Best Cabin Camping near Chattanooga, TN

My first experience with Cloudland Canyon State Park was on a day hike, and my second was photographing a wedding here--which should set the stage for what type of place this is! 

The park can be spoken of in two separate sections; the East Rim and the West Rim. The East Rim is home to several cabins, the group lodge, one of the full service campgrounds, and the main trailhead, as well as the ADA accessible overlook trail which is where many of the iconic photographs of this park come from. This side is very popular for day use as the one mile out and back hike to Cherokee Falls draws in campers and people from Chattanooga coming in to enjoy the towering waterfall and the swimming hole below. The campground here is smaller, and less private than the west rim loop, offering 24 tent/RV sites that have 30A electrical hookup, gravel tent pads, picnic tables, and fire rings, along with a bathhouse and playground. The main road to the trailheads and day use area runs past this loop and while there are trees for shade they do not offer any privacy. 

The West Rim side houses the pioneer camping, west rim loop, the yurt village, and the remaining cabins. We have not been able to see the inside of the yurts, but they are spaced away from each other and off the road, and offer a lot of privacy; the loop that serves the yurts it not connected to any other road, and has a shelter, playground, and bathhouse. 

The West Rim camping loop has a total of 48 tent/RV sites with 30 or 50A hookups, water, gravel tent pads, picnic tables, and fire rings. This loop is far more wooded and offers a greater variety of site size and privacy, and has an extremely quiet and peaceful vibe to it. If the east rim is good for those using their campsite as a home base for exploring, the west rim is perfect for campers who want the convenience of a bathhouse with running water and/or the ability to run electric in their RVs, but without giving up the feeling of being immersed in nature. Sites 4-9 are well spaced from each other and great for tent campers and families who want their kids to have room to play, and while site 37 does not have as much privacy being in the center of the loop, it does have one of the most perfect climbing trees I have ever seen in a public campground. 

There are 16 cottages/cabins, and Georgia State Park cabins really cannot be overstated; they are well appointed, well maintained, and absolutely beautiful, and are spaced out to offer a feeling of seclusion: perfect for winter getaways, or for people who enjoy total creature comforts at night with nearby adventure during the day. Word of advice; cabins 1-5 are on the east rim and the waterfall trail runs almost directly behind them, so there is a loss of privacy there, especially on busy weekends. 

Finally, the park offers 4 pioneer sites and 30 walk-in backcountry sites. I have not seen these in person yet, but it is worth noting this park has accommodations for every type of camper out there.

There is not enough good I can say about Cloudland Canyon. About 45 minutes from Chattanooga, it is a must-see for anyone traveling from out of state who want to add adventure to their tour of the city, a home base for the many hiking and climbing opportunities within the park, or just a beautiful and peaceful place to spend a few nights out in nature.

Battlefield Campground is an extremely convenient RV park located right of I-75 about 20 minutes south of Chattanooga. It is very easy to get to, but part of that convenience comes with an absence of quiet; the interstate runs directly beside the campground, and is visible from the storage sites across from sites 11-24.

This is an excellent place for long-term campers, and it includes a nice playground, a pool, and a camp store/clubhouse. We could not get close to the pool or playground as they were closed due to COVID-19, which was comforting that they are taking public safety seriously. Sites include 50 and 30 amp full service, and seven tent sites in the middle of the campground that also include electric. There are seven camping cabins spaced throughout the campground that have outside picnic tables and grills, and beds inside as well as electricity.

Most of the sites here are nicely wooded, and as the area is slightly hilly there are elevation changes between several rows of sites which allows for a little more privacy than many RV parks offer. 

Downsides to this park are the highway noise, and the campground roads are paved but in need of maintenance; the road is eroded in a lot of places. 

Upsides are the sites are shady and well landscaped, and there are great amenities for families looking to stay here for extended periods of time, as well as the proximity to Chattanooga, Chickamauga Battlefield, and Ringold/Ft. Oglethorpe.

This park has it all in terms of overnight amenities. You can stay in a motel style room, log cabins, chalets, backcountry sites, wall tents, improved campsites and primitive campsites. Whatever you're looking for, this place probably has it and all in a beautiful setting. We stayed here while visiting Little River Canyon and it was a good location for our needs.

The park also has a near little nature center with cool interpretive programs. The improved campsites have hook ups (water, sewer and electric), picnic tables, fire rings and large gravel pads with plenty of room. There are a number of wonderful hiking options here as well. It's a little pricey, especially with the convenience fee and the 13% lodging tax but you get what you pay for and this place is NICE.

Located just barely on the Georgia side of the GA/TN border, Holiday Travel Park has a community feel with its many full hook-up sites, most of which are extremely close together. 

We are tent campers and there is not much here if you are not in an RV--they are nestled into the back of the campground, and have the benefit of a large grassy area so kids can run and stretch their legs, but quiet and privacy are still lacking. There is also a dog park located at the campground entrance so the four legged kids can run freely, and a playground next to the dog park, however it is in full sun so will be hot during the summer months--which is the perfect time to use the pool! Unfortunately due to COVID-19 both the pool and playground are closed at the time of this review, but it is good to know they are there once public spaces can open again.

This campground has two sides; to the right of the main entrance is decidedly more shady while the side to the left gets more sun, and it seemed as though the shady side hosted many campers who were there long term. We even saw one set-up where it looked like someone had a couple of tomato plants growing in containers! These sites are all very close together but still had a peaceful vibe under the shady trees. The sunnier side (sites in the 100s) is where the playground, tent sites, and large grassy field are, so while the sites are still very close together there is a little bit more public space for larger groups or families. 

There are three camping cabins that rent to groups of 2 people, and two camping cottages; a loft for groups of 4, or a one bedroom for groups of 6. Cabins and cottages have beds (you must bring your own linens), electricity, running water, grills, picnic tables, and the loft has a small kitchen. 

This is a great stop for campers who want to see the Chattanooga/Chicakmauga area, and it has great amenities for families. However this is not a campground for those looking for a relaxing experience in nature due to proximity to the interstate and surrounding neighborhoods, and the small sites and lack of privacy from fellow campers.

The park offers several campgrounds than can accommodate RV's, tent camping and primitive campsites. There are water and electrical hookups at all sites except the primitive. There are bathhouses and even cabin rentals for those who prefer that. You can purchase ice, firewood and food at the camp store on property and there is also a place to do your laundry for a small fee. Each site offers a table and grill. All are drive up except the primitive sites. This park has the highest free falling waterfall (256 feet) East of the Mississippi River! There are plenty of activities and hiking to explore just visit the parks website for more information!

We stayed at this campground in the middle of November 2020 around Veterans Day.  We booked one of the cabins which was perfect (there are several at various sizes).  The one we stayed in had two rooms; one to sleep in (a double and a bunkbed) with a small fridge, microwave, and coffee maker and a bathroom with a walk in shower.  The campground was clean and quiet.  There was a Landry room at the bathhouse, which we were able to wash our clothes before heading home.  You are minutes from Chattanooga and other sites like Ruby Falls and Lookout Mountain/Rock City (it's best to purchase ticket online and recommended by the sites).  The staff was awesome and polite, easy to talk to.  There was a hiking trail.  You can tour the cavern for a cost, which was separate from the park office.  We look forward to staying again, hopefully by then in a RV.

I’ve been to Cloudland several times. It’s always a wonderful camping experience with great hiking. There are 2 camping loops, the East Loop has 30 mostly RV sites. They have 30 & 50 amp service, and water. Bathroom and shower are centralized. This loop is closer to the trail heads. The West loop is larger, with 42 sites. These are more wooded and offer better privacy. The west loop is water & electric only as well, with 2 shower/bath houses. There are 2 dump stations in the park. There are also 20 yurts, a pioneer camping area, 30 walk-in camp sites, and cabins. The bathrooms are showing some wear. They are not the most modern, but there was plenty of hot water and the water pressure was adequate. The park offers a catch & release pond, disk golf and caving with a guide. There is a security gate that automatically closes at 10 pm, so be sure to get the gate code if you are planning to be out of the park in the evening. The park is only 20 miles from Chattanooga, TN, and the Chickamauga National Battlefield, and an easy drive to Russell Cave National Monument & Little River Canyon.