Candy Mountain RV Park

Candy Mountain RV Park is located in Coaling, Alabama. The establishment is located about 20 minutes away from the highway. A total of 64 RV spaces are offered at the business, all of which come with full hookups, including water, electricity, and sewer. One can also find a coin-operated washer and dryer and several fishing ponds. The fishing ponds are stocked with a variety of fish, including catfish and bass. Smoking and pets are allowed on the grounds as long as they do not bother other people at the RV park. The history of the property is considered extensive by the manager, as it used to belong to Jerry Marchant, who originally purchased 160 acres of land and built mills to grow and harvest sugar cane. The land was divided into four different areas and given to each of his sons, who continued to use the land for farming until one of them eventually decided to build an RV park.

About

Candy Mountain RV Park has 64 RV pads that guests can reserve. Each unit comes equipped with water, electricity, and sewer hookups. Occupants have the option to stay at the business for short-term or long-term stays. Everyone staying at the RV park also has access to dumpsters, a coin-operated washer and dryer, and a fire pit. Visitors can spend time at one of the four ponds on the grounds and fish for catfish, bream, and bass. Grills are situated at several points around the property, and patrons can use them at their leisure. Bird baths can also be found on the grounds, which help attract some of the various bird species found locally. The establishment is 40 acres in size, with the RV park occupying approximately 15 of those acres. Other parts of the land have space for guests to do outdoor activities. The manager  explains, “We’ve got a couple of open areas where people can throw a football around and things like that.” 

The business is located in a small town called Coaling, Alabama, about 20 minutes from Tuscaloosa. A well-known city that is about an hour away is Birmingham. Barry, the manager of the property, mentions that a popular occasion is when the Alabama State University football team has home games. There are also a variety of restaurants in the area. A few that Barry recommends by name include John’s City Diner, Dreamland BBQ, and Archibald’s.

Culture

Barry, the manager of Candy Mountain RV Park, explains that he wants his guests to have “no worries about being bothered by people. I want them to feel like they want to come back.” In an effort to accomplish his goal of helping people have a positive experience, he gives a discount to returning customers so that they can stay at the park at a lower price the next time. He and other employees at the RV park try to be available for people if they have questions or need assistance.

There are several policies that visitors should be aware of during their stay. Smoking is allowed on the property as long as other patrons are not being bothered by it. Pets are also allowed, although pet owners must clean up after them. Barry mentions that the business has a quiet time that begins at 10:00 p.m., but sometimes there are guests that work night shifts, so as a general rule, people are to be respectful of each other’s sleeping schedules.

Many people have stayed at Candy Mountain RV Park. One person who spent some time at the establishment wrote, “I was passing through and needed a place to sleep, and the manager here was so accommodating. He stayed open late till I arrived and led us to our spot. It was dark, so it really helped that he led us. We would have never found it on our own. They have large spots, lots of trees, and a pool.” The RV park is open year-round, with the busiest time tending to be during the summer, which is when many of the short-term visitors make reservations. The typical demographic of guests tends to be people staying for a shorter period of time, usually families that are in the area to see other family members in the area. Many people who visit for a more extended amount of time are typically 50 years old or older and work in the area.

History

The acreage used to belong to the family of a man named Jerry Marchant. When he first purchased the land, he owned over 160 acres. While Jerry lived on the grounds, he grew and harvested sugar cane, having created several mills to help him process the sugar into syrup. One unique fact about the area is that the sugar cane mills went by the name of Syrup Mills. Because of this, the area is now known as Candy Mountain, in conjunction with the mills. The property remained in the family for many years, and the father eventually split the acreage into four even segments, giving each portion to one of his four sons. The sons worked in tandem with each other and raised a variety of animals. One purchased and bred chickens, while another raised goats and other cattle. Barry, the current manager of the RV park, mentions that one of the boys was part of a band and even invited famous musicians, such as Hank William Jr., to spend time at the property.

The owner has several plans to add onto or change Candy Mountain RV Park. One of the tasks that he may undertake includes turning an old pirate ship on the property—currently closed of for renovation—into a game room for children to use. Another potential project he is considering is renovating the outdoor pool. According to Barry, there are many pine trees on the grounds, and he would like to remove them and replace some of them with dogwood trees.