Camping
Camping & Recreation Areas
Discover a variety of camping experiences, from primitive hunt camps to fully equipped recreational sites. Whether you prefer a quiet retreat in the woods or a lakeside adventure, find the perfect spot for your next trip.
Camping & Recreation Areas
Camping Areas
Brushy Lake Recreation Are
Brushy Lake Recreation Area offers everything from camping, picnicking, boating, and fishing to sanitary facilities including a bathhouse. Brushy Lake is 33-acres and has 13 campsites that accommodate very small recreational vehicles and tents. Campers occupy sites on a first come, first serve basis. Water and flushing is only available March – November.
Corinth Recreation Are
The Corinth Recreation Area is a state-of-the art campground located on the shores of the upper part of Lewis Smith Lake in Winston County. Initially built in the 1960s and renovated in 1998 it offers facilities for individual and group camping, picnicking, swimming, and boat launching.
Visit Recreation.gov to make a reservation. Camping at this location is by reservation only. For additional information please call 205-300-1513.
Check-out time for Corinth is no later than 12:00pm the day of departure. Check-in time is no earlier than 2:00pm. This 2 hour window allows our staff adequate time to clean and maintain each site.
Two camping loops contain 52 campsites, with electrical, water, and sewer hookups. There are four bathhouses, with warm showers, serving the camping areas. A boat ramp is provided for campers. An entrance station with an electronic gate is available to control access to the campground. Corinth also offers eight rustic tent camping sites with nearby community hydrants and a bathhouse. No garbage bins are in the campground; users are required to pack out trash and deposit it in the dumpsters by the dump station. ADA accessible sites are available.
The day use portion of the recreation area focuses on the swimming beach, served by a bathhouse with an outdoor beach shower. Twenty-nine family picnic sites are available nearby, and paved access paths connect all. Near the beach is a 100-person group picnic pavilion, with a flush toilet that serves both it and a portion of the picnic sites. A 1.25-mile hiking path is located along the shoreline of the lake. A year-round boat launch is available, with an SST vault toilet; and it has boat/trailer parking. A separate boat launch is available to the campground.
Clear Creek Recreation Area
The Clear Creek Recreation Area has become one of Alabama’s most popular recreation areas and has many repeat visitors. The Bankhead National Forest’s largest recreation area, Clear Creek is in Winston County about 13 miles north of Jasper, ALlabama and was constructed on the shore of Lewis Smith Lake giving direct recreational access to the lake via the day use boat launch, to boating, water skiing, personal watercraft use, as well as fishing for largemouth bass, striped bass, and crappie. With many modern conveniences, it offers facilities for individual and group camping, picnicking, swimming, boat launching, hiking, and biking.
Visit Recreation.gov to make a reservation. Camping at this location is by reservation only. For additional information please call 205-300-1463.
Check-out time for Clear Creek is no later than 12:00pm the day of departure. Check-in time is no earlier than 2:00pm. This 2 hour window allows our staff adequate time to clean and maintain each site.
The campground itself has four paved loops with paved parking spurs, and offers 102 RV campsites, including 32 double sites; 11 of these are pull-through sites. Each campsite has water and electrical hookups, a fire ring, picnic table, and lantern posts. All campsites have 50-amp and 30-amp electrical service. There is a trailer dump station located within the recreation area. Each of the four loops has a bathhouse with flush toilets and showers. All sites are level and spacious; Single campsites accommodate up to six people and two vehicles; double sites up to twelve people and four vehicles. No garbage dumpsters are in the campground; users are required to pack out trash and deposit it in the dumpsters by the dump station. An entrance station with an electronic gate is available to control access to the campground. Two group camping areas, available by reservation only, accommodate up to 25 tent campers each and share a bathhouse with flushing toilets and showers.
The day use portion of the recreation area focuses on the swimming beach, served by a bathhouse with flushing toilets and showers. Next to the beach is a 50-person group picnic pavilion, with a flush toilet. On the other side of the beach lies a picnic area with 53 family units, all connected by newly paved paths. On the point, adjacent to the lake, are two more 50-person picnic pavilions, served by a nearby flush toilet. A 1.5-mile paved bicycle trail connects the campground to the day use area. Also, there is the 2.5-mile recently paved Raven Cliffs hiking trail in the day use area. Use of the picnic pavilions is by reservation only; users also pay the day use fee as they park in the facility. A year-round boat launch is available with an SST vault toilet and boat/trailer parking.
Facilities: All facilities are wheelchair-accessible. Flush toilets, drinking water and showers are offered for both campers and day use visitors. The campground offers standard sites with electric and water hook-ups, as well as tent-only non-electric sites for groups. Sites contain paved parking spurs, picnic tables, grills and tent pads.
Kayaking & Canoeing
Bankhead National Forest has several navigable waterways, some of which will be easier in the spring and others that are viable year-round. Most of the remote canoe and kayak opportunities will be in the Sipsey Wilderness Area on Borden, Sipsey, Thompson, and Hubbard Creeks with open water opportunities on Brushy Lake and Lewis Smith Lake.
Brushy Lake – Brushy Lake Campground is a great base of operations to explore Brushy Creek or the rest of the central forest.
Houston Recreation Area on Lewis Smith Lake – Day use fee $10 per vehicle.
Sipsey Wilderness Area – Common put-ins are at Thompson Trailhead, Hubbard Creek, Borden Trailhead, and Sipsey Recreation Area
Hunt Camps (Primitive Camping)
Alred Camp (Primitive tent camping only)
Wolfpen Camp (Primitive tent camping only)
McDougle Camp (Primitive tent camping only)
For more details and reservations, visit Recreation.gov or call the respective campground contact numbers provided above.