Load up the camper and pull out the tents! A great way to connect with nature is a nice relaxing week (or weekend) of camping. Whether you are looking to camp near the Gulf or with access to the Appalachian trail, Alabama has a variety of amazing campsites throughout the state. Here are the 5 best places to camp in Alabama this summer.
1) Gulf State Park
©iStock.com/Edda Dupree
| Location | Southern tip of the state, on the Gulf of Mexico |
| Nearest City | Gulf Shores |
| RV Sites | 496 sites, water, electricity, sewer, pull-thru, back-in, waterfront, and ADA |
| Tent Sites | 11 primitive sites |
| Glamping Sites | 3 (new!) |
| Picnic Tables at each site | Yes |
| Fire Pit at each site | Yes |
| Amenities | 11 modern bathhouses, laundry, swimming pool, nature center, camp store, fishing pier, and tennis courts |
| Pet Friendly? | Yes, a dog park on Lake Shelby; dogs can swim! |
| Reservations | Yes; some are first-come, first-serve |
| What makes it one of the best | Large, modern facilities right on the Gulf! |
One of the most popular camping areas in Alabama is Gulf State Park. Located right on the Gulf, you have access to both the Gulf and a beautiful freshwater Lake Shelby. Enjoy the best of both for fishing, kayaking, canoeing, and swimming. The large campsite has 496 sites as well as 11 primitive sites for tent camping and 3 new glamping sites. There is a large camp store, nature center, and swimming pool right on site.
There are miles of trails to hike over to Shelby Lake for swimming and kayaking, or you can take a short drive over to Gulf Shores Public Beach for a day at the beach. Check out the Gulf State Park Pier, which provides some of the best fishing in the area. Here, you can catch Florida pompano, sheepshead, mackerel, flounder, red drum, king mackerel, and whiting, depending on the time of year. The centrally located campground can be your home base for many of the attractions in Alabama!
2) Bartrum Trails Canoe Area, Floating Platform Camping
©Daniel Mullins/Shutterstock.com
| Location | Just NE of Mobile, AL, North of Mobile Bay |
| Nearest City | Mobile |
| RV Sites | 0 |
| Tent Sites | Two Rivers Point Campsite |
| Sandbar Camping | Spoonbill Sandbar Campsite |
| Floating Platform Campsites | 4 |
| Picnic Tables at each site | No |
| Fire Pit at each site | No |
| Amenities | No amenities; the floating platforms are covered |
| Pet Friendly | No |
| Reservations | Yes, for the floating platforms. No, for the campsites; those are first-come, first-serve. |
| What makes it one of the best | Remote connection with nature, no motorized boats allowed, and a peaceful getaway. |
At the opposite end of the spectrum from a full-service RV campground is the primitive canoe/kayaking-only floating platform camping along the Bartrum Trails. The Mobile-Tensaw Delta is one of the largest river deltas in the United States. The 250,000 acres of twisting and turning waterways wind through dense cypress swamps and forests. There are more than 50 different endangered plant and animal species in the park. There are also black bears, alligators, osprey, and red-bellied turtles. You can reserve one of the four floating platforms for camping, and there are two land-based camping areas along the shores. Detailed waterway trails are provided for day trips and/or multiple-day overnight trips. If you want to try a peaceful, nature-based camping trip, then staying overnight on a floating raft in the Delta is the way to go.
3) Cheaha State Park
©iStock.com/Jacqueline Nix
| Location | In the Talladega National Forest |
| Nearest City | East of Talladega |
| Upper Improved Campground | 43 tent/RV Sites, bathhouse, ADA sites, and laundry |
| Lower Improved Campground | 30 tent/RV sites, bathhouse, and laundry |
| CCC primitive Campground | 28 tent sites, fire ring, and vault toilets |
| Upper Primitive Campground | 26 tent sites, picnic table, fire ring, and restrooms |
| Picnic Tables at each site | All except the CCC Primitive |
| Fire Pit at each site | Yes |
| Amenities | Restrooms, bathhouse, water, electricity, mountain store, and hiking trails |
| Pet Friendly | Yes |
| Reservations | Yes |
| What makes it one of the best | Camping in the mountains! |
If you’d like to camp where there are fewer alligators, how about up in the Cheaha mountains, the tallest mountains in Alabama? The newly remodeled Upper and Lower Campgrounds at the park now have a variety of rustic sites and modern sites with electrical hook-ups with water and sewer. The park has a mountain store for all your necessities. There are five mountain bike trails, six hiking trails, and the Dough Ghee boardwalk. For some of the most amazing views, take a hike to the Pulpit Rock or hike to one of the waterfalls, like the CCC Reservoir Falls.
4) DeSoto State Park
©James Deitsch/Shutterstock.com
| Location | NE corner of Alabama |
| Nearest City | SE of Huntsville, AL |
| Main Campground | 96 RV/tent sites with water, electricity, and sewer |
| Backpacking Sites | 2 primitive hike-in sites, with covered shelter at each |
| Picnic Tables at each site | Yes (except for the backpacking sites) |
| Fire Pit at each site | Yes |
| Amenities | Restrooms, bathhouse, water, electricity, and sewer |
| Pet Friendly | Yes |
| Reservations | Yes |
| What makes it one of the best | Large private campsites and amazing waterfalls! |
If you want nice, large campsites that are spaced apart from your neighbors, then Desoto State Park Campground is one of the best places to camp in Alabama. The large pads are 16 feet by 60 feet, with a large offset on the side. Each site has sewer, water, electricity, a picnic table, and a grill. There are a variety of back-in, pull-thru, and “buddy” sites, and tent camping is allowed at each site as well. If you want to challenge yourself, you could reserve one of the two backpacking campsites that are about a mile hike to the primitive tent sites. DeSoto State Park has some of the most beautiful waterfalls in Alabama, including the DeSoto Falls.
5) Island Retreat RV Park
©iStock.com/Brian Sevald
| Location | Just NE of Gulf Shores Beach |
| Nearest City | Gulf Shores, AL |
| RV Sites and Tent Sites | 173 RV/tent sites with water, electricity, and sewer |
| Picnic Tables at each site | Yes |
| Fire Pit at each site | Yes |
| Amenities | Restrooms, bathhouse, laundry, water, electricity, sewer, saltwater pool, dog run, horseshoes, basketball, fishing pole rental, and a new playground. |
| Pet Friendly | Yes |
| Reservations | Yes |
| What makes it one of the best | Modern RV park with saltwater pool, only 3 miles to Gulf Shores Beach! |
If you plan to spend most of your time exploring the area, then the Island Retreat RV Park is a great place to call your home base. It is only 3 miles from Gulf Shores Beach and Orange Beach, where you can find dolphins, sea turtles, and brown pelicans. This RV Park has RV and tent sites that are 30/50 AMP full-service sites. The sites are closer together than at DeSoto, but they are modern and include picnic tables and fire rings. With 173 sites to choose from, there are plenty of choices for pull-thru and back-in sites, all fully equipped. When you are not at the beach, there are plenty of activities that take place at the campsite, including year-round planned activities and events. You can also check out the saltwater pool.
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