Lake Lurleen State Park

This was our first time at Lake Lurleen and we had a wonderful time. Our site was on the water with a deck overlook. There was a picnic table on the deck and to the side a fire ring with grill top. Not far down from us was a playground and sandy beach area. Our site couldn’t have been more perfect. For those that like to Geocach there are several in the area. You can also rent paddle boats. There is also several hiking trails and pavilions to rent for events. The only issue (and if you are truly trying to unplug and get away from technology it’s not a problem) is there is no tv reception if you are trying to pick up a signal with just the camper antenna. Cell service (ATT) was only in and out in certain spots. I brought my WiFi and found that my text messages and email worked better when my phone had no service and was connected to it. As for the WiFi working with the tv, it did not. As a whole the trip was perfect and we will definitely stay here again.

Good location, clean bathhouses, nice views, plenty to do. Check in was average, pulled up to the gate shack and the lady gave us a card to fill out. Then she explains their process (basically there's a coded gate that's locked after dark) then we went to find a spot. The sites are a mixed bag, some are amazing with great views, some are spacious, some are perfectly level, some are tight, poorly located, some are terribly unlevel. The biggest issue I had is the roads are in an extreme state of disrepair throughout the park. If you are able to get a good site this is a pretty good park, but drive extremely slowly and watch for potholes everywhere. Cell service is not good/non existent but there is a lot of stuff to do here so if you don't absolutely have to have it, it's no big deal.

Our first time here. No reservations taken in the off season but plenty of availability!

Let's get the "bad" out of the way so you can know the great! Most sites are "pull thru" which is really just off the side of the park road. Not a favorite since vehicles are passing quite close to your rig. Also, cell service is nearly non-existent on AT&T.

Now the great...trails to your heart's content! 26.4 miles if you take all of them that encompass the lake! Bath houses are abundant and in good condition for state parks. We had a great site location with full hookups and personal deck overlooking the water. The lake is beautiful and we very much enjoyed seeing a bald eagle during our visit. (Gliding about a foot above the water!) This park is also in a great spot close to Downtown Tuscaloosa and University of Alabama.

Three stars because of cost and no online or over phone reservations during COVID-19 restrictions. They earned a star for closing playgrounds and beach.

Stayed at end of March during trip home due to COVID-19. Park looked like it would be a nice place to spend some time. Sites looked to need a little up dating. Electric and water on the curbside of site. Probably very crowded in summer. Looked like there were possibly long term rentals/campers. There was rv storage too which we’ve seen at our only other AL state park, Gulf Shores.
Playgrounds and beach were taped off due to COVID precautions which was good.
We stayed in the back loop without lake view to social distance and have more privacy.

Two downsides to this park, price and no online reservations.

Price for ONE night, $39.00
Campsite: $30.00
In person registration fee: $4.75
Tax: $3.30
Resort fee: $1.13

Not sure how this changes for consecutive nights.

No online reservations: pull up, you are handed a clipboard with paper to fill out. Go back in, pay and you are handed paperwork and then you go pick your site. Not a good system for social distancing.

Very sketchy Verizon. Got a FaceTime call to work then couldn’t get a text to go through.

Didn’t use washrooms.
Back loop very quiet.

Lake Lurleen is a nice Alabama State Park. It is the victim of decades of underfunding by the state, but the people who run it have definitely done the best they can with the resources given. Our site was right on the water and we were able to push the kayaks in right there. The site itself could have been a bit more level. The bathrooms were worn but very clean. There were lots of trees and shade and your typical fire pit and picnic table. There was lots of room to spread out and relax. We really enjoyed the peaceful weekend (except for noisy neighbors). One thing to note: although it says online and on pamphlets that check out time is 2:00, it is actually 11:00.

This is a fairly large state campground with multiple sections (2 of them on the lake). The lake area is beautiful but the park is basically falling apart. It is obvious that the state is not putting any money back into maintenance or improvements. Our back-in pad was broken up and pot-holed asphalt. The wooden stairs leading down off the RV pad were extremely old, worn, and several steps were actually broken and cracked. Even though the website and front office states that the max length of stay is 14 days, the vast majority of the campers in the park are semi-permanent to fully permanent fixtures. It was obvious that several old RVs had not rolled anywhere in years. I am giving this place two stars only because the lake is great and the park has so much promise but...

Beautiful state park with sandy swimming beach, canoes and kayaks to rent, and many trails to hike. Sites on the waterfront have the most privacy and best views. For small rigs recommend sites 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14. For larger rigs suggest 43, 45, 47. Sites are paved and needing much repair. Most are not level. “Bathrooms” are modern and clean although some have no water.

This park is beautiful and has so much to offer. Canoes and paddle boats, beach for swimming, fishing, nice playgrounds and plenty of trails. However the campground itself has seen some better days.

Our site was on the water and had beautiful views, however the site was pitiful. The asphalt pad was so broken up that you could either let out your slide or be level but you couldn’t have both. The site had a deck due to a steep embankment which was narrow and limited the site space.

Sewer hookups are limited and I would recommend an extra sewage hose due to the placement of many of the hookup sites. I would exercise extreme caution booking sites without photos as many of the sites are in bad shape and can not accommodate rigs over 20 feet.

We were told that there are plans in place to renovate the campground in the fall. Should that take place, this place has the potential to be packed. The restrooms are dated but clean.

The staff at the gate were nice and accommodating. However, we had a less than stellar experience with one of the hosts. While not our best experience, we plan to camp here again in the future.

This is my second stay at this park. It is absolutely beautiful here. Sunset on the lake. Sunrise with the fog on the lake. Stunning!

We stayed for one night, September 11, 2023, and found the park to be nearly empty which was nice. We had a lakefront campsite and was almost as far as you could get away from the office which is probably why the advertised wi-fi was non-existent. Not a big deal as the peace and serenity was refreshing. Didn’t use but did check out the bathroom/shower and could use don’t updating but was clean.