Best Glamping near Crab Orchard, TN

We recently visited Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tn while enroute to Georgia. The Tennessee countryside is an enjoyable backdrop to this meandering road trip and you are very close to several other excellent Tennessee SPs.

I noticed a sign on the way in to Fall Creek Falls advertising a yearly festival, the “Mountaineer Folk Festival” the weekend after Labor Day. http://www.mountainglenonline.com/thingstodo/events/mountaineer-folk-festival-at-fall-creek-falls-state-park.html

The park also has a nice looking golf course, the Tree Top Canopy Challenge and an extensive facility area including the visitors center, gift shop, general store, swimming pool, laundromat and grill.

When I visited last year it was extremely busy and the attractions were crowded. This year I visited on a week day after school was back in session so it was mostly retirees who haven’t started their migration south yet ;) at the campground. Fall Creek has a large spread out campground with several choices , primitive walk-ins, glamping or something in between. There are gravel sites and paved. A picnic table, fire ring and grill as well as electric and water hookups. The facilities are centrally located in each area.

We stopped at Fall Creek Falls first and made the trek down to the base of the falls after first visiting the overlook. Moderate, technical,( rocky, slippery, wear hiking shoes, carry your flip flops for the wade in the pool below) 1.6ish mile round trip hike. When you leave the Fall Creek area there is a one way road you can take to Piney Falls it has some picturesque views of the area.

Piney Falls is worth a look too. I love suspension bridges, my dogs not so much. Piney has a .4ish mile round trip hike that includes a long suspension bridge with a short scramble down to the river.

I also noticed some bike trail trailheads within the park, something else to enjoy while visiting.

Fall Creek Falls is definitely a place you can spend a week or more at and do something different everyday.

This is a small State Park and campground area in the lower part of middle Tennessee, but if you like to see some great waterfalls and a some history on this part of Tennessee you will not be disappointed. 

Just make sure you have all your supplies before you get there, it is a remote area with no big cities with 50 miles.

Fall Creek Falls is one of my favorite places to camp & hike in the Middle/East Tennessee area. Beautiful scenery, an awesome waterfall hike, and a lovely SHADED camping loop contribute to some of my favorite family camping weekend memories.

Fall Creek Falls is a very nice state park in middle Tennessee.  It’s also very popular so plan on getting reservations early.  Lots of activities - hiking, biking, golf, lake....  One item of note is that the Inn is being rebuilt and is not open.  The restaurant was in the Inn, but I don’t think many campers ate there anyway.

Stayed in the developed camp area. (There is a primitive tent area along a creek branch and there are some primitive hike-in areas) Tennessee seems to have a thing for larger rock pieces in their gravel on tent platforms... otherwise no complaints. Fire ring, grill and table. Plenty of shade and trees to hang the hammock. Bathhouse was clean. 2 nice showers. Lovely hot water. One trail head at the camp area. Beautiful trails. Would definitely come back.

We stayed Memorial Weekend of 2021 for a total of 4 nights. Tons to do at one of Tennessee’s top state parks. We hiked Fall Creek Falls trail, visited the nature center, walked the suspension bridge, went to the Cane Creek Falls overlook, swam in the Cascades, ate pizza at the snack bar, watched people catch stocked trout at George Hole, and played on the playground. The weather was a little damp, but we didn’t let that stop us!

Frozen Head is lovely. It may be the loveliest campground in Tennessee.

There’s only 20 spots, and they all seem to be shady and have trees between neighbors. There’s a free book swap hut, like those mailboxes, but a whole building worth of take-one/leave-one books. There showers and bathroom are unusually clean for a campground. There’s a place to wash dishes.

There’s a great playground and creek at the bottom of the hill. Easy walking distance, but not so close that you have to hear screaming kids.

The park has a lovely waterfall hike that we did and many others that we didn’t make it to.

Frozen Head is a wonderful place. For starters, the ranger that was on duty at the Visitor's Center was so helpful and kind. The campground is in close proximity to many of the trailheads. There is a nice bathhouse, but all the sites are rustic (non electric). There are also many well kept backcountry sites with fire pits if you are backpacking. The surroundings are gorgeous: the foothills of the Appalachians and the hiking is superb and challenging. If you are able, make sure to hike to the Lookout Tower! This is a great park and campground if you want to experience the beauty of East Tennessee without the crowds of the Smoky Mountains.

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!

Just got back from an AWESOME, WET, weekend at Rock Island State Park. I stayed at the RV camping area and participated in the Tennessee State Park Rock and Row Triathlon. (Which ended up being a duathlon due to the rain) The campgrounds were recently (w/i a few years) renovated, are well landscaped and easyisly accessed. The bathrooms are in good shape, and clean. The falls are the thing to see and depending on the season you go you can get reasonably close or see them from above. Several moderate trails , water sports and cycling. The town of Rock Island sports several antique shops with good deals if that's your thing and other local small businesses which keep it interesting .

...well, at least up to two weeks, because that's the park limit.

Fall Creek Falls is the largest park in Tennessee, and it is, well, big! There's a ton to do and it's in such a beautiful spot. I like to think of this state park as a beginner South Cumberland (in hiking at least!). There's a few hiking trails with plenty of overlooks and waterfalls and a suspension bridge to a nature center. There's also a trail down to the bottom of Fall Creek Falls where you can swim.

The campsites are nice with a bath house and firepits and there is a whole complex and general store not too far from the campsites. There's even a mini laundry mat and a snack bar! Just a ton to do especially if you have kids.

I would recommend this state park as a family vacation!

Fall creek falls is one of the best recreational areas in Tennessee. The park is very large and has so much to do. The falls are amazing, and it’s a moderate hike down to the base. Sometimes the falls are just a small trickle and sometimes they are flowing, depending on rainfall amounts. There are also smaller falls with pools that you can swim in, and those are next to the parking area. There’s a great amount of wildlife in the park, the deer were everywhere, and they are not afraid of humans. They will walk directly through your campsite. The park also has a lake, golf course, pool, playground, great biking, so much to do. The campground is large and has walk-in tent sites and RV sites with hookups. The sites are well spaced and wooded, so even if the campground is full, you don’t feel overcrowded. I always enjoy camping here and I highly recommend Fall Creek Falls.

 Rock Island State park is a great place to camp. The campground is large and the campsites are spacious and far enough apart that you feel secluded, even when it’s full. It’s heavily wooded, so you don’t feel like your neighbors on right on top of you. The sites are paved and have water and electric, no septic where I was, however and they have a dump station that was large enough for two people to use at the same time. There are so many things to do at the campground, or the park, you will not be bored. Rock Island has some of the best waterfalls in Tennessee, and you can get right up to some them, if you are brave enough to kayak close to them. They also have a swimming area, and sand volleyball. Great biking in the park also. The area has lots of little shops and antique stores, if you’re into that, and Calf Killer Brewery is a short drive, and I highly recommend visiting there. Overall, this is a great park to visit, and a great place to camp.

Off I24 near Murfreesboro, Tn and a leisurely drive through the Tennessee countryside. Small towns, pickups and cows. Watch for stop signs, I almost missed one while looking at the scenery.

I camped in the tent/not so primitive campsite this time. Paved parking spots with electric ( don’t know if it was on, had nothing to plug in;) boxes and large areas with picnic tables, fire rings and gravel squares for your tent. You could easily fit a group in each site. That being said the sites are very open to each other.

Small shower house with a shower and two latrines. Clean and maintained. I would avoid the very first site next to the shower house, noisy and foot traffic would be constant. I decided to sleep in the truck due to inclement weather, threw a tarp over the top and left the windows down.

Something to be aware of is the park is split by the river , dam and falls so make sure you get a map, there are good trails on both sides.

The falls are the main attraction at the park and are pretty awesome to hike down around and through. Pay attention to the weather and warnings. The Trails are technical and rocky on the far side of the dam but worth the trip. On the Park office side is the historical stuff and another long walk down to the foot of the falls.

There is kayaking too but I haven’t had the opportunity to try it yet. Things in the area to check out are the antique stores and “Foglight Foodhouse”.

Cumberland Mountain has a total of 145 campsites, spread across 5 loops, plus a backcountry site on an 8 mile backpacking trail.

We have not stayed overnight here as we are tent-campers only, and while tent camping is permitted, after visiting we felt that this campground was much better suited for RV campers. However we have come here for the day to hike and enjoy the playground by the picnic area, and it is a beautiful park, with a large lake, a restaurant, and a bridge that is iconic to the Cumberland region of Tennessee.

Of the five camping loops, loop 4 offers the most shade (particularly sites 102-109, which are shaded by evergreens and some of the prettiest campsites I have seen in a state park!), although is not ADA accessible. Loop 2 offers the least amount of shade. Loops 1, 3, and 5 have mostly hardwood trees, thus offering more shade in the warmer months and mostly sun in the winter. All sites have picnic tables and fire rings, and most can accommodate trailers up to 60 feet, with a few going higher (site 145 can fit over 100'!). Tent camping is permitted, although in most sites the only space to put a tent is very close to the fire pits or on a gravel/concrete surface, and in loops 2, 3, and 5 the park prohibits tents on the grass within each site.

Amenities at this park include hiking, fishing, paddling/boat rental, biking, a swimming pool, golf, and birding. Cabins are also available to rent, many with a view of the lake. Day use includes picnic tables, picnic pavilions, and multiple playground areas for kids. This park is also further away from urban areas and is a good place for wildlife viewing--we have seen black snakes, and what looked like a raccoon!

This is a much less crowded park than Fall Creek Falls to the south, particularly if you can make it early in the season, and is convenient to I-40, premium golfing, and historical sites on the Cumberland Plateau. While there are better options in this region for someone looking to pitch a tent, if you have an RV, Cumberland Mountain is very peaceful, offering a lot of ways to spend your day and a quiet and relaxing spot to watch the stars and enjoy the sounds of nature at night.

A Beautiful campsite, a ton of activies for the grandkids, lots of amenities, & I could go on and on. The staff were super to deal with. We had a gravel back in site, it did have a little slope front to back but was zero issue getting level. We had a great view of one of the ponds, and nice lawn on each side and behind us. There was a nice modern picnic table and a heavy duty fire ring, both of which we put to good use. This is the first time Ive ever been to a Koa, this one certainly set the bar pretty high. Loved our visit here, we were here for 3 nights.

Ps, they had a great store that served 8 flavors of hard ice cream!!