The best HIKE IN camping near
Coal Hill , TENNESSEE

We stayed at the main area but not much space or privacy so we put up a tent out side our door, but then moved to the tent camping site area the second night which was more secluded and private, but still close to the showers/bath house. So much hiking and a cool view of the dam is all within walking distance. Nice bath rooms and showers too.

Rhea Springs is a wonderful free campsite in central Tennessee which permits stay up to 14 days. As a part of the TVA the property as a whole is well maintained despite some obvious wear and tear on the restroom facilities. 

I pulled into Rhea Springs later in the afternoon on a Wednesday and found a waterside site with ease. Though there were several other campers there it did not seem crowded at all as spacing of sites is well thought. I camped in my van near the waters edge in a semi flat area, though I will say some sites are much more uneven than others. I was on the main entry area as opposed to the peninsula are for camping as that seemed to be attracting more group camps and louder crowd at the time of my visit. 

All sites are equipped with a fire ring and picnic table, but additionally they have a trash can which is picked up every few days by the TVA maintenance. Additionally you can find trash and recycling near the restrooms. 

The restrooms were large enough for a couple of stalls and a very large kind of dingy looking shower. The shower had no curtain so a bathing suit or a buddy would be needed to use this and have privacy. The water in the showers does get very warm, so that is a bonus. There are also no mirrors in the restroom so if you are counting on one to get ready for the day pack one in with you.

 When I visited my initial goal was to stay a single night but I really enjoyed the waterfront positioning of my campsite during the rains, it was very peaceful and coaxed me into a second night’s stay. I would definitely return to this campsite again in the future!

This campground is small but has some of the prettiest views I've seen. I'll definitely visit it again!

Big South Fork is the perfect place for the outdoor enthusiast. Literally anything you want to do, you can find it here- horseback riding, ATV riding, hiking, biking, rock climbing, kayaking, backpacking, camping, fishing, hunting, swimming… I could go on, but you get the point. I have spent a lot of time here, and it’s at the top of my list for places in the Southeast. The Big South Fork river is some of the best smallmouth fishing around. I love the backcountry camping in BSF, it’s so peaceful, and beautiful. There are several campsites that people have made stone firepits and log/rock seating, it has the feel of the AT without as many people. The Burnt Mill area is awesome, but the hike can be challenging, but it is so worth it. You can find a great backcountry site off of nearly every trail in there. I love to stop by a local staple for a good cheeseburger basket and a milkshake at Flonnies Drive In on the corner of hwy 63 and hwy 27, if you get the chance, treat yourself!

I hiked out to the Caney Fork River Campsite with the Nashville Backpacking Meetup. The trails were really clearly marked, so they were easy to follow despite all of the leaves on the ground, and there were plenty of signs indicating where to go. The site is less than half a mile away from the falls, and has really easy access to the river for water. There wasn't any trash laying around that we could see, and we found plenty of firewood.

I’ve stayed at this site a couple times now and I love the location. The site is a short and easy hike (under 2 miles) from the parking lot via the Lake Trail to the Dark Hollow Trail. The site is tucked off the trail and has access to a stream that is directly across from the site entrance. I’ve also finished the trip by hiking the loop back out by continuing on Dark Hollow to Big Valley Trail, to Ghost House Trail and back to Lake Trail (5.3 miles total). These sections of the trails are easy to moderate.

This was my second trip to the Cumberland Mountain State Park Campground. This campground has everything you need and nothing you don't. The prices are reasonable and the hiking trails within the park start right next to the campsites. The campground has clean water, plenty of hookups and is so incredibly quiet.  This is one of my favorite campgrounds.

Just ran into this spot and was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was especially for the cost. Showers and facilities were great and clean. Tent camping and RVs were separated in different loops which is nice.

The campsite is nice and wooded, sites are spaced nicely. There was a bear box and a fire ring at my site. Plenty of hiking nearby.

The recreation area was a real nice surprise in terms of scenery. The rafting looked great at the right time of year.

I don’t think there was any first come first serve sights, but there were plenty of sites mid October.

There looks like great mountain biking, horseback riding, and some challenging hiking near by.

I’d check out Yahoo Falls which was really nice. I can imagine at high water Angel Falls would be grand, even though there was low water it was a nice and easy hike along the river.

This is for the eastern campgrounds. I had spot 4 and 20. Decent campground. Bathroom/shower needs work. No sewer. Decent att LTE coverage. Check pictures for wooden picnic tables. The concrete ones suck. Giant power lines through campground so need to head to dam for scenery.

We picked this stop because it was a halfway point from our trip in Georgia to home in Ohio and it was easy off and on 75. It’s a small campground with only 37 rv sites, a primitive camping section and several small cabins. They offer a pool, dog park, laundry and game room.

It’s very clean and the staff was nice. We got here after hours and they had everything we needed at the check in with our names, site number and directions to our site. They also offer WiFi and cable tv.

There is not much to do in the park itself but it’s quite and close to town.