U.S. Forest Service · National Forests in Alabama · Alabama

Coleman Lake Recreation Area

The newly renovated Coleman Lake Recreation Area is peacefully nestled into the Talladega mountains. For recreationists who want to get away from the crowds, but want a few modern conveniences, Coleman Lake Recreation Area is your place to be. There are 39 campsites with water and electrical hookups, bathhouses, 29 picnicking units, a 21-acre lake and access to the Pinhoti Trail. Two new comfort stations and seven camping sites are fully accessible for the physically challenged. Most sites will accommodate recreational vehicles up to 35 feet in length. A picnic shelter that seats 40 is available on a first come, first serve basis, or it can be reserved for $15.

More like this: first-come in Alabama · tent only in Alabama

Coleman Lake Recreation Area
Photo from the area. Rivers Langley; SaveRivers (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
FeesRecreation Fee Schedule

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusOpen
SeasonMarch 15th to December 8th
ForestNational Forests in Alabama
FeesRecreation Fee Schedule

National Forests in Alabama recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Coleman Lake Recreation Area40°50°60°70°80°January: 5.58 inches of precipitation, 0.4 inches of snowFebruary: 5.85 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowMarch: 5.60 inches of precipitation, 0.5 inches of snowApril: 4.83 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowMay: 4.67 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 4.58 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 5.39 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 4.36 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 3.33 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 3.36 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 4.51 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowDecember: 5.35 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 41.5°F averageFebruary: 45.1°F averageMarch: 52.2°F averageApril: 59.6°F averageMay: 67.4°F averageJune: 74.2°F averageJuly: 77.7°F averageAugust: 77.0°F averageSeptember: 71.7°F averageOctober: 61.2°F averageNovember: 50.6°F averageDecember: 44.2°F average0 in2 in4 in6 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Heflin, 10 miles from the campground at 1,000 feet, station USC00013775 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 57 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 1 inch a year on the same inches scale. The shaded span is the published season, March 15 to December 8.

Getting there

Coordinates33.7841° N, 85.5620° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

RV sales & serviceCamping World of Oxford ↗16.9 mi
Outdoor gearRusted Arrow Outdoors ↗46.2 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

NO CAMPING? Solo Tent Camp - Coleman Lake - Talladega National Forest - Campground Tour…

  • 0.8 mi
    Yellow Horse Trail ↗
    13.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.1 mi
    Blue Horse Trail ↗
    17.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.2 mi
    White Horse Trail
    4.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.3 mi
    Red Horse Trail
    3.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Dugger Mountain Wilderness begins about 4.1 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Guidebooks for Alabama and the South

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Best Tent Camping: Alabama
    Joe Cuhaj, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Exploring Wild Alabama
    Kenneth M. Wills and Dr. L. J. Davenport, 2016
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Rail-trails Southeast
    Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, 2024
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to camp at Coleman Lake Recreation Area?

Recreation Fee Schedule

Source: Forest Service

Is Coleman Lake Recreation Area open right now?

Open as of Oct 26, 2026. Season March 15th to December 8th.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Coleman Lake Recreation Area have?

39 sites.

Source: Forest Service

Can I bring an RV to Coleman Lake Recreation Area?

Coleman Lake Recreation Area is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Coleman Lake Recreation Area is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Warden Station Horse Camp (1 mi, first-come), Pine Glen Recreation Area (4.7 mi, first-come), and Turnipseed Campground (28.4 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby