Reviews

Kristi Tanner

Monte Sano was a wonderful place to visit and an easy 5-star experience. What We Loved: • Beautiful, serene areas that are perfect for a peaceful walk and enjoying nature. • Well-maintained grounds with plenty of scenic spots to relax and take in the surroundings. • A calm atmosphere that makes it easy to slow down and unwind. • Several picturesque locations that would make a beautiful setting for a wedding or special event. Whether you're looking for a quiet stroll or simply a place to enjoy the outdoors, Monte Sano is well worth a visit. Would We Return? Absolutely.

Jill House

I didn’t have a ton of time to explore, but I wanted to go see what the park has to offer. The park is pretty good in size. You drive and climb quite a bit to get to the entrance. There is a planetarium but I didn’t visit and I don’t know if it was open. That would be neat to see if it is something that is open. I went to the country store (located to the left of the “Y” intersection after entering the park. It’s about .50 a mile if I’m guessing from the entrance. A parking lot is there and restrooms along with the Japanese Tea Garden. The paths are not clearly marked and I had a little trouble navigating trails. That could be more clear. The people staffing the country store were not overly pleasant and seemed slightly annoyed answering the same questions from every person who walked in. I did get a map for free. From the country store, I turned left to go to the observation point. There were some benches to sit down on and enjoy the view. Only could for a bit before the bugs started coming at me. If you’re looking for a place with lots of trails and green this is it. Seemed to have lots of people there for the holiday camping. I do appreciate they let active duty military members in for free.

Ka Da

Love this park and area a lot. We have stayed here many times but I’d never left a review. The park employees are super friendly and the park itself is just a respite from the world down the mountain. The camping spaces are treed and wide, easy in and out and the trees and views and hiking trails are perfect. They have done som great upgrades to the RV sites, from new rock, to timber edging and a lot of leveling, making them even nicer than before. The Burritt mansion down the hill has spectacular views of sunset! Huntsville is a great city to visit and hang out in. Thanks for another great stay, Monte Sano.

CassieD Sm

We stumbled upon Monte Sano State Park completely by accident while driving and decided to pull over—and wow, what a surprise. We didn’t explore the campground or trails, just stopped at the top of the mountain near the lookout, but the view alone was worth it. The overlook is absolutely beautiful, with stunning views that make you pause and just take it all in. It felt peaceful, scenic, and totally unexpected in the best way. Bottom line: Even a quick stop here is worth it. 10/10 for the views alone.

Sonata Chaterji

Lovely state park with easy running trails, we did three trails on a lovely winter afternoon with family. We walked through the simple Japanese garden to start. And oh, it’s $5 (per person I think), but I’m happy to pay for lovely trails. I think the playgrounds are nice, but we didn’t get a chance to play :) And the visitor center is nice with clean bathrooms. Reaching the place from Nashville took two hours and it was a breath of fresh air. Be warned that you have to go up to the mountain and there is fog that comes and goes, just drive slow in the fog, playing peek a boo with gorgeous sunshine. What I loved about it is that the trails are run-able at least the three we did: North Plateau, South Plateau, and part of the Fire Tower Trail. Also, some lovely vistas and the trails are well marked. The people were lovely too, with pets all leashed. We also saw three deer that darted off when we were running.

bag johnson

The fog was heavy when we visited, so our visability was limited. I feel the trails and map could use a little improvement and clarity. Everything we did experience was beautiful.

Paulina

Magical and Fun — Can’t Wait to Return! This place was absolutely magical and so much fun! I felt very safe the entire time, which made the experience even better. I’m already planning my next visit and definitely want to stay in a cabin nearby. If you’re looking for a beautiful, relaxing, and memorable getaway, this place is perfect. Can’t wait to come back!

Merry Stanford

Autumn is a beautiful time to stay at the campground at Monte Sano State Park. The sites are level, excellent for RV camping and tents as well. Lots of hiking nearby, and a beautiful look out point for sunrise and moonrise over the Appalachian foothills only 1/4 mile from the camp store. Very accessible to Huntsville sights, such as the US Space and Rocket Center (which has GREAT activities for kids and adults alike.) Highly recommend.

Douglas Carey

Pretty cloudy day, but it was very nice. The waterfall was close and the scenic overlooks were very nice. I'd really like to spend more time there going through the trails. This park has a lot to offer, though.

Bruce Burley

Had most of my wedding party stay at the cabins over the weekend. Stayed four nights and rented 8 cabins and one of the glamping tents over the weekend. Love this park and forest. Playground and trails for the kids. Fire pits for nightly hangouts and the renovations to the cabins are really nice. Only downside is I had difficulties with one of the park workers at the front desk. Every interaction with them was unfriendly. It became an inside joke to my friends and family that I had an enemy in the park. Everyone else I interacted with were great! Tracy who works cleaning services at the park also went out of her way to help my family find accommodations at the timberline tents when we had a flight fiasco that required some same day booking. I camped here with my mom as a toddler and I still come back every year for Christmas at the cabins.

Happy2B Retired

Great hiking trail on South Plateau Loop for a newcomer to hiking. Did the 3.5 mile loop, which was well marked. Had good elevation changes and a few strenuous parts. Good parking. Cost to get in park is $5 per person. You’ll encounter other hikers, runners and bikers on the trail.

Krystal Barrett

There is so much to explore at Monte Sano State Park! My family & I were there the majority of the day & still had so much left to explore. The park has a playground area, picnic areas, wonderful lookout view, many trails for hiking or biking & is pet friendly (as long as they're leashed). They have cabins available to rent as well as a campground. There are rest areas located throughout containing restrooms as well as trashcans & also benches or picnic tables for needed breaks along the trails. The trails are accessible, well maintained & visibility marked. The views are absolutely amazing! If you go to the lookout spot, don't pass up stopping by the Civilian Conservation Corps Museum & Memorial to spend some time chatting with Mr. Oceola Jack Byrne about the history of the park as well as Huntsville! He is an absolute gem & has quite a few very interesting photos/ historical artifacts in his hut station to show off! This is one state park that you don't want to miss out on!

Caye Moore

Great campsite with full hookup! So peaceful. Deer came right on to our site, it was so cool! The restrooms were very clean. I hope we can visit again to do some hiking.

JT Barnes

Beautiful park! We visited for a Mountain Bike race and loved the trails and the facilities! Would definitely like to come back and explore some more! UPDATE! Came back to the park for our anniversary camping trip 5 years later and love it even more! Beautiful hikes and fantastic mountain biking! Just a short drive to downtown Huntsville for some great food and drinks! Campground was clean and well maintained and most importantly quiet and dark! No extra lighting makes for beautiful nights at the campground! We will be back again!

Mary Osbach

We had a really nice stay in the cabins for 4 nights. The park was amazing and we loved the trails and Japanese Garden (not much in bloom, but very cool). The cabins have been redone recently and had up to date amenities. The outsides of 12-14 look much rougher on than they are on the inside. Made a fire one night. Used the oven and stove every day. Great fridge. Water pressure was excellent and plenty of hot water. Bed was comfortable. Screened porch was awesome. Keep in mind, this is the wilderness and small rodents want anything they can get, and they are certainly around. We took our trash out every day before we left and before we went to sleep and kept the actual trash can outside, it maybe helped. Park staff was very kind and the camp ground/RV park was very nice (lots of shade, clean bathrooms). We were going to stay in a primitive site, but the weekends weather made us decide to go for the cabin, and we are very glad we did! Awesome stay, highly recommend, would come again!