25 Noccalula Falls Campground
:: BEST FOR WILDFLOWERS
13 Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I cannot possibly thank all of the people who made this book possible in the short space allotted for such things. Countless people chimed in with suggestions for campgrounds and why they thought their choice should be included in this book. I took all to heart and used many. Thanks to all of you for your input.
There are a few people, however, to whom I need to extend special thanks, because without them the pages you now hold in your hand would not have been possible. Topping the list are Susan Haynes and Amber Kaye Henderson with Menasha Ridge Press. Susan believed in this project and got the ball rolling. Amber had the tough job of making sense of my scribblings and hieroglyphics. Thanks to both of you.
For input and guidance on campgrounds to visit, I have to thank Jim Felder and Fred Couch with the Alabama Scenic River Trail, Rob Grant with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, Grey Brennan and his staff at the Alabama Tourism Department, and Lesley Hodge with the US Forest Service.
I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the many US Army Corps of Engineers volunteer campground hosts and US Forest Service park attendants for their generosity in sharing information. Always eager to impart knowledge of their campground and region, they added a new depth to many entries.
And finally, and most importantly, I have to thank my wife, Maggie. She was with me—literally—every step of the way. Even when I had no leg to stand on, she was there to help me with the research for this book. I could not have done this without you.
PREFACE
Picture this: Buchanan, New York, 1963. A young man, and by young I mean 5 years old, joins his family on the first day of what would become a family tradition—camping on a beautiful strip of beach along the banks of the Hudson River. Yes, the Hudson River. We were oblivious to the environmental struggles this majestic river was and would be facing. All we knew was that the river provided one long endless summer of fun with swimming, water skiing, hiking, and, of course, camping.
We spent many hot summer nights in that behemoth of a tent we lugged along with us, a giant Coleman canvas cabin structure with massive aluminum poles that took hours to erect, but once up hosted many late-night gin rummy games and endless conversations around lantern light.
And that’s where it started, and for the life of me, I can’t remember a time when I was not in camping mode, whether it was pitching a tent along a beautiful hiking trail, beside a scenic river, or in a public campground, the tent was always at the ready to rekindle those memories and make new ones.
Eventually I married my wife, Maggie, and we moved from New Jersey to her hometown of Mobile, Alabama, along the state’s Gulf Coast. Quickly I learned that Alabama has some of the most beautiful public campgrounds anywhere. They’re much more than just a place to put up a tent for a night or two. They are scenic, inviting, friendly, and teeming with recreational opportunities, and in Alabama the adventures seem endless. I have car camped on crisp winter nights at DeSoto State Park when the campground was nearly deserted and snow silently fell around me; I have spent nights at Monte Sano State Park and left the warm glow of my campfire to take in planetarium shows and glimpses of the heavens through the telescopes at the Von Braun Astronomical Observatory before turning in for the night; and I have spent more than one night along the banks of Lake Chinnabee in the Talladega National Forest, using it as a base camp for amazing hikes to high mountain peaks, ridges, and cascading waterfalls.
Recreational opportunities and amazing landscapes abound at or near Alabama’s campgrounds. Fishermen have plenty of opportunities to try for some world-record fishing along the banks of thousands of miles of rivers and waterways and, of course, on the Gulf of Mexico. You can explore deep caves with massive stalagmites and magical underground rivers; hike to cascading waterfalls; spend hours bird-watching or admiring wildflowers; play historian with a trip back in time to historic Civil War battlefields, ancient Native American mounds, and towns that are all but memories; or canoe and kayak meandering blackwater rivers or Class III, IV, or V whitewater rapids. And that’s only the start.
The number and types of flora and fauna in Alabama keep botanists and zoologists up at night. Some of the most rare and beautiful wildflowers bloom here, wildlife range from wild turkey to black bear to the American alligator, and when it comes to fish, the state’s thousands of miles of rivers, lakes, and streams are home to more than 144 species—more than the entire state of California has. I guess one statistic sums the state up nicely—Alabama is the fifth-most ecologically diverse state in the country.
Camping in Alabama lets you experience this diversity first hand. You can camp beneath a rock shelter in a beautiful, deep canyon with glowing insects called dismalites that illuminate the rock walls; pitch your tent atop the state’s highest mountain, Cheaha, for spectacular views; settle in for a night along the banks of the second-largest river delta in the country; or sleep under the stars at the site of the last major battle of the Civil War.
As for the organization of the book, I’ve divided the state into the four regions defined by the Alabama Tourism Department. The first is the Metropolitan, or Metro, Region. Located just above the middle of the state, it includes Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, and Anniston. Here you will find spectacular mountain camping in the Talladega National Forest, as well as plenty of outings in historical state parks.
Next there is the Mountain Region, which is located in the northern quarter of the state and includes the cities of Huntsville, Florence, and Fort Payne. Not only will you experience mountains here but canyons as well, such as in the Sipsey Wilderness of the Bankhead National Forest and the deepest canyon east of the Mississippi, Little River Canyon, near Fort Payne.
The River Region includes the state capital, Montgomery, as well as Auburn, Dothan, and some smaller but remarkable historical towns on the state’s west side. The region gets its name from the myriad of waterways crisscrossing this area as they meander southward to the Gulf of Mexico. And I mean a myriad! Take a look at the state seal and you will see this tapestry of rivers, and that’s only a small fraction.
Finally we have the Gulf Region, which includes the city of Mobile plus Baldwin, Escambia, and Monroe Counties. Although its coastal miles are minimal compared with, say, those of Florida or Texas, Alabama still has some of the prettiest beaches you’ll find anywhere, fantastic resort-type camping, and beautiful campgrounds along some of the major rivers flowing into the Gulf of Mexico.
The most common question with a book like this is about my selection process for the 50 campgrounds. My primary goal was to make this guide a sample of the many wonderful campsites the state has to offer and to provide a little something for everyone. Whether you’re a beginning or veteran camper, whether or not you have children, or whether you want to use your
