USDA Forest Service · Alabama
Payne Lake Recreation Area
USDA Forest Service · Alabama, United States
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 299 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- Verizon weak · T-Mobile none · AT&T none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- PAYNE LAKE (NFSR 747) · bituminous surface treatment · high degree of user comfort
- Nearest town
- Brent, AL
Season dates aren't confirmed for this campground yet - opening and closing dates haven't been verified. Check the operator's page or call ahead before you plan a trip.
Site map
The imagery of the campground. Press and hold the map to drop your own pins and notes; the operator publishes no site points here. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
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About
US Forest Service campground. Payne Lake Recreation Area offers the outdoor enthusiasts solitude, a scenic lake, and picturesque campsites. Payne Lake Recreation Area has one swimming beach and two bathhouses for users of the recreation area. Each bathhouse has restrooms and showers. Camping is permitted at 26 developed sites along the shoreline of the 110-acre Payne Lake. Each site has a picnic table, cooking or fire circle, and tent or trailer pad. Not reservable through Recreation.gov, so plan on first-come, first-served; check with the ranger district for current conditions and fees.
Fees
Overnight Use:
Single Site: $18 per night
Water & Electric hook-up Fee: $12 per night
Water hook-up Fee: $5 per night
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 35° | 16° | 74° | 9 of 11 |
| February | 64° | 43° | 21° | 77° | 3 of 11 |
| March | 70° | 51° | 28° | 83° | 2 of 11 |
| April | 74° | 55° | 40° | 85° | 0 of 11 |
| May | 84° | 67° | 54° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 88° | 72° | 62° | 98° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 90° | 75° | 70° | 98° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 92° | 75° | 69° | 100° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 89° | 72° | 56° | 98° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 76° | 57° | 40° | 89° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 67° | 49° | 27° | 79° | 3 of 10 |
| December | 60° | 42° | 26° | 73° | 4 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Trails nearby
All 47 trails in National Forests in Alabama
Trailheads the Park Service and the Forest Service map; each trail's page has its length, climbing and the Service's description.
Nearby campgrounds
- Jennings Ferry · Army Corps of Engineers · 22 mi · 52 sites
- Van de Graaff Park Campground · City, County & Regional Parks · 25 mi · 30 sites
- Deerlick Creek · Army Corps of Engineers · 26 mi · 47 sites
- Forkland · Army Corps of Engineers · 31 mi · 43 sites
- Lake Lurleen State Park · Alabama State Parks · 32 mi · 74 sites
All public campgrounds in Alabama · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-06. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.