Oak Mountain State Park’s campground is set to reopen next weekend, featuring paved roads, a camp store to visitors, and other significant upgrades following a $13 million renovation. The first campers are expected to check in at the new campground on Friday, May 24, just before Memorial Day weekend.
The reopening marks the campground’s first major renovation in nearly 50 years. On May 18, government officials, civic leaders, and state parks personnel gathered for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to officially open the upgraded campground.
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Commissioner Chris Blankenship mentioned in a press release that they had long recognized the need for a renovation at Oak Mountain State Park’s campground.
From the moment visitors check in at our new camp store, they’ll step into a better campground than we’ve ever had at Oak Mountain. We want every person who visits one of our State Parks to enjoy a first-class experience, and this new campground definitely delivers,” Blankenship added.
Oak Mountain’s campground has undergone a complete teardown and rebuild. The renovations include new water and sewer lines, upgraded electrical connections, and an improved playground. Additionally, the campground has seen updates, including widened camping pads to accommodate today’s larger and advanced RVs. Other enhancements are a new dog park, improved Wi-Fi access, and the construction of trails leading to and from the campground.
The renovation of Oak Mountain’s campground began in October 2023 and was completed earlier this May. Funded by an $85 million bond issue approved by Alabama voters in 2022, along with support from the Shelby County Commission, the $13 million project aimed at enhancing the park.
To accommodate modern RVs and more visitors, the campground’s electrical connections have been upgraded to 50/30 amp service. Additionally, the park introduced four ADA-compliant tent sites and eight ADA-compliant RV sites.
Other renovations included constructing several spacious bathhouses with laundry facilities, air conditioning, and heating. The bathhouses have a shower, toilet, and sink, allowing increased privacy in lieu of a communal setting. A new restroom facility was also added near the new playground.
All RV sites now include a picnic table, grill, lantern hook, and fire pit, while primitive camping sites have been upgraded with tent pads. The renovation also introduced a larger, modern camp store and an activity pavilion on the B Loop, where the ribbon-cutting ceremony took place.
The park’s new playground now offers modern equipment and a soft, spongy rubber floor, offering children a safer and more durable surface. Designed as a National Demonstration Site (NDS) to showcase best practices in design, it is the first of its kind in Alabama State Parks.
Campground reservations are open online at Alapark.com through the “Plan Your Alabama State Parks Adventure Online” portal.
Featured image by Alabama State Parks via alapark.com