Starry night. Fresh air. Green surroundings. Waterfall sound. Close your eyes and picture it. Isn’t it just perfect? 🙂

We’ve compiled a list of all of the places in Alabama that you can go camping next to a waterfall. What a cool opportunity, right? The only question is when to go!

As a large family, we find renting a home for a night much more relaxing than a hotel, and it's so nice to have a place nearby to crash after a long day of hiking! You can find nice, affordable homes on Vrbo.

Located in Gadsden, Alabama, Noccalula Falls Campground is part of the Noccalula Falls Park Complex. It has 126 sites, 75 of which are full hookups. Amenities include cable TV, WIFI, laundry facilities, showers, swimming pool and recreation hall among others. There is also a nearby petting zoo, a train for sightseeing, historic buildings, hiking trails and of course, access to the majestic Noccalula Falls. Just follow the Black Creek Trail which is easily accessible from the campgrounds and see the 90 foot falls in all its glory.

Explore the great outdoors in Bankhead National Forest. It covers 181,230 acres of pure nature and is home to the Sipsey Wilderness, a cornucopia of backcountry camping sites and picturesque waterfalls.

First stop is the Holmes Chapel Falls. It is just south of Brushy Creek campground near Mount Olive Road. There is no marked trail but the path is worn enough that makes it an easy trail to follow. And though Brushy Creek is a backcountry campsite, the place is very clean so make sure that you maintain it like that as well. As the saying goes, leaving nothing but footprints.

If a day trip visiting one of the most beautiful falls in Alabama is not enough for you, then you can also do backcountry camping at Caney Creek Falls located within the Bankhead National Forest as well. It is a 20 foot falls that spill from a rock ledge and cascade into a shallow pool beneath it. It is a spring-fed falls so water flow is pretty much guaranteed all year round. The rail to the falls is long but pretty easy so bring your kids and even your dogs too.

From Cranal Road which forms the southern part of the Sipsey Wilderness, follow the trail and it will bring you to a backcountry camping site at the bend of the creek. Further down, you will see the beautiful cascades of Eagle Creek falls. The drop is about 20 feet and around 30 feet wide. There’s a shallow pool at the bottom if you want a refreshing dip.

You can pretty much hear Mize Mills Falls from the parking area on Cranal Road, unless you parked and hiked from the day use area at the Sipsey River. It is an easy trail if you will just view the falls from the top, getting down into the canyon can be a bit challenging. The canyon in itself offers quite a view, and this will be a night that you remember for a long time!.

The trail going to Parker Falls may not be marked, but it gets enough visitors that the worn path has become defined and easy to follow. It begins at Kinlock Road and is about a 2 mile hike to see the cascades and the falls. You will see several small falls while hiking towards Parker Falls in wetter months, and there is a good spot or two in the canyon to pitch a tent.

Not into camping?  That's fine too!

There are plenty of really cool cabins close by these natural beauties too.  Take a look at our post of cabins with waterfalls nearby in Alabama.