Hidden Cove RV Resort is located at 687 CR 3919 in Arlely, AL.
This little hidden gem of a campground is in Northern Alabama and located on Lewis Smith Lake. But it is affectionally called just Smith Lake.
It is part of the Thousand Trails campground system, but can be booked online independent of Thousand Trails. And the cost for an RV campsite is about $50 a night if you decide to book it that way.
Click here to view the Hidden Cove RV Resort map
Hidden Cove RV Resort Features
This campground offers not only 30 amp but 50 amp sites. In fact they just put in a new loop, Loop C, which has nothing but 50 amp sites.
These sites offer not only back-in spots but also pull-through if that is your choice. And with their addition of 80 new spots it is a great option to stay.
Some of these spots back up to overlook the lake, but most of those sites are hard to get. And that is because they are snatched up right away.
There are some annual sites there also, but not all are just for the annual residents.
Of course, these newer sites are wonderful in many ways. But don’t forget that there are also some great campsites located in the older loops as well.
For instance, in Loop B which is mainly 30 amp, and then Loop A which offers 50 amp sites.
Most of the campsites in this park tend to be fairly level and offer water and sewer as well as electric.
A real plus is that pretty much all campsites are accessible for rigs of all sizes. And the roads seem to be fairly well cared for too.
A Warning For Those With Larger Rigs
But there is one situation that you do need to be aware of. And that is if you are trying to access Loop B and Loop C there is a small bridge to cross first.
And when you leave the office after check in, you may choose to take the left hand road at the fork.
But the left turn to go over the bridge to get to those loops is very narrow and sharp. We almost got ourselves in a tough spot trying to do that.
So if you have a bigger rig it would be best to take the road to the right at the fork instead. Then drive through the dump station and take the next left.
That will give you a more gentle bend and you will be able to go across that bridge easily. Mainly because you will be entering it straight ahead instead of at a sharp angle.
Then leaving the area, if you reverse the direction, it will work just as well. Of course, if you have a smaller rig, you can probably make that swing just fine.
So it will be up to you if you want to do that or follow the route that the bigger rigs would find better to navigate.
Hidden Cove RV Resort Amenities
The park itself is very well cared for though. The bath house and laundry room, especially in the new section, was very up to date and clean. Laundry was reasonably priced also.
The bath house in the older part of the park was very clean too. Although it could use some upgrading at some point in the future, it’s still very usable.
The park also boasts some enjoyable amenities too. For instance, they had just redone the mini golf area.
And there was a playground for the kids, and a pool that was not open yet when we were there. This is because it was just being finished.
All of these areas and the clubhouse will be a definite plus when the restrictions of Covid are lifted.
But let me tell you that the real beauty of the park is the access that you have to Lake Smith. In fact, if you own a boat, it is a boaters paradise.
There is a really nice boat ramp and dock onsite. And it even has a floating fishing well which is really cool and we saw many campers using it.
So if you like to fish, this RV park is absolutely a must visit. But even if you are not into fishing, just walking the park is very enjoyable.
Its many views and the observation deck with a free-to-use paddle boat are just amazing. And if you wish to just go swimming off the rocks, you can do that also.
This is not only a great place to do things with the family though. It’s also a good place to get some quiet personal rest and relaxation if that is your choice.
What About The Surrounding Area?
What about the area around it? Well, there are so many things to do. We stayed for about 10 days and enjoyed the beauty of the surrounding area.
There was a natural bridge fairly close by with surrounding trails and trickling brooks.
And there was a really cool covered bridge with hiking trails not far away too.
Also, if you are interested in the history of the Civil War, there is a wonderful little museum that we found.
It has interesting war memorabilia that is privately owned by a unique gentleman that is a wealth of information. All of these things add to the uniqueness of the area.
But seeing you are kind of out in the middle of nature, do you have to go far to provision? Well there is an adorable little town of Arley only 5 miles away.
The town has a grocery store that is not too high priced for being in a smaller town.
And there is a really delicious diner and cafe in Arley as well. They are both reasonably priced for a nice breakfast, lunch or light dinner.
There are also some Mom and Pop restaurants not far away that serve up some delicious seafood and other cuisines.
Hidden Cove RV Resort Shopping Options
If you wish to go to a small city with more options for shopping, Jasper is only 25 miles away. And it has at least a Walmart and Aldi’s, as well as other known brands for general shopping.
You will also find a Harbor Freight and other stores where you can find just about anything that you need.
If you go in the other direction, there is the city of Cullman which is about 30 miles away. And it offers very much the same opportunities for shopping.
So you definitely have plenty of shopping options to choose from in the area. We feel that you can stay in the area for a period of time and have everything that you really need.
Campground Internet Access
But there is one last thing that most of us travelers want to know. And that is how is the connectivity in this park for cell phone and internet access?
Well, we had Sprint cell service at the time for our phones, and it tended to be a bit spotty.
But when we accessed the internet through our hotspot which was with AT&T, it was a different story. In fact, we had enough signal to easily work online and stream videos if we wished.
The RV park does offer wifi, so I am sure you could get some access through that method too. But I am not sure what the cost is as we did not need to access it.
Our Conclusion
So is this park a good option?? Oh my goodness yes.
It is a bit off the beaten path but what a wonderful place to stay. We enjoyed it so much that we have plans to go back again later this year.
Our rating for this little hidden gem is definitely a 4.5.
Thank you Hidden Cove RV Resort for a great visit the first time and we look forward to seeing you again this year!