Oak Mountain adds glamping

Oak Mountain State Park has added glamping safari tents in Pelham, bringing furnished, climate-controlled camping to Alabama’s largest state park. (alapark.com) The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced the expansion on March 31, 2026, and ABC 33/40 reported the tents officially debuted at a ribbon cutting on Thursday, April 16. (outdooralabama.com) (abc3340.com) Oak Mountain’s glamping page lists two setups: a deluxe safari tent with one king bed and two bunk beds, and a double safari tent with two queen beds. Both include electricity, heating and air conditioning, a mini fridge, a Keurig coffee maker, hammocks, a fire ring and a picnic table. (alapark.com) The new sites plug Oak Mountain into a statewide rollout that began with a Timberline Glamping partnership in 2023. Outdoor Alabama said Oak Mountain is the sixth Alabama state park with glamping, after Wind Creek, Lake Guntersville, Chewacla, Monte Sano and Cheaha. (outdooralabama.com) Oak Mountain is a logical place for the expansion because it is the state system’s biggest park and one of its busiest outdoor hubs near Birmingham. The park covers 11,861 acres and has more than 100 miles of trails, plus lakes, beaches, golf, horseback riding and the Alabama Wildlife Center. (alapark.com) State parks officials and Timberline are pitching the tents as a middle option between primitive camping and cabins. Commissioner Chris Blankenship said glamping has grown in popularity, while Timberline operator Sarah Johnson said the six Oak Mountain sites were designed for families, couples and groups. (outdooralabama.com) Oak Mountain already had a broad lodging mix before the tents arrived. Its reservation system lists campsites, cabins and now Timberline safari tents, while the park’s campground includes 57 full hook-up recreational vehicle sites, 27 water-and-electric sites, 60 primitive tent sites and six tent sites with water and electricity. (reserve.alapark.com) (alapark.com) For visitors, the immediate change is simple: Oak Mountain now offers a stay that keeps the campfire and outdoor setting but drops the need to bring a tent, cots or a window unit. Reservations for the safari tents are already live through the state park booking system. (alapark.com) (reserve.alapark.com)