Clinton-Knoxville North KOA

We stayed here one night passing through to our next destination. Staff was super friendly and helpful. Had a pull through site. Sites were a little close, but it was to be expected being a travel stop for most.
They had a playground, horseshoes, cornhole, volleyball, and a dog park. They also had laundry, and a nice little game room.
Bathhouses were super clean.
There was a Mexican restaurant and a Shoneys witching walking distance, however the Mexican is closed on Sundays.

A great stop right off the highway. Super nice staff, easy in and out (make sure you pay attention to the left turn in past the gas station). Not the roomiest of sites, but fine for what we needed. We stayed an extra day to stock up on groceries and also enjoyed the Mexican restaurant in walking distance.

We stopped for a quick visit. The sites are mostly pull-throughs and easy to get in and out of although they are a bit small. The staff is friendly and we will stop again when traveling through.

We needed a place right off the highway to stay on the way from Raleigh to Kentucky and this fit the bill. The sites were tight but had full hook ups. Staff is super friendly and guided us into our pull-through site. We really couldn't sit outside at the picnic table provided as it was right up against the next campsite and their tow vehicle. As it was mostly rainy anyway, we ended up just staying indoors. The facilities were very well maintained and clean. Good hot shower. There is also a great Mexican restaurant you can walk to right by the campground that the staff told us about.

We picked this stop because it was a halfway point from our trip in Georgia to home in Ohio and it was easy off and on 75. It’s a small campground with only 37 rv sites, a primitive camping section and several small cabins. They offer a pool, dog park, laundry and game room.

It’s very clean and the staff was nice. We got here after hours and they had everything we needed at the check in with our names, site number and directions to our site. They also offer WiFi and cable tv.

There is not much to do in the park itself but it’s quite and close to town.

When passing through this area going to the Smoky Mountains I made a pit stop in Clinton, TN, just a few short miles away from one of the entrances to Smoky Mountain National Park. Though not in the mountain they have a world of charm and activities in the community.

This stop, a little less crowded than some of the other stops along the way, the KOA here offers both primitive and improved camping options for tent campers along the outer borders of the main site. Improved sites have electricity and are nearby the main restroom and shower house. Primitive sites are the furthest away from restrooms but are in a treed area close to the main entrance.

Amenities include a seasonally open pool, exercise room, outdoor activities such as playgrounds, volleyball and horseshoes.

One of the things which made this KOA a bit different than other was that it offered long term stay in a special area of the camp. This keeps the typical long term look away from those who are passing through, creating more peace for those staying a lengthy amount of time from the in and out daily traffic.

For me as a tent camper, I really debated which would be a better fit considering I typically like to stay a bit closer to the restrooms but I also didn't see the point in having electricity if I didn't need it. Primitive sites were under $20 while electrical sites were nearly $30 so the question would come down to price and comfort, both were established on a grass pad site.

I opted for primitive and it was pretty pleasant, not a lot of campers were in the region and overall it was a great stop off.

While in the Clinton area you can check out many things within a short drive, perhaps one of the most interesting the Museum of Appalachia, a working village which takes you back in time to depict the way of life of the earlier people of the region. Here they have a living history museum, restaurant, tours and hands on exhibits to tell the story of a life where things were a bit more simplistic and hard work was a way of life. Great for all ages. Other popular stops are the Green AcDoo Cultural Center and the Little Ponderosa Zoo.

TIPS:

• If you are stopping by this location know in advance what you are interested in having as amenities. If this includes electricity or water for a tent, make a registration in advance especially on the weekends. This campground ends up with a lot of overflow from the National Park.

• Take the drive to Oak Ridge and check out the Manhattan Project museum. This one is one of those "top secret" cities you only hear about on the history channel, now open to tell its secrets.