Best Cabin Camping near Bell Buckle, TN

I’m hesitant to write this review because this is our new close-to-home GO-TO camping spot and we don’t want it to get booked up. 😆 It is new, quiet, and extremely well-priced. Our lakeside spot was $60 per night. Our other lake resort stays in this area have been at least double that! There is a gated entrance, which I like. The staff here is unbelievably welcoming and friendly. The crew is constantly working on cleaning, landscaping and maintenance. This morning they were raking the beach sand because it rained yesterday. There are plenty of pet waste stations and attractive (seriously)trash bins spaced throughout the park. The sites are concrete, level and roomy with full hookups (great water pressure!), new picnic tables and fire rings. There is not one bad location on the lakeside sites. Our personal faves are 69 thru 81...odds/lakefront. There is a swimming beach (see pic) as well as several relaxing spots, a playground, a bark park and a dog washing station (see pic!). There is a bath house, laundry (with 4 brand-new LG front loading washers), a gym (with a universal, an elliptical and a treadmill) and a small store. See pics! Bathhouse is spotless. It is attached to the marina (but the marina is situated on the far end)and they rent kayaks, paddle boards, and golf carts. There are three docks with kayak and jet ski slips. The view of Percy Priest is incredible and serene. I seriously can not recommend this place highly enough. ***They are going to be adding tiny houses, cabins and aqua houses (think Bali, but closer😉).

Most campgrounds in Tennessee are buried in the woods, but not this yurt campsite at Ray of Hope.  The yurt sets on the side of a beautiful Tennessee Hill offering almost a complete view of the nighttime sky.  We watched the moon rise over a hill directly in front of the campsite, and we even saw a brilliant shooting star blaze across the sky for what seems like an eternity.  The Ray of Hope campground is a private campground that went above and beyond our expectations.  The yurt was clean, included battery powered lights and a LED lantern, and a full sized bed that made the night pass with ease.  The campsite also offers free firewood and a large fire ring.  There are two deck chairs at the campsite which are perfect for stargazing.  The entrance of the yurt faces sunrise and the farm animals serenade you in the morning when the mist begins to burn off the valley.  There is a well stocked outside shower surrounded by sweet smelling herbs.  Water and a toilet are near the shower stall.   The campsite is near the small town of Petersburg, TN where you can find two gas stations and a Dollar Store.  If it's hot outside, you might want to bring a battery operated fan.  This place is a perfect glamping experience for an extended date or weekend in beautiful Tennessee.

Hobbs Cabin itself is a primitive shelter, with six wood bunks. Maximum occupancy is six people. Features a wood fireplace and fire ring. Spring is located approximately 50 yards south of Hobbs Cabin. Spring is located approximately 50 yards south of Hobbs cabin. Spring water may not be available during dry conditions. The cabin can be accessed via the North Rim Trail or the North Plateau Trail, which can be combined as a loop for an overnight trip.

The weather was less than ideal on our trip (rain) but we made the most of it and had the best time! There was firewood left under the cover of the porch, so we had dry wood for the wood fire place. So cozy!

General: Three distinctly different areas: tent only section, cabin area, and the main campground. I didn’t see the inside of the cabins, but they looked very luxurious from the outside, so I am sure they are very nice. The tent area also looks nice. This review focuses on the main campground. 

Site Quality: Camper pads are all paved but vary in length from 18 to 51 feet. The width of some can also accommodate two cars side by side. Not all are completely level. Each site has a picnic table, lantern hook, fire ring, and grill. All sites have electricity and water, and eight of the 50 sites are FHU. There are many trees to provide separation and privacy, and sites are spaced a decent amount of space apart. Some sites can accommodate tents, and these are indicated on the post. 

Bath/Shower: Very clean. There was a sign saying the bathrooms are cleaned twice per day. Soap, paper towels, and utility hooks are all appreciated as was instant hot water from the taps. 

Activities/Amenities: Many outdoor activities including tennis, basketball, volleyball, horseshoes, and a playground. There are two hiking trails accessible from the campground. I hiked a short distance on the Bluff Trail until it became narrow and overgrown. There are other hikes that require a drive from the campground. The best hike is in the Twin Falls area but that is a 10-15 minute drive from the campground. There is also a swimming beach with a rentable pavilion and picnic tables. It is possible to walk there but easier to drive. We also saw people kayaking on the lake and fishing is permitted. Each bathhouse also has one washer/dryer for a reasonable price. Free WiFi with a good, strong signal. 

We enjoyed our two-night stay at this campground and for us, it was a five-star stay but I gave it four stars due to some sites not being completely level and the necessity to drive to the best hike.

Many improvements have been made since last year. The pull thru sites have been widened and are more accommodating for larger RVs. They are working on adding a few more pull thru sites as well. The sites are gravel and mostly level. All sites are FHU. They do offer short term monthly rates which are back in sites that have a little more room. There are 4 rustic cabins available, and the bathhouses are reserved currently for those guests only due to COVID. The laundry room is only open Fri-Sun. There are no fire rings on the sites, but you can rent a fire pit with a screen. There are also community fire pits for everyone to enjoy. There is a playground, hammock hut, and game area for the kids to stay entertained. The owners, managers, and staff are all great and you can see the hard work they are putting in to continue to upgrade this campground.

We are RTT campers and chose this place on a whim as the rest of the local tent camping spots closed on October 1st. We were lucky to find they had space available. However, it should be noted that this is more of an RV campground, the traditional tent sites are right by the gate and not very private. The RV slot we were given backed up to a green space that has grazing deer from time to time. The site did not have a fire ring or a picnic table and was a little far from the bathrooms, but it did have power and water available. That being said the bathrooms were extremely tidy, well heated, and the water pressure in the showers was amazing! The other RV’ers were super friendly and the staff was very helpful in our stay and responsive to our request for availability.

This is my favorite place to camp. If you have furbabies you will love it. All campsites except the primitive are huge decks. Electric, water, grill, fire ring, picnic table and canopy of trees. Bathrooms are always clean. Showers have hot water fast. Fire wood is all around in the woods. Kayaking is great! Put in below Center Hill dam. 6 mile run of clear cold water! Stocked with trout. I don't fish but if you do, you will need a trout stamp. If you don't own kayaks there is a store called Big Rock Market. You can contact them and they will set you up with kayaks and they drop off and pick you up. So, back to the campground. Dog friendly, clean, 30 and 50 amp.,coin laundry at the camp store. Dump station and trash. Playground for children, view of the lake from most sites. Marina where you can rent boats. I just can't say enough about this awesome place. Friendly staff. I actually just stopped the ranger driving by to ask him a few questions. I am at site 9 this time. Usually 25. Some have inclines or declines. 9 has a slight decline 25 is flat. When you go to the map and click on a site it will tell you. Like site 23 is right next to a bathroom, but it has a steep incline. So pay attention to that when booking. There are hiking trails and wildlife. The woodpeckers start about 6:00 am. LOL! I have not seen a snake in the camping area. Just deer and birds.