LITMIR.BIZ

      The Black Warrior River has played an important role in Alabama for thousands of years. The river was the lifeblood of American Indians who lived in this area as far back as 1000 A.D. It provided drinking water, fishing, and irrigation for farming, and it also served as a major trade route connecting villages.

      The river became an important trade route for Europeans as well after they settled in this region in 1540 and began moving goods and personnel. The waterway eventually flows into the Tombigbee River and ends at the Gulf of Mexico in Mobile.

      To this day, the river holds the same importance for these very same reasons. It provides drinking water to the city of Birmingham, and it is a shipping route to the Gulf of Mexico. With the construction of a lock and dam by the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1966, another important role was added to the river’s résumé—miles and miles of recreational opportunities, including those found along the banks of Holt Lake.

      Holt is a 3,200-acre lake that stretches some 18 miles from end to end, providing amazing fishing and boating opportunities—and of course camping.

      I can’t say enough about the campgrounds operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Each provides a wonderful mix of beautiful landscapes and equally beautiful facilities. And one of the best is Deerlick Creek Campground.

      It’s tucked away in a towering hardwood forest. Here you’ll be sleeping under beech trees, oaks, and pines, mainly loblolly; however, the loblolly pines may not be around for long. A nonnative species, loblollies are prone to disease and not resilient to storms. Slowly, many state agencies and nonprofit organizations are removing the loblolly pines and reforesting the area with the native, and much hardier, longleaf.

      Peace and tranquility are the norm at Deerlick Creek Campground. You’ll find plenty of space between campsites, so you’re guaranteed a good amount of privacy, plus it is very quiet.

      Hikers will find several short trails, including one on the lake’s western bank and another leading to a swimming beach. A road biking trail also provides recreation. And if you like to fish, anglers can choose from four piers.

      The campground offers 46 sites altogether, and guests won’t find limits on the number of tents that can be pitched per pad, unlike most facilities.

      Sites 1–40 offer power, water, a picnic table, a lantern post, a fire ring, and a grill. The tent pads are compact crushed gravel.

      If you like to camp with a view, check out sites 5–9, 13–18, and 34–39. All are located high enough above the lake to take it all in. These sites also provide room for two vehicles to park.

      But for my favorite spots, seek out the Settler’s Camp, sites 41–46. Tent-only sites are normally an afterthought, as operators bank on making their money on RVs, but the primitive sites at Deerlick are phenomenal.

      The sites are located just below the campground road on a bluff overlooking a finger of the lake. A short set of wooden stairs leads down to the wide dirt tent pad, picnic table, lantern post, and fire ring with grill. Although called primitive, each site has power. Maybe they should be called semiprimitive? In any case, the view is wonderful and the solitude unbeatable. You’ll find a paved parking area just above the sites big enough for two vehicles.

      The campground has a spacious and clean central bathhouse with hot showers. A laundry is available here as well. And Deerlick is gated, so there is excellent security. The gate is locked 10 p.m.–7 a.m.

      The only downside to spending a night or two at Deerlick Creek Campground is that it’s closed November–February—the prime time to view bald eagles in the area.

      :: Getting There

      From Tuscaloosa take Lurleen B. Wallace Boulevard North 0.6 mile. Turn right onto Fifth Street/County Road 30. Travel 0.1 mile and turn right, continuing on Fifth Street/CR 30. In 2.4 miles Fifth Street becomes Rice Mine Road. Continue 3.4 miles and turn right onto CR 87/New Watermelon Road. Travel 3.5 miles and turn right onto CR 42/Lake Nicol Road. Travel 3.4 miles and turn right onto CR 89/Deerlick Road. Travel 3.6 miles. The entrance will be on the left.

      GPS COORDINATES N33° 16.295' W 87° 25.895'