Best Glamping near Bell Buckle, TN

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.

We are here on our Honeymoon. It was a last minute lets roll the dice and see where God leads us. It was late And we called at 9:30pm to see if we could book a reservation and pay with cash. It was a 2 hour drive from where we got married. Got here close to midnight and they had a yurt ready for us. They where more than happy to accommodate us! The Yurt was so nice had 2 foam pads for us to sleep on with sleeping bags. A lantern and charger for the lantern. And a fan. And chairs to sit on. Fire pit, picnic table.electricity and wifi. Its so peaceful here. Nice bath houses. Beautiful Property. It is newly built . Just a short distance to Greeter Waterfall.. A Real 💎 for rvs, tents, or glamping in a yurt. They have a small store on sight. Offer ice for 3$ a bag and small wood bundles for the fire pit for 5$ and they will deliver to your site! How cool is that! Im sold on this place. Definitely coming back.

I think it was the best weekend my husband and I had in a long time. It was only him and I on the property. (Except the owners, and they kept to themselves but to check In every now and then at the pool to make sure we were enjoying our stay! The pool and the views, I could stay here all day and just float. It's so peaceful. They have nice new outdoor furniture for sunbathing and even tables and even enough umbrellas to keep my husband shaded. The Canvas yurt glamping tents, the beds were so comfy. The had welcome waters, and a few snacks for our arrival. The best was sitting in the hot tub at night looking up at the sky filled with stars. We brought wine- they even had wine glasses, an opener and mini frig and a cooler for our use. After being in the tub we rinsed off in the shower house. Amazing hot water and pressure. The bathroom was very clean and it even had ac/heat unit in each bathroom. My husband and I will definitely definitely will return. If your looking for an escape into nature but still want great comforts and only have to pack and overnight bag, this will definitely check that box.

We followed our RV GPS right to the campground (CG) that is located right off I-24. Check in was quick and easy. We were then escorted to one of their“long” pull through sites with FHUs, site 27. What we first noticed was the large cement patio with table, chairs, bench, stand up barbecue, and fire pit. The utilities are located smartly in the middle of the pad to include an extra sewer connection near the pad’s front. Water pressure was okay at around 45 psi. They have cable but we did not use it. Their Wifi was about average for a CG this size. We got 3 bars on Verizon and used our MiFi on this overnighter. Satellite could be iffy due to the amount of mature trees. We did see Starlink antennas at some of the sites. The sites are decently spaced and site 27 was the easiest pull through we’ve ever had as its angled straight in from the street, no turns or maneuvering to center the rig. They have glamping cabins, teepees, and a covered wagon with nice patio decor. There’s also a swimming pool, pickleball court, catch& release pond plus other amenities. There’s also laundry and propane. The staff was very nice and helpful. We were impressed with this CG with the only caveat that there’s quite a bit of highway noise from the interstate. However, the noise did not overweigh our satisfaction and we will definitely mark this CG for another overnighter or longer stay in the future.

We only checked out the primitive sites while passing through the area. The sites had picnic tables and fire rings, but they were pretty overgrown. It doesn’t look like this section of the campground is getting much use yet. They have a couple of portable toilets on site with garbage cans next to the toilets. There is a water spigot at the exit that can be used for filling tanks/containers. Also, there is a community fire pit area near the exit and a small camp store building near the entrance. Closed when we drove thru. To be honest, other than sites being marked with a site number, I couldn’t tell where the sites were actually at or where tents were supposed to be set up at.

We did not drive they the yurts or RV sites, so I cannot speak for those, but the pictures on the website look nice.

Rating this a 3 based on location to Greeter Falls Waterfall and also because it is new and still an ongoing work in progress, I didn’t want to rate too low.

Rock Island State Park is situated in the middle of Tennessee. The park itself is surrounded by beautiful forest and some pretty great and easy hiking trails. The falls themselves are a sight to see. The main waterfall is beautiful and looks dramatic against the rocks and fauna.

When we went, the trail to the falls was closed. So I advise being ready to do other activities - the park offers a lot of sights to see other than the falls. There is a great sandy beach which you could spend time skipping stones into the water.

All around, the staff is nice and helpful!