Do you love the outdoors and horses? If you're looking for a rustic but comfortable experience, horse camping in Bloomington Springs is the way to go. Finding a place to stay in Tennessee while traveling with your horse is easy. With our help, you'll find the best Tennessee equestrian campsites from scenic to easily accessible.
Fall Creek Falls State Park is one of Tennessee’s largest and most visited state parks. The park encompasses more than 29,800 acres sprawled across the eastern top of the rugged Cumberland Plateau. Laced with cascades, gorges, waterfalls, streams and lush stands of virgin hardwood timber, the park beckons those who enjoy nature at her finest. Fall Creek Falls, at 256 feet, is one of the highest waterfalls in the eastern United States. Other waterfalls within the park include Piney Falls, Cane Creek Falls, and Cane Creek Cascades. The park is located in Bledsoe and Van Buren counties, 11 miles east of Spencer and 18 miles west of Pikeville. It may be entered from Highway 111 or Highway 30.
In 1937, the federal government began purchasing the badly eroded land around Fall Creek Falls. The following year, the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) began restoring the forest and constructing park facilities. A few years later in 1944, the National Park Service transferred ownership of the park to the State of Tennessee.
Fall Creek Falls features 30 cabins, 222 campsites, and the 85-room Lodge Fall Creek Falls. Backcountry camping is also available with a permit.
The park is home to a variety of activities suitable for visitors of all ages and abilities. Hikers can opt for short or long walks around the lake and to the base of Fall Creek Falls. There are two long-distance overnight trails for adventure-seeking visitors while the day-use trails are designed to accommodate recreational and educational activities for all ages. More than 56 miles of trails can be explored.
$8 - $32 / night
$25 - $30 / night
Dale Hollow Lake Primitive Camping is a unique series of 32 locations with a total of over 70 individually designated family campsites dispersed over 620 miles of shoreline. Campsites are located in both the states of Tennessee and Kentucky. Primitive camping offers a unique rustic lake front camping experience. Remote locations along the shoreline offer campers a peaceful nature experience. Most designated tent sites are accessible only by boat; while a few can be reached by country road.__ Campers are advised that these areas are remote, primitive sites. Toilets are vault/pit type outhouses. Campers desiring on-site attendant, security and law enforcement services are encouraged to use developed campgrounds where such services are provided. These services are not provided for primitive camping.
Dale Hollow Lake, with its crystal clear water and forested hillsides, is an outdoor enthusiast's paradise. Dale Hollow is renowned for its fishing opportunities and holds the world record for smallmouth bass and is known as a trophy smallmouth lake. Boating and water skiing are popular activities, and with 27,700 surface acres of water and 620 miles of shoreline, there is plenty of space for campers to explore the lake.
Dale Hollow Lake, with its crystal clear water and forested hillsides, is an outdoor enthusiast's paradise. Dale Hollow is renowned for its fishing opportunities and holds the world record for smallmouth bass and is known as a trophy smallmouth lake. Boating and water skiing are popular activities, and with 27,700 surface acres of water and 620 miles of shoreline, there is plenty of space for campers to explore the lake.
Dale Hollow Dam and Lake was completed in 1943. Although the dam was built for flood control and power generation, it has now become a recreational oasis for more than 3 million visitors each year. The dam is located on the Obey River, about three miles east of Celina, Tennessee. Surrounded by a thick expanse of forest, the clear blue lake creates a stunning scenic backdrop for a variety of water and land recreational activities. In the late fall through early spring, the American bald eagle can be spotted flying overhead or perched on low-lying limbs. Dale Hollow hosts the second-largest wintering eagle population in the states of Tennessee and Kentucky.
Full rules and reservation policies for fees associated with changes and cancellations can be found at https://www.recreation.gov/rules-reservation-policies__ There is no fee to make a reservation. A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refund for a cancellation. A $10 service fee may be charged to changes made to an existing reservation (see full policies for when this is applicable). A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night___s recreation fee for a campsite. Applicable fees, including service/cancellation fees and change fees, are non-refundable and subject to change. No refunds for recreation use fees may be made locally at the lake.
$5 / night
This recreation area is part of Dale Hollow Lake
$31 - $41 / night
Pet friendly primitive campsite on 1.5 acre mini-farm. Leashed pets welcome. Water available. Stalls available for additional fee. Bring your horses and explore the local State and Federal Parks. Horse trails, hiking trails, and waterfalls nearby. Max. 2 horses. Maximum stay, 2 nights/3 days.
$10 - $20 / night
Great spot. Full hook ups at many spots. Sites are in cul de sacs. Lake is beautiful and really close. Staff is super nice and helpful. Nice playgrounds and pools. WiFi is not currently working. AT&T and Verizon service is good. Lots of wildlife around. Nice hiking trails.
We camped here for 2 full weeks. The campground at Cedars of Lebanon State Park deserves 5 stars for their proximity to Nashville, the large paved pads for campers, the peaceful woods, and their overall cleanliness.
However, we were here when there was construction going on. It was LOUD from 8am to 4, 5, and even 6pm somedays with working trucks and digging up the Tennessee Rock.
The weekends were peaceful without the construction, and the trails are all easy and flat. The showers worked well and were the typical campground showers.
The wifi that is listed on the website is basically nonexistent, so don't count on that for anything important. But Verizon had good service, while AT&T was fair.
Only Campground 3 was open during our stay and you can see the work they are doing here is going to make a huge difference to be big rig friendly. Enjoy!
Our spot was near bathroom and the area was clean. Good hikes nearby. I had good cell reception as well with Verizon so was able to watch a little college football on Saturday.m
Wonderful place, hot water, clean sites. They have a daily trash service and several stores to visit
Beautiful park with lots of activities for kids. The hiking trails were well maintained but vary in difficulty (easy to moderate; side trails to overlooks steep and rocky). Over 200 rv sites, most are close to each other; plan ahead to get a good site. We reserved a year in advanced and at that time no full hook ups were available. The park is a top visited park in TN - it’s crowded.
We were so impressed with how much there was to do at this campground! There are so many trails, playgrounds, and bike/walk friendly roads. Our family of 6 stayed for 3 nights and had a lovely time. The sites were a bit cramped (our rig is 31') and parking our truck was a bit tricky. The store was convenient ands the staff were helpful and very friendly. Would definitely stay again-- it was absolutely beautiful!
Overall this is a nice place. We didn’t see any “transients,” which seems like an unkind way to refer to car campers. There’s a fully paved trail that is very nice when the other trails are muddy. The bathrooms were regularly cleaned, showers were free and hot.
We didn’t love that there are 5 speed bumps before you get to campgrounds 2-3. Prepare to jiggle your camper! Also, most people used rope lights and left them on all night. There was a lot of light pollution.
I only spent 3 nights at Kemper Flats primitive campground for a fishing trip. We reached Kemper by pontoon boat from Willow Grove Marina a short 20 min ride. Nice site primitive cabin toilet no water faucet. Bring it in, take it out.
I camped at Eagle Point for a quiet relaxing few days , but due to a group of young lads who camped near me that was not going to be the case. They were loud and annoying and did not care for anybody else's privacy.
The camp site was ok , reached down a very bumpy track not suitable for RV or similar.
There was a porta toilet which was a bonus but lots of trash left behind by other campers.
The site is on the top of a high cliff so no water swimming was possible. Very shady area. There is a boat ramp next to the site which was in constant use day and night.
Absolutely loved this park! Our site was an ADA and it was excellent. Lots of trails, waterfalls, and a great nature center.
We took a pontoon boat out to Kemper Flats on Dale Hollow lake for a few days relaxing fishing. Primitive site, island with a porta toilet. Camp right on the side of the lake, very quiet and peaceful
Taylor’s Ford primitive campsite is down a steep windy track not suitable for big rigs. There are about 4 lakeside sites available all with good lake views
Cove Creek at Dale Hollow lake in TN is a primitive campsite with lakeside camping. There are water faucets for drinking water and a pit toilet available. Great views of the lake and plenty of sites available
We have been attending the Halloween event for over 3 years now and we absolutely love it!
There are a lot of very different camp sites. It’s good to do your research to see for the site is laid out. Some are drive through and others are back in. It is very close to excellent hiking. Bring your bikes to discover more of the park.
We were here during the week and it was almost empty. The campground is set up in “pods” with 8 sites per pod. Would be great for family and friend camping together. Bath house was clean!!!
There is so much to do as soon as you get there. Plenty of hikes and water activities. The falls are beautiful with so many risky lookout points. Will definitely be back!
We tent camped for two consecutive weekends at Cedars of Lebanon. We are local novice campers. The campsites were well maintained with electric and water hookups. The bathhouse at Campground 2 is quite clean and is newer than Campground 1. Both of our stays were in Campground 2 near the bath house. Our first visit was with our dog, second was without. The fire ring in our second stay was weirdly located. Firewood is for sale inside the park and late afternoons the campground host drives thru on a gator like vehicle and offers bundles for sale at $6 each. The place is busy and active but very chill.
We hiked a little on Saturday midday. When I say “hike” I mean we strolled on a trail. Very nice time.
Any critiques by us would be unwarranted. Folks who work there were quite nice. We are very early on the learning curve. That we were able to go and tent camp and have a good time at our age proves that COL is a great place for newer campers to enjoy. We plan to go back a lot.
Loved our site that backed up to a large field with playground!!! Perfect for families with kids that want to play while still having access to your rig. AMAZING hiking and views of the falls! Well worth the hike to the floor of the falls.
We liked this park a lot! Great bath houses and laundry on site. They sold ice and firewood at check in. There are larger sites on the first loop, middle loop is a bit tight with many transient people living out of vehicles. Loop closest to the store is all pull throughs so very convenient but you are stacked in close. Overall cute trails, splash pad was not open when we were there, programs for kids on the weekend and nice playground. Caves were very fun, some need permits!
We stayed three nights camp ground area 1 is very small sites but quite camp ground area 2 is newer and much larger sites but no sewer hook ups definitely not a deal breaker would stay again
Nice campground with friendly staff. As others have noted, the sites are a bit close to each other. There are a few tent only sites, but they are interspersed with the RV sites.
We stayed here for a week at the beginning of May and loved it. Quiet spot with easy to access trails around the campgrounds for our two dogs. The roads into the park are fun with some winding roads. Our smaller class C (24ft) handled it just fine but I could see some larger trucks having a slow time if they followed our path which was Hwy30 from Spencer.
The amenities are great, cute camp stores, shops & restaurants. Showers were clean with excellent water pressure. Some sits have sewer hookup but outs was just water & electric. Dump stations are scattered throughout and easy to access however.
Quickly made our list of parks we’d like to revisit in the future.
Falls Creek Falls park is excellent for natural beauty. Wonderful sites, trails, activities for all ages. Campground is good. Few full hook up sites. Gas is a bit of a drive, so fill up before entering the park.
Had a good time. Falls were beautiful but since you can drive and park by the overlook, be ready for a lot of people and dogs. If you like hiking, the trails were very low trafficked, and well maintained.
We stayed in the D campground (which is the closest walking distance to the Falls), however, campsites D180-210 are already close enough together (like your normal campgrounds), BUT when you add the elevation factor, some sites feel right in top of each other.
We have a truck camper and booked the last site available, which was a pull through in between other pull through sites (D192), but I wouldn’t book any of the pull through sites in D, unless you are booking adjacent ones for guests.
Also, 192 may be the smallest site with the worst layout, so take my review with a grain of salt. For instance, the hookups are on the opposite side as other, so I have to face my camper the opposite way, seemingly sharing our firepit and grill areas with our neighbors. This may be great if you know your neighbors, but not ideal for introverts like us (see photo).
Don’t get me wrong; we still had a good time, but the noise levels from other sites having a good time will encroach on your good time as well, making it feel less like camping, and more like a tailgate.
If I could do it over, I’d book more in advance and book a back-in site; one that isn’t right next to the road, or without too many other sites nearby. Sites along the same line as D204+ (same side as the bathrooms) seem to be the best sites.
Lastly, the facilities were but excellent: Campground D had small, but clean bathrooms and showers, and the main Guest Center is super close, with firewood, camping supplies, souvenirs, etc.
4.5/5 with 0.5 removed for layout of Campground D
Lots of beautiful cedars. Shade. Quiet and neighbors far enough away.
Full Time Travelers here.
Stayed at Dale Hollow October 27-31/2021. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see too much of the park/area as it rained for most of our stay.
Great sites, back in. The only issue I had with this camp was the way the sites were situated. They were in sets, like a cul-de-sac shape, and put you really close to your neighbors. Aside from that, it was a nice setup in general. Beautiful sights to see.
The grounds were kept pretty decent, however, I went through the areas close to our site and picked up a lot of trash from each section. It was mostly candy wrappers.
They have a little store near the sites, very friendly staff.
We visited Dale Hollow Sweets, the fudge is fantastic!!!! We didn't get any of the other sweets they had, but it all looked incredibly delicious. The staff there were friendly and courteous. Overall, it was a decent stay for the few nights we were there.
Camping near Bloomington Springs, Tennessee, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventurous getaway, there are several campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Bloomington Springs, Tennessee, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the great outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Bloomington Springs, TN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Bloomington Springs, TN is Fall Creek Falls State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 143 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Bloomington Springs, TN?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 equestrian camping locations near Bloomington Springs, TN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
