Customer Spotlight: Coldwater Camp & Cabins – A Dream Turned Reality

At Firefly Reservations, we love sharing stories of passionate campground owners, and Coldwater Camp & Cabins is a perfect example. Founded in 2024 by Clint and Brook in Anniston, AL, this family-owned campground was built with a vision: to offer campers a one-of-a-kind experience right alongside the Coldwater Mountain biking trail. From handcrafted cabins to unique camping spots, Clint and Brook's dedication to every detail has shaped a retreat that keeps outdoor enthusiasts coming back.

Before switching to Firefly Reservations, managing bookings was a challenge due to unreliable software and slow customer service. Now, with Firefly’s intuitive system, Coldwater Camp & Cabins enjoys seamless reservations, a stress-free booking experience for guests, and a reliable support team. As they expand with new cabins and amenities, Firefly is proud to support their journey.

Hi Clint and Brook, tell us about yourselves and how you got started in the camping industry.

Clint: I was born and grew up in northeast Alabama. I have always loved the outdoors, hiking, cycling, camping, and kayaking. For the last 25 years, I was a public school teacher, teaching high school science and agriscience courses. I retired in spring of 2024 to manage and grow our campground. 

What makes your property, Coldwater Camp & Cabins unique? Can you tell us about the popular biking trail that draws folks to your location?

Brook and Clint: Established in Spring of 2024, Coldwater Camp and Cabins LLC is a family-owned campground offering various types of camping and lodging. Located in Anniston, AL, “the camp” is located directly alongside the Coldwater MTB trail system providing convenient access to the trail.  The camp’s core focus is to provide a unique camping experience and also promote and highlight the many outdoor recreational opportunities that our area offers. 

Currently the camp consists of two completed cabins, two cabins under construction, four elevated tent platforms, seven 30-amp hook ups, two 50-amp hook ups, and a hammock site to boot!

Brook: as part owner and Clint‘s wife, I want to take a minute to brag on him, since he would never praise himself!  He has spent the past 5+ years planning, dreaming, researching, and exploring every detail of starting “the camp”. He is a true artist at his core. From before the land was even purchased, he had a vision of many details, mostly ones that would draw people here and keep them coming back over and over. He not only wanted to be the first camp positioned directly on the trail, he wanted it to be a step up from your typical campground. He has truly designed and built from the ground up, with very little outside help. He has put his heart into all the many details that set us apart from others. 

What inspired you to start this campground??

Clint: While mountain biking for many years on Coldwater Mtn trail, I realized that other cyclists were always looking for a place to stay when traveling to ride or run. I came back to the idea year after year until finally deciding to seek out land to purchase along the trail.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in managing reservations before using Firefly Reservations?

Clint and Brook: Our previous system was based in a different country which created many challenges for us, including operating on different time zones, delayed customer service, confusing terms and wording that were simply just a difference in culture. Any request made from us to update the website, the reservation system (even simple things) were delayed and seemed to have to go through multiple people to get done.

How was the setup process for implementing Firefly Reservations at your campground?

Brook and Clint: Firefly was recommended to us by a friend who also owns a small campground in our area. We explored different options over the past year and were attracted to the pay per reservation, instead of annual fee. Set up was extremely simple and easy and a breath of fresh air after dealing with a nightmare reservation system for the past 12 months.

Can you describe any features of Firefly Reservations that have been particularly beneficial to your business thus far?

Brook and Clint: There are so many features that we value and appreciate already and so many that we haven’t even utilized. The reservation grid, the ease of adding in reservations ourselves, making changes to existing reservations. We are particularly pleased with how the onboarding and set up went. Matt Walsh has been exceptional and available to help, along with the support team. We could tell from the beginning that this was a reservation system built by someone who knows the inner workings of campground operations.

How has the software improved your day-to-day operations or customer service, and do you find it user-friendly for both your team and guests?

Brook and Clint: Yes, switching to Firefly has taken a lot off our plate in the way of just the constant back-and-forth with the other company. We find the system user-friendly for us and also for our customers when they make bookings. We have had no questions or complaints from campers, where before we were getting frequent calls with issues while booking.

Have you received any feedback from campers about their reservation experience using Firefly?

Brook and Clint: Not yet as things are still very new and kicking into gear, but we consider no news as good news! Before, we were constantly getting complaints about payments bouncing back, no or delayed confirmation emails, site timing out, etc. Firefly has removed all of these issues.

What features or tools from Firefly Reservations do you hope to use more in the future? How do you see the software supporting your campground as your business grows?

Brook and Clint: We are hoping to use the mass emails, additional add-on options, and also the POS register as we expand our usage of Firefly and grow as a park. There are still so many options and opportunities that we haven’t explored yet. We are thankful that we got it set up in such a short amount of time and are already comfortable for the day-to-day just in time for busy season. Our focus right now is completing the pavilion interior for event purposes, and completing the two A-frame cabins by this October. We just found out last month that the Coldwater trail system is a race qualifier location for Leadville 2026. This is huge exposure for our area and of course our campground. The qualifying races for our trail system for both ride & run is this October.

If you were recommending Firefly Reservations to another campground owner, what would you say?

Brook and Clint: We would pass on exactly what we’ve stated above. The onboarding process is quick and easy, the system is very straightforward and user-friendly for both us and our customers, and also that it is a US-based company with excellent customer support. It’s so refreshing to find a reservation system that truly cares about their customers by maintaining a quality product that allows us to think about the needs of our campers!