The Talladega National Forest protects a roughly 387,000-acre swath of forested foothills an hour and a half east of Birmingham. The area is a lush canopy of oak, hickory and maple trees, which burst with fall color in late September and October. Trails in the park include the 102-mile Pinhoti National Recreation Trail, which has many areas where backpackers can pitch a tent. Drive-in tent campgrounds include Payne Lake with 26 tent sites, flush toilets and hot showers, and Pine Glen offering 23 tent sites but neither showers nor bathrooms. Backcountry camping does not require a permit, but campers must register for tent sites at Payne Lake and Pine Glen.
Cathedral Caverns State Park sits just 30 miles southeast of Huntsville. The park protects the stunning caverns with formations that have inspired names like the Frozen Waterfall, Goliath and Stalagmite Mountain. Guides give daily interpretive tours through the caverns. Backpackers must camp at the park's only designated backcountry site, the Beech Camp Backcountry Campsite, which is accessible via a strenuous 3/4 mile hike. The park's other campgrounds have cleared sites with fire pits, community water spigots and port-a-potties. No electricity is available at these sites, and reservations are required for all camping.
Covering roughly 180,000 acres in northwest Alabama is the William B. Bankhead National Forest. Tent camping opportunities here include both backcountry camping and tent camping at developed sites. Backpackers may pitch a tent in any location throughout the forest in what is called dispersed camping; no permits are needed. For front-country, drive-in campgrounds, campers can choose from Corinth campground with eight tent sites and Houston campground with 19 tent sites. Both campgrounds provide flush toilets and hot showers. Camping in Bankhead affords opportunities to hike to Little Natural Bridge, a unique rock formation, and Ravine Trail, a water-sculpted gorge.
This northeastern Alabama park sits on the Tennessee River overlooking the 69,000-acre Guntersville Lake. The park's range of activities includes fishing, swimming, hiking to waterfalls and rock formations and golfing at the 18-hole championship golf course. The park's Main Campground has 321 improved campsites and a primitive camping area, plus bathhouses, a playground and a country store. Improved campsites come with electrical hookups, picnic table, grill and fire ring. Tent campers must make a reservation for improved and primitive sites.
Northern Alabama has hot summers, and winter can bring cold temperatures to its mountains. The best time to visit any of these parks or forests is in fall or spring. Not only is the weather more inclined toward milder temperatures, but spring brings bright, new leaves and flowers, while the changing leaves are impressive in fall.
