Bluff Creek Campground Review: Army Corps of Engineers Camping Near Eufaula, Alabama
During our travels through Alabama, we spent five days at Bluff Creek Campground, an Army Corps of Engineers campground near Eufaula. With large campsites, water views, Spanish moss hanging from the trees, plenty of room for boats, and wildlife wandering through in the evenings, this turned out to be a very pleasant place to stay.
Like most campgrounds, it wasn’t perfect. A nearby paper mill occasionally brought some noise and an unpleasant smell when the wind was blowing in the wrong direction. But overall, we enjoyed our stay and found Bluff Creek to be a beautiful campground with plenty of amenities for RV travelers.
Our Campsite at Bluff Creek
We were lucky enough to have a large pull-through campsite, with another similarly sized pull-through directly behind us.
Our site had plenty of outdoor living space, including a large gravel patio. It was equipped with the things we always appreciate at a campground: a picnic table, fire pit, lantern holder and park-style barbecue grill.
There was plenty of room for our RV and truck without feeling crowded.
Not every site in the campground was quite as large, however, so this is one campground where it’s worth taking a close look at the individual campsite information when making a reservation.
Campsite Sizes and Parking
Bluff Creek has an interesting variety of campsites.
Some are large pull-throughs like ours, while many others have long back-in driveways. Several of those back-in sites slope downhill, so depending on your rig, you may need to do some front-to-back leveling.
The parking pads are paved, with gravel patio areas beside them.
We also noticed quite a bit of additional parking scattered throughout the campground. This makes sense because many campers bring boats with them.
Some individual campsites even have an extra parking space alongside the main campsite, which could be especially useful if you’re traveling with a boat trailer or second vehicle.
A Campground Built Around the Water
One of the prettiest things about Bluff Creek is the water.
There are water views throughout much of the campground, and the trees covered with Spanish moss give the entire area a distinctly Southern feel.
We loved simply looking around at the scenery.
The campground is divided into six loops, with three loops on the west side and three on the east side.
Although all six are part of the same campground, there are some differences between the two sides that are worth knowing before choosing a campsite.
Camping on the West Side
The three loops on the west side of Bluff Creek have much heavier tree cover.
They’re shady and attractive, but all those trees make it more difficult to see and access the water from some campsites.
If your priority is shade and a more wooded feeling, this side of the campground may appeal to you.
The loops are fairly similar to one another, and our campsite was located in Loop 3.
Camping on the East Side
The three loops on the east side are more open, with fewer trees.
Because of that, campers generally have better views of the water and easier access to it.
If you’re choosing Bluff Creek specifically for waterfront camping, I’d take a close look at the sites on this side when making your reservation.
The main garbage area is also located on the east side, with several large dumpsters.
Bathhouses and Laundry
One feature we really liked was that each campground loop has its own bathroom and laundry building.
That means you don’t have to travel halfway across the campground just to reach a restroom or shower.
The bathhouses include separate men’s and women’s restrooms with showers, with the laundry area located between them.
If I remember correctly, our laundry room had just one washer and one dryer. They were inexpensive—around a dollar to a dollar and a half per load at the time of our stay.
The downside to having only one set of machines is availability.
When the campground fills up on the weekend, getting your turn at the washer and dryer can be difficult. If you need to do laundry, a weekday is probably your best bet.
Dump Station and Fish-Cleaning Area
The campground dump station is conveniently located near the entrance.
After passing the gatehouse, you’ll find it on the left side of the road.
There’s also a large screened-in fish-cleaning area nearby.
Between the water access, extra boat parking and fish-cleaning facilities, it’s obvious that Bluff Creek is set up to accommodate people coming here to fish and spend time on the water.
Wildlife at Bluff Creek
One of our favorite little surprises was seeing armadillos.
We spotted them regularly in the evenings, and I was able to get fairly close to one during our stay.
They were adorable!
There were also signs warning campers about alligators in the area. We never saw an alligator during our five days at Bluff Creek, but if the signs are there, we’d certainly take them seriously.
As always when camping around wildlife, give animals plenty of space and don’t feed or approach them.
The Nearby Paper Mill
There is one potential drawback at Bluff Creek that you should know about before booking.
A paper mill is located fairly close to the campground.
We’d seen other campers mention the smell before we arrived, and when we first got there, it was definitely noticeable. Fortunately, it depends heavily on which direction the wind is blowing.
After that first experience, the smell didn’t really bother us again during the remainder of our five-day stay.
There was also occasional industrial noise from the mill, including the sound of machinery processing trees.
For us, neither issue was enough to ruin the campground, but it’s something we’d want to know about before making a reservation—especially if you’re particularly sensitive to odors or noise.
What We Liked About Bluff Creek
There was quite a bit to like here.
Our pull-through site was huge, and the large gravel patio gave us plenty of outdoor space. The campground had beautiful water views, lots of trees and Spanish moss, and a nice selection of both shaded and more open campsites.
We also appreciated the extra parking throughout the campground, especially for campers traveling with boats.
Having restrooms, showers and laundry facilities in each loop was another big plus.
And, of course, we loved our evening armadillo visitors.
Things to Consider Before Reserving
If you’re planning a stay at Bluff Creek, spend a little time looking at the campground map and individual sites before choosing one.
The west side is more heavily wooded, while the east side generally offers better water views and access.
Check the length and slope of your particular site as well. Some of the back-in sites are quite long, but the downhill slope could require additional leveling.
And remember that the nearby paper mill can occasionally produce both odor and noise.
None of those things necessarily make a site bad—they simply make it important to choose the site that works best for the way you camp.
Is Bluff Creek Campground Worth Staying At?
For us, yes.
Bluff Creek offered spacious campsites, attractive scenery and the amenities we needed while exploring the Eufaula area.
The paper mill was noticeable when we first arrived, but it wasn’t a major problem during most of our stay. In exchange, we had a large campsite, beautiful water views, plenty of trees and an affordable Army Corps of Engineers campground to use as our base while exploring this part of Alabama.
If you’re traveling through southeastern Alabama—especially if you’re bringing a boat or enjoy camping near the water—Bluff Creek Campground is certainly worth considering.
And if you stay here, keep an eye out for the armadillos in the evening!
We’ll see you down the road…and Over the Hills!
Continue the Journey
If you’d like thoughtful road wisdom, practical RV tips, and reflections from life on the road, join our email list.