Campgrounds within 1 hr of bham

[grillmastertoo]

Good evening--
My buddy and I are trying to introduce our wives to camping....We are looking for a place within an 1 hour of bham that has bath house....not a requirement to have a shower, but flush toilets...
I have heard about oak mtn, but are there others?
thanks

[McDowra]

I would recommend Desoto state park

[Cuffs]

Oak Mtn State Park is in Pelham.  http://www.alapark.com/parks/park.cfm?parkid=9

Rickwood Caverns State Park in just north of Birmingham in the Warrior area (Jefferson county)  http://www.alapark.com/RickwoodCaverns/Camping/

Just over an hour is Cheaha State Park, just outside Anniston/Oxford.  http://www.alapark.com/parks/park.cfm?parkid=7

If your wife would like, she can contact me any time here about girl stuff and camping/hiking!

[Chris]

Tannehill(spelling?) State Park is within an hour of Birmingham I believe. It is a nice place though it was rather crowded when I went there.

[Magic City Matt]

Desoto is tent only camping right now due to some improvements they are making on the RV areas. I would check it out. It's one of my personal faves.
The sites are not too close together and they are nice and wooded. Also you are right there near Little River Canyon which is gorgeous this time of the year.

[grillmastertoo]

Thanks for the suggestions..... we will do some research and figure out which one we want to do first....what about nocalulla falls or horse pens 40?

[Nalgene Ninja]

Nocalula Falls sounds to me like a developed city park inside the city of Gadsden. Horse Pens 40 sounds pretty nice, I'd be more comfotable with some kind of description of the trails and campsites.

I haven't been to either, just checked out their websites.

[WolfVanZandt]

Both are pretty developed but the trail behind Nocalula Falls makes it worthwhile and the rock formations at Horsepens is also well worth seeing. As for camping - neither impresses me much. Nocalula is about as tame as you can get (but you can wake up and hike a couple of blocks to a fast food restaurant for breakfast), and camping at Horsepens 40 is more for the convenience of people who attend the festivals up there than anything else.

Hmmmm......Lake Payne, near Centreville, is a nice, peaceful place. It's somewhat better developed than the usual National Forest Recreational site (it has showers and is set up for RVs) but the camping area is across the lake from the developed campground and is nice - if not particularly adventurous. there's also some nice plant and wildlife, a cool trail up to an old lookout tower, and a cave nearby that I haven't checked out. if you go there, swing through Newbern and check out their Rural Heritage site. It's nothing short of spectacular (in my opinion).

Historically, Tannehill is well worth a visit.

[auwesman]

Horsepens 40 is more for the convenience of people who attend the festivals up there than anything else.

And for those of us who like to get an early jump on bouldering the next morning! 

[Woody]

Rickwood is like 3 miles from my house and is pretty neat. I would also recommend Guntersville State park but that is pushing the 1 hour mark.

[McDowra]

Ok here ya go, bucks pocket it has showers flush toilets and is empty most of the time. My Bride won't camp but has said if she ever did  it would be there.

[grillmastertoo]

thanks for all the suggestions....i m leaning towards oak mtn first then buckets pocket for alter in the year....what areas of oak mtn do you recommend to camp?  Looking for sites where i can park the car and set up camp near there...not so much with the rv's, but clsoe enough to the car to be comfortable...
thanks

[Nalgene Ninja]

Oak Mountain has tent only sites near the campstore/office, so you won't be stuck between a pair of Winnebago's.

[WolfVanZandt]

Buck's Pocket also pushes the 1 hour limit.

It's very much worth it, though. When there's water there (there wasn't back in July), there are spectacular waterfalls everywhere. There's a great boulder field with an explorable shaft cave about halfway to the primitive camping area. And there are some great trails.

[Cuffs]

Tannehill(spelling?) State Park is within an hour of Birmingham I believe. It is a nice place though it was rather crowded when I went there.

Hes looking for camping places with facilities... no camping at Tannehill.

[Nalgene Ninja]

According to this site, they (Tannehill) do have camping, but I've never actually been there to verify.

http://www.tannehill.org/tspfees.html

[Cuffs]

Thank you NN, when I had inquired about camping there while attending a trade days, they told me no... but now that I think about it, Im not sure the person I asked was in the 'know...'  It may be worth a call over there to verify!  This could open up some new places just to get away for a quick over nite car camp!

[Joshua Szulecki]

There is definately camping at Tannehill.

I would not camp there with a fox, I would not camp there for some lox. Very crowded, very noisy, and very overbuilt for a state park. I'll never understand Alabama's obsession with turning state parks into amusement parks, but then, in Tennessee if you ask for directions to the park they point you to Dollywood. People.

Even as a history buff I didn't find Tannehill all that appealing.

[Chris]

Well I have camped at Tannehill twice. So I am quite sure there is camping there. Though as previously said it is crowded and noisy.

[Graceless]

 A little over an hour is Cheaha
 WEtumpka( Fort Toulse)
DEERLICK CREEK (AL), AL
Dismal Canyon?? PREEETTTY!

[Nalgene Ninja]

Dismal Canyon?? PREEETTTY!

and EXPENSIVE!! 2 adults, 3 kids for 2 nights (1 campsite) 80 freakin' DOLLARS!!!  And its up around Russellville, which outside the hour's drive.

[Joshua Szulecki]

NN,

I nearly soiled myself when the lady as Dismals Canyon told me the visit fee for a dayhiker. I don't know if they are overpriced, or their operating expenses (probably insurance) are really high, but the cost for that tiny canyon is in the 95th percentile of prices I've paid at parks.

It is a long ride, but I'd make it at least once if you are living in Alabama. The place is cool during the day, and I imagine the Dismals themselves are awesome to see.

Graceless,

When I visited Ft. Toulouse the camping area was closed so I didn't get a chance to check it out. Is it as built-up and crowded during season as it looked to me?

Everyone,

Speaking of Wetumpka... Where is the furthest inland you've ever seen Cypress trees in Alabama? I saw one near the bridge in Wetumpka, and I was surprised to see one on a river in central Alabama.

[Graceless]

Graceless,

When I visited Ft. Toulouse the camping area was closed so I didn't get a chance to check it out. Is it as built-up and crowded during season as it looked to me?



I have only been actually during reenactments and closer to organized events so its been crowded every time I have gone. But I must say that if you can get in during the events to camp its very fun and interest. All the reenactors are very interesting to talk to and just fun to be around after closing time:)
  It does have lots of trails and stuff and its very interesting but keep in mind none of it is original or real historically its a mock up of the original that Fort Jackson was built over. But the views from the river are awesome and a wonderful fall camping or spring camping area. I am thinking we are going to camp one week this coming spring to let DD1 attend the Zoo day camp they have there each summer. And DD2 to the Gymnastics camp and me and DD3 can hang:)

[PastorLarryT]

When I visited Ft. Toulouse the camping area was closed so I didn't get a chance to check it out. Is it as built-up and crowded during season as it looked to me?


Speaking of Wetumpka... Where is the furthest inland you've ever seen Cypress trees in Alabama? I saw one near the bridge in Wetumpka, and I was surprised to see one on a river in central Alabama.

Joshua,

Ft. Toulouse's camping area was open the last time I visited the park (within last three months).  It is comprised of campsites (RV and/or tent) arranged around a typical loop drive.  The area is flat and should not be a problem as far as crowds or noise (except during reenactment weekends - check their website).  The reconstructed Ft. Toulouse and partially reconstructed Ft. Jackson are very nice and you can combine all of the trails for a nice (and flat) dayhike of 2 miles or so.  One can hike to the confluence of the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers, to a Mississippian Burial Mound, and typical riparian environs.  There are many different types of birds to be seen as well as the usual gray squirrel, cottontail rabbit, oppossum, etc.  I have seen white tailed deer on several different occaisions. 

Cypress Trees are in the area -- you can see them near Wetumpka (on the Coosa), on the Alabama (between Prattville and Montgomery), and I'm certain I've seen them on the Tallapoosa as well.  I have seen them at the Alabama Wildlife Federation's Nature Center in Millbrook as well.  Having said all of that... I believe you will only find Cypress trees in or extremely close to water.  I have never seen one otherwise.  (The Cypress trees at the AL Nature Center are not standing in water - but extremely close (and I suspect the water table is just under the surface.)

[Cuffs]

BL67, nice blog!!!