Forest Information
The (William B.) Bankhead National Forest is located in northwestern Alabama and is comprised of 180,581 acres. There are four developed campgrounds which meet the selection criteria.
The Bankhead National Forest, nestled deep in the Forest Service designated southern region, offers a variety of recreational opportunities and multi-level camping experiences. Camping locations range from primitive dispersed camping (not include in this campground review) in the Sipsey Wilderness and other secluded locations throughout the Forest, to a recreation vehicle (RV) camping delight named Corinth campground with several camping experiences in between available. Within an easy drive of such metropolitan areas as Birmingham, AL , Nashville and Chattanooga, TN, and Tupelo, MS, Bankhead National Forest is a great place to de-stress and enjoy the quiet pace of nature.
The Bankhead National Forest is more developed than many of the National Forests in America but it does have an oasis of undeveloped wilderness called the Sipsey Wilderness. A word must be said about this Wilderness, for its uniqueness is a hiker's dream. While it contains small patches of virgin (meaning forested areas that have NEVER been cut or developed by man), the large magnificent trees found in this wondrous place are most often second-growth forest (land returned to it natural state after one cut). So what's so special about that? Think about how long Europeans have been in the area, clearing the land and planting cultivable crops, and you will have some idea of just how special it is to have 25,000 acres of large imposing trees nearly untouched by man so close to metropolitan areas. This is where hiking and tent camping is at its most basic and, to some, the most rewarding. Another thing about Wilderness areas – no mechanical devices are allowed so you'll find no car camping or motorhomes within its boundaries.
Brushy Lake campground is the nearest "developed" campground to the Sipsey Wilderness. A "rustic" semi-wilderness camping experience without some inconveniences, Brushy Lake offers a hot shower and flush toilets along with Bream fishing and canoeing on nearby Brushy Lake. Campsites with fire-ring, table, communal water spigots, and a level space under mature hardwood and pine trees to pitch a tent, round out a camper's stay at this National Forest campground.
At the other end of the camping spectrum is the state-of-the-art campground called Corinth. This is about as close to an RV resort experience Forest Service campers will experience. The campground has two loops with full-hook-ups sites and large modern wheelchair friendly bathhouses. Manicured grass areas separate sites and a variety of hardwood and pine trees offer amply shade in the summer and vibrant color in the fall. Although barely seen, Lewis Smith Lake laps at the campground's boundary offering a range of water play opportunities. Most of the camp site's parking aprons are large enough to accommodate both a camper's rig and boat. For those who prefer camping away from those motorhomes and recreational vehicles (RV), there is a strip of tent-only sites between the two loops and beside the roadway leading to one of the campground's two boat ramps. These tent sites feature seclusion, lots of shade and some beautiful stone walls possibly built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s.
Although a record of the CCC contributions to the Bankhead National Forest is not well documented with interpretive signs and such, there are hints all around. The handiwork of CCC enrollees is suggested in the acres of orderly trees, marching in neat, straight rows with military precision, the many flood and erosion control projects still working effectively in the forest, and beautiful stonework found in several campgrounds.
Referred to as Birmingham's "backyard" campgrounds, Clear Creek and Houston offer two very different camping experiences. Both are, like Corinth campground, on the shores of Lewis Smith Lake but Houston, the older of the two campgrounds, has a special personality and puts the camper in a place of natural beauty. Multi-colored lichen-covered man-made native stone walls (probably constructed by the CCC) which provide terraced campsites tucked in among a robust stand of hardwoods. Mountain bikers, along with hikers and anglers, are beginning to rediscover this least well-known Bankhead campground. Some think the reason this campground has the smallest number of users of any Bankhead campground is because it has few of the modern features found at the nearby camping locations of Clear Creek and Cornith campgrounds. On the other hand, some see this lack of modernization in a natural and scenic environment Houston campground's most wonderful feature.
Clear Creek campground, with its electric and water hook-ups at each site, playground and direct access to Lake Lewis Smith, does get a lot of campers. In some ways, Clear Creek is the most family-friendly campground in the Forest. Boating, sandy beach, swimming area, ballfields, hiking and biking trails, hot showers, and lots of things to do gives a family many options for their weekend get-away or week long vacation.
Besides the diverse recreational opportunities here, there is some great history to discover in the Bankhead National Forest. Pine Torch Church, built around 1850, is open to the public and provides a simple glimpse into how folks worshiped at the time. And did you know, in the 1860s, a large number of residents from the southern portion of what is now call Bankhead National Forest refused to side against Old Glory? At a community meeting held at Looney's Tavern on July 4, 1861, the attendees vowed to maintain neutrality and peace. Their attempt to withdraw from the state of Alabama and form the "Free State of Winston" was met with force. Their lives became very difficult, both economically and politically, until the War Between the States ended. Like this story, the Bankhead National Forest isn't well known beyond the borders of Alabama but the word is getting out and folks are discovering the Forest's many great camping locations and just how much fun relaxing can be. Come on down and see.
ADDRESSES
SUPERVISOR ADDRESS
2946 Chestnut St.
Montgomery, Alabama 36107-3010
334-832-4470
RANGER DISTRICT ADDRESSES
Bankhead
P.O.B. 278
Double Springs, Alabama 35553
205-489-5111 |
