Best Cabin Camping near Arlington, TN

This is a really nice campground just outside of Memphis, TN. They have a swimming pool, playground, covered party pavilion, laundry and lots of kids activities. They also have cabins for rent. This appears to be more of a long term rental campground, but it is a great place to stay if you are traveling there for the weekend for local events, baseball tournaments at Snowden Grove or a Memphis vacation. The campsites are very close together and most are in the sun with no shade.

The cabins are nice, and there are great hiking trails

Campground is very rustic, shaded and sites are kinda small. Cell service is spotty. Some sites are really close together and some are decent size. The day area around Poplar Tree Lake is nice with kayak, flat bottom fishing boats and paddle boats for rent. Cabins seem very nice from the outside. Lots of nice playgrounds and a disc golf course.

My family and I live about 25 min from the campground at Meeman-Shelby State Park. We have been several times and have camped with tents, pop-ups, and now with our Geo-Pro. We love this campground.

Pros: -49 available sites -all sites with water, 30A, fire ring, grill and picnic table -a variety of hiking/biking trails -update playground -lake with rental kayaks, canoes, boats (in season) -fully functioning bathhouse that is dated but clean

Cons: -no sewer at any sites -some sites on the back sides of the camp ground are subject to erosion and can be unlevel and not ideal for kids -large park so many of the activities outside the campground require driving -1 bathhouse which can be an issue on certain weekends -MOSQUITOS. If you go after the weather warms up, be forewarned that the mosquitos will eat you alive. We mostly camp at Meeman-Shelby in the fall/winter. We do not camp Spring/Summer.

There is a disc golf course that is very popular. There is a nature center that is under renovation that has snakes, spiders and owls to see. There are cabins to rent but we have never stayed in one. They look nice from the outside.

I’ve included several pictures of camp sites and the grounds. All in all, Meeman-Shelby is a great park and is perfect for families. Make sure to schedule a friday night dinner at the General Store. Steak and live music that sets the tone for a great camping weekend!

We got cabins for the family, they were very nice (bring your own sheets, towels, and food, they had basic cookware and dining ware but ours is in the camp bin so we used what we brought and were used to). Site was very wooded and we had a great time. Friends met us there with a boat and we spent the whole time out on the water or grilling, so I’m not sure how much there is to do at the campgrounds or in the woods.

This was one of the first state parks in Tennessee I visited on my trip through the state. Despite being an older feeling camp it offered many unique features and options for keeping myself entertained. (Check Out Their Website)

When it came to camping not only were there tent sites but also cabins which had a very rustic feel. I opted for a tent site which ran $25 and had full electrical hookups (site 40), a big perk for charging my devices at the end of a busy day. My site had a bbq grill and fire ring in addition to a picnic table and was well shaded. I felt like the sites along this side of the road were a little more spacious than the other side of the road which were a little more close together.

I was about half way down the loop and a short distance from the restroom and showers which were in decent shape but nothing super special. The water pressure here was good for showering.

My favorite thing about this camp was the outdoor activities which seemed to be everywhere. I hiked both the Woodland and Pioneer Springs trails (MAP), each about 4 miles and along the way enjoyed just taking in the outdoors. I will say that if you do any trails in late summer here you will need mosquito spray because they come in droves.

You can travel to the boat ramp and marina and rent boats there or bring your own to take advantage of the lake which winds through various types of vegetation and allows you to see the lake in a way you cannot from the shore line. I most enjoyed taking out a kayak and exploring the swampy feeling area, though I will say being so close to the Mississippi River I was afraid of what I might find lurking in the water.

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TIPS:

• Bring citronella candles for your table when camping and try to put a dryer sheet in your pocket to ward off mosquitoes. In addition to spray these will make your trip here a bit more comfortable.
• Bring your own firewood if you want to have a campground. There were signs around camp saying not to move wood.

My wife and I have only camped here once. It won’t be the last time, but we were invited to the halloween get to gether at the park . And we had no idea it was such a big deal. But we drove down and visited and hung around for the festivities and boy was it worth it. Every camp site had wonderful decorations and the kids had such a blast. It was awesome. And the rest of the year it is a quiet getaway.

This is a huge campground and the price for a spot was at least double what we would pay elsewhere (nearly $100). We weren’t able to get a campground at Tom Sawyer and the reviews were all over the place for the rest of the Memphis campgrounds that we decided to go ahead and splurge on this one.

This was our first Jellystone and I was shocked at how many campers the campground accommodated - there are RVs everywhere. Most of the amenities and services are located at the front of the campground and includes a store and propane, playground, dog run, pool, showers and laundry, gold mining station, and sports courts (basketball, Gaga ball, and basketball). Further back in the campground, was another playground and dog run and a really cute little lake.

We were staying off-season so there was no activities and they actually deflated the jumping pad, but my kids still had fun and I could see this campground either being a blast in the summer or being a nightmare because of too many people. While we were there, I saw almost no children and several of the camper sites looked like the guests were staying long-term. For a campground that is marketed towards families, the demographics were a bit strange.

That said, it was super clean, well-organized, the landscaping and sites were maintained, everyone was friendly. We got two loads of wash done and my husband said the showers looked good. There were some restaurants and a Walgreen that looked like they delivered to the campground. WiFi worked and they had cable tv.

We reserved a basic site, but for more money you could get a site with Adirondack patio furniture and there were plenty of cabins as well. We reserved same day online and they have a system for late check-ins.

I’m definitely giving Jellystone another go - but next time during the summer. I’m not sure whether this campground is a good base for exploring Memphis - I think if you had a car it would probably be fine as it’s only 20 minutes or so.

We love this state park. We frequent it regularly. The sites are all mostly level (front to back and side to side), the facilities are well maintained and the rangers patrol regularly. 

This is a very wooded campground, offering lots of privacy. There's a nice playground that my youngest is a big fan of. The campground is also a short drive from Poplar Tree Lake which offers boating and fishing (kayak rentals are available, or you can bring your own); no swimming area though.

Some of our favorite sites are 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 25, and 26. These are in all in the two smaller loops, though the main loop sites are quite nice as well, they just don't feel quite as secluded. 

Also, make sure to check out the Shelby Forest General Store. They sell little bit of everything, including great food if you don't feel like cooking at the campsite!

Campsites are mostly spacious and hosts are friendly and helpful. We really enjoyed the trails and roads for walking/biking.

Not crowded and pretty quiet. August in Tennessee is hot and muggy!

It has a pond in the rear with fishing allowed. 🦌 🦌 deer come out in the evening. Can see the stars 🌟 at 🌙 night.

Camping here was very quiet at night.  deer frequent the property.  There is a pump stattion but the noise is just an electrical hum.  At the time I was camping only had one spot for an RV and tiny home for rent.  They were building a second tiny home.  I have a 29 ft travel trailer,  Manuvering to and withtin the property was tight but doable.  There are full hook ups but you need to take your trash.  Very peacfull stay.  Thank you.

This is my neighborhood campground, so i might be a little biased. A great spot to spend the weekend with lots of good trails, a big lake for paddling and fishing, and quaint camp sites. The bathrooms are clean but have strong serial killer vibes. There used to be a pool here. I’d love to see that open again!

Ample spaces in some campgrounds while some have small area, still larger than most of other camping locations. It can still be better if they can make camp bed with gravel for tent camping

You really can't go wrong with Meeman-Shelby. It is so damn close to Memphis that while you won't feel like you are near an urban center, you benefit from its proximity. I very much appreciated being able to site see and camp during our brief overnight here. 

The campground itself is tucked away deep into the Meeman Shelby State Forest and offers a pleasant amount solitude even though the sites are fairly close together. We watched an super long RV struggle to back into their site, so I wouldn't recommend this campground to RVs that require pull through sites.

Not all sites are suitable for tent campers. I would call ahead to ask what sites to consider if booking online, or just show up. There are a lot of sites here and you'll find something.

The campground is not terrible even, so be prepared for that.

Reading through the reviews, they are all spot on. We stayed here in a 40' class A for 28 days. There are few spots that we would fit, but it worked out. The staff is great and the camp host is very knowledgeable. Under "new management", they are trying to clean the deadwood and control the mosquitos. Will stay here again!

It’s good, not great. Proximity to Memphis was a plus, however, we had 0 service anywhere near our campsite. Nice to disconnect for a night, but plan accordingly. The park was nice, the staff were very kind, but the bathrooms needed some attention. Paid $28 for a tent spot, so for that price I would probably try somewhere else next time.

We were in RV site 25, which had a huge amount of space to roam. Weather wasn’t great for our 5 night visit in late January but we really enjoyed our stay. Windy roads, hills and GPS took us the “scenic” route into the campground. It’s just a few miles from the Mississippi River which this time of year had huge beach front to explore and watch the barges go back and forth. The bath houses need some work, there is NO cell service (which I kind of enjoyed) but other than that a beautiful park with plenty to do.

I found merman Shelby Forrest on the Dyrt app stayed there a week really enjoyed it there the bathrooms and showers were clean the park workers were helpful and friendly I would highly recommend camping here