoyed snorkeling and seeing the underwater life. You definitely have to do this. No sharks spotted but we did see an eel and lots of beautiful fish!! We even saw some turtles which was the highlight of my trip! Great hiking around the area, too! Highly recommend, but do it early because it gets hot and muggy quick. Can’t wait to come back someday!