Camping at White Oak Creek in Eufaula, Alabama

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

In October, on a whim and a fine weather forecast, we took a last-minute tent camping trip up to White Oak Creek Campground in Eufaula, Alabama. The campground is south of town so actually under an hour from our house so we are able to head up Friday after school and come home Sunday after lunch. The was such a wonderful time way to relax and unplug and I hope that you get the chance to visit sometime!

Eufaula, Alabama is located on the Alabama / Georgia border and home to Lake Eufaula, also called Walter F. George Lake, which is essentially a dammed-up section of the Chattahoochee River offering up 640 miles of shoreline. It’s basically straight north of where we live in Dothan, Alabama. Known as the Big Bass Capital of the World, it’s the perfect place to fish for largemouth bass, white bass, hybrids, and also crappie, channel catfish, and bream. It’s a popular destination for boating and tubing as well!

FUN FACT: Have you seen Sweet Home Alabama? The large historic homes shown in Melanie’s (Reese Witherspoon) return to Pigeon Creek were shot right there in Eufaula. I can’t help but sing it every time we drive through!

There are a few different camping options on the lake to choose from but in this post, I want to share specifics on our tent camping stay at White Oak Creek Campground.

WHITE OAK CREEK CAMPGROUND

We were lucky enough to snag a last-minute waterfront campsite for our visit. I have been told that they go quickly during peak periods but am seeing availability still for upcoming months so make sure to grab one!

Also, can we pause and talk about how cute Abby’s sweatshirt is? It’s from The Wishing Elephant. So cute!

Anyway, this campground has 129 standard (Tent or RV) sites and all have electric and water hookups. There are clean bathhouses with flush toilets and showers as well as drinking water, laundry facilities. The park also has three dump stations.

I want to stop and mention that during our visit the lake was drawn down for a month so you will see wide open shallow banks, like in the photo above, that don’t typically exist here. I believe that the water comes much closer to the sites than my photos show near the grassy water’s edge. We loved having it down because it left tons of little shells and other treasures for the kids to look at.

We camped at site 67 which was set closer to the water than some other sites and literally perfect for us. The site had a tent area, firepit, picnic table (yay, smores), and a barbeque and was a short walk to the bathhouse. I would totally camp here again! The sites were staggard a bit and while we could see our neighbors, it didn’t feel too close. In fact, we met a wonderful couple next door who actually invited us out for a ride in their pontoon boat which was easily the highlight of our weekend and beyond generous.

You all know that I am a sucker for both a sunrise and a sunset and our campsite was literally the perfect place to see both! They were made even more beautiful with the campfire smoke filling the air!

I made an Instagram Reel during our stay and will embed it here. We had cotton candy skies and it was so fun to just watch the boats come in. You can also find more video from our stay within the ALABAMA Story Highlight on my Instagram page!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sarah Blevins (@ourlittlelifestyleblog)

When we tent camp we kind of just go with the flow. I normally pack food to prepare on our Coleman Camp Stove and lots of snacks. We like to just sit by the fire and relax. We often stay around our site for the duration of our stay as well. A year or so ago we bought an awesome portable projector and have been bringing that. When it gets dark we put on a movie for the kids in the tent and Matt and I just veg out by the fire.

In this photo below of our tent in the dark that you may have seen over on Instagram, you can see how we have it set up! I would highly recommend one of these to anyone!

I actually get a lot of questions about our tent on Instagram because I often post photos of the top open and share how much I love being able to see the stars and sunrises through it! Ours is specifically the Coleman 9 person Hampton tent and while it’s no longer being made, here is a link to some that are similar. We have been very happy with it and I would say that the Prairie Breeze is probably the most similar to the Hampton, in fact, it looks almost exactly the same to me!

On this camping trip, we used our new Way B Ready to Roam Backpack. WAYB’s motto is “here to inspire and equip your next family adventure” and they have created a highly rated portable travel car seat, travel bags, coolers, backpacks, and more. Our new #hellowayb backpack shown here is made from recycled materials and both durable and lightweight! ⁣ Since then I have taken it over because my 17″ laptop fits perfectly in it and it has become the new bag that I keep all of my important gear in while we travel!

WHAT TO DO

Fishing and boating are what bring a lot of people to this campground and in my photos, you will see that some people have their jet skis and boats pulled up to their site. I am not sure if this is specifically allowed or not and couldn’t find information online to add here. There is a boat ramp nearby but I would put a call into the campground to ask specifics before planning to bring your boat.

There are also some hiking trails for you to enjoy! I think we walked them all. They are more or less pathways through the wooded areas but were easy and enjoyable. We took our coffee and walked them both mornings with the kids joining us on the second. Grab a campground map when you arrive or just look for the little signs that say Nature Trail.

A lot of kids like to ride bikes around as well. I do like how the campground is set up in loops to lessen the amount of traffic coming through.

NOTE: Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, the playgrounds were closed during our visit. But once open, there are a few to enjoy throughout the park including one just a few sites down from where we stayed.

WHERE TO EAT & SHOP

On Saturday afternoon we decided to do a late lunch / early dinner at a nearby restaurant. White Oak Bass & Go is located literally just outside of the campground. Upon exiting the campground turn left and it’s just across the bridge. I believe that they do have live music some nights as well! There is also a small convenience shop that even has ice cream. If you want to head into Eufaula I would make sure to pop by The Donut King for breakfast and also try River City Grill for dinner. On the south side of town, you will also find all of the usual fast food options including a Chick Fil A and a Walmart for anything else you may need.

If you need firewood, there is a place that sells it just outside the gate a quarter mile or so. I can’t remember the name but just ask at the gate. Matt went and picked it up and said the guy who runs it was so nice and had a wonderful story to tell.

HOW TO BOOK

Reservations are made through Recreation.gov and you can click here to check availability and book a site at White Oak Creek Campground. Individual sites booking window run on a 6-month rolling basis so book now for summer! Rates are $26 or $52 per night. Our specific site, #67, was $52 per night. Make sure to check the map before booking to make sure you choose a site on the water if in fact, you want one. All sites allow for tent or RV but please check length limits on each specific site.

What is the best campsite? I think any site on the water would be great but this one in this photo below would be amazing. I am kicking myself for not checking out the number but I think it’s somewhere between 88-92 on that little peninsula. If anyone knows please do leave a comment here and I will update my blog post!

Thanks for reading and if you get a chance to get there please leave a comment and let me know! Also, if you have camped here before and can think of anything I left out, just comment and let me know. I am always happy to update posts with more information!