Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Athens, TN is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Athens is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Find the best campgrounds near Athens, TN. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
$35 - $85 / night
"Bath house is relatively nice for a state park campground. 1 mile walking path surrounding the grounds is nice. Safe area for bicycle riding. Great proximity to many outdoor activities."
"This sweet state park campground is tucked into a spot along Gee Creek, which is great for boating, fishing, and swimming in the summertime heat of Tennessee. "
"For amenities there is a bouncy blob (dry), small pond with fountain and memorial bench, large playground for the kids, volleyball, basketball, I’m not sure what the game is next to the blob."
"Very nice area, close to a historic area and site seeing underground lake."
"This park is very conveniently located North of Chattanooga and South of Knoxville. They have easy proximity to the interstate and a park that is easy to get into and back out of."
"There are small grass spots in between the sites for pets, but also a larger grassy area "pet walk" at the end. Nice and clean bathhouse. Will stay here again if passing through."
$12 - $30 / night
"My partner and I headed to nearby Chilhowie Campground in the Cherokee National Forest last year to try out our new teardrop camper. We chose site 1 in the A Loop as it had shore power."
"It has clean bathrooms with showers, fire rings with grill grates, lots of hiking, hike to a beautiful waterfall, huge lake to swim or float on a raft, and the lightning bugs were breath taking!!"
$45 / night
$10 - $22 / night
"Plenty of camp spots as well as the ability to park/camp right next to the water. (There’s no Water or Electric hookups) Also, not a lot of places selling firewood nearby."
"It's cash only $10 TN residents $22 outside TN"
$8 - $32 / night
"Fall creek falls is one of the best recreational areas in Tennessee. The park is very large and has so much to do. The falls are amazing, and it’s a moderate hike down to the base."
"Tons to do at one of Tennessee’s top state parks."
"My husband and I really enjoyed this CG on the lake and was fortunate to stay in the front, quiet and uncrowded section of the park where sites are long, widely spaced, grassy and shaded."
"Good swimming, boating or fishing right from your lake side site. Will definitely be back"
"Great Lakeside campground. I grew up camping here. It’s close to home and our favorite place to go locally. A lot of the sites are shaded. Sites are spaced out nicely and not on top of each other."
"Some of the lakefront spots had their own access to the lake and plenty of trees. The camp host was amazing!"
ScoutMy dad and I visited in may and had a great time. Lots of bathrooms that were all clean. The grounds were very green and shaded, each site had a flat mulch spot for the tent, a firepit, and a picnic table. Very close to lots of different trails. Only problem is that there are a lot of sites and you’re pretty close to your neighbor (like your tent is 10 feet away and usually no brush between).
GuideSites are big and level. Power hook ups if you need them and plenty of shade. The 3.5 mile trail around the lake is a good little walk for the dogs. Highly recommend this campground.
TravelerSolid location for a night or a whole weekend. There are several porta potties available and the sites are spacious. This camp is perfect for the fam as it can accommodate RV sized vehicles. Only word of caution is that the ground can get a bit muddy, so try to find something dry.
ScoutStart with, campground has great views of the smokes. Getting to it can be tricky as TN-68 has steep grades and decent curves but is doable for all but the absolute longest if rigs. That said, I was looking for a campground that would be well suited to a motorcyclist and the sites are fairly loose gravel and roads are fairly compacted but still gravel. With the steep grade to get to the lower sites, not the best suited for being on 2 wheels, but it is passable. Because sites are loose gravel, leveling can be a challenge is your rig does not auto level. Cell service with T-Mobile not existent. They have WiFi but not very fast.
TravelerStayed June 4th - 7th had a great stay and a great time great campground setup and convenient to town and stores, even with highway being close a peaceful and relaxing stay when In Chatsworth we will stay again
ScoutStaff was great! Fellow campers could have been better people. Way to many KAREN'S. We have 4 dogs. We did everything possible to keep them quiet. Including buying muzzles. We worked with the rangers and staff to get the furtherest away from people. Because of barking. The closest people was a block away. The other campers complained!! Maybe the complaining people should have bought ear plugs!! We did everything possible in concirsation of other campers. The night ranger was not friendly at all. 10 pm he pulled up to tell us to make sure we keep our dogs quiet and to keep the fire down. At that time 10pm everyone was in bed. No one had a fire the whole 6 days we were here. It was like building a fire was illegal. That's how the ranger made me feel about a fire in the fire pit.
Traveler8 or so beautiful sites, many with direct lake views/access. We showed up late and got the furthest site on the road. Important to note that many of the sites do not allow drive in. We camped in a RTT on the pulloff across from the site, saw a few other vans doing the same. Good fishing.
ScoutReally enjoyed the peace and quite of the campground, kids loved playing in the creek that the owners have stocked regularly with trout, nice playground and pool for the kids, site has a soccer field also and Cornhole boards, owners are very friendly and have put lots of their time and energy to make this a very enjoyable family campsite!
ScoutLocation is perfect. Brody is very odd, nice but didn’t do what he said. Stayed during spring 2024 and enjoyed the area. Just be aware if you’re there “alone”.
Camping near Athens, Tennessee, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a family-friendly spot or a peaceful getaway, there are several campgrounds to choose from.
Camping around Athens, TN, has something for everyone, from families to RV enthusiasts. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the great outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, Athens, TN offers a wide range of camping options, with 404 campgrounds and RV parks near Athens, TN and 33 free dispersed camping spots.
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Athens, TN is Gee Creek Campground — Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River State Park with a 4.1-star rating from 29 reviews.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 33 free dispersed camping spots near Athens, TN.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 27 parks near Athens, TN that allow camping, notably Bankhead National Forest and Chugach National Forest.
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