Best Tent Camping near Dyersburg, TN

Two of us with two small tents spent one night passing through on motorcycles. We have been camping on these trips for well over a decade. Although Ann, the proprietor seemed very nice and welcoming over the phone, it became obvious upon our arrival that we should have asked some basic questions. Since the tent camping area had no picnic tables nor shade with very tall grass and weeds, we went with an RV site. She would NOT allow two tents on a single RV site. When we asked why, Ann just said"those are the rules" and continued telling us about her trip to Greece. Not to interrupt her, I waited and then asked again why the one tent per RV site. This time, her answer was that we don't have to stay there if we don't want to. Tired from a day on the road, we stayed and paid the$60.00 instead of the$44.00 that the TWO tents sites would have cost. At least we had a table, water, and power(did not test it) if needed. For RVs, the price is right no matter how big your rig is. Just don't mind the completely run down facilities and the gross showers that were air conditioned only from about 4 pm until 9 pm. They have a pool!

My husband and I chose this campground because it was in our “Best in Tent Camping Tennessee” guidebook. Not my favorite. The sites are extremely close together and there is absolutely no privacy. We chose an ADA site because my husband is a wheelchair user, but the grassy patch next to the cement was a hill (which made tent camping + wheelchair interesting). There was also zero shade and A LOT of bugs-we got eaten alive. I would only recommend this site for RV users who don’t plan to spend much time outside their rig (or, are camping in cooler months), and don’t care about privacy.

The bathhouse felt like a sauna-zero ventilation.

As a an aside the restroom at the visitor’s center is not wheelchair accessible.

This description really needs to be updated. They are not just an historic area but an Historic State Park. They have about a dozen RV sites plus another 20 tent sites. Facilities are very nice and include showers. They have really worked hard to improve the entire park in the last 3 years or so and have really turned this into a hidden gem. The historic site of Ft Pillow from the Civil war is on one of the hiking trails. The trails also go along the Mississippi river and provide some beautiful views. They also have a small lake and available canoes/kayaks for rent. The staff is very attentive and provide a variety of programs.

We camp here a lot and have tried several spots in the South campground.  The ones near the lake have views but don't have water access.  There is also a pavilion near the lake.  

Sites 22, 24, 25, 70 backup to the forest and have lots of room to set up tents, however they are the first to flood and stay wet longer.  

The map is pretty good about and shows pictures of the sites.  At the time of this review the bathrooms between sites 64 & 66 were closed.  The bathrooms and showers near site 23 are bigger and more accessible.  The bathrooms and showers near site 4 do have a ramp but it is uneven, the space inside is much smaller and would be difficult to navigate with a wheelchair.

Site 43 has trees on both sides of the pad and, based on comments from another camper, can be difficult to back in a larger camper.

Sites in the mid and upper 40's are also good for tent camping.  The cypress trees in the area send roots up and the ground can be lumpy because of them.  The campground has lots of gopher holes all over.  The mosquitoes are bad and you should take some strong bug spray. 

The campgrounds does have drainage issues when it rains and if your forecast predicts rain, you might want to put your tent up on the pad.

They opened a small gift shop this year.  The sell worms, and they now rent canoes and kayaks.  There is a boat launch near the entrance, but you can't launch anything too wide.

This campground is due for a makeover and I heard that it is in the works.  

If you love bird watching or photography this place is a dream; osprey, eagles, herons, egrets, and so many others are everywhere.  Pelican's stop here on their migration and I recommend the pontoon tour in October during the festival if you want to see them on the water.

We ended up camping here after another campground didn't work out. We arrived without reservation and didn't know much about the park, so we needed a little help from the rangers when we were choosing a spot. The campground seems to have been renovated in the last few years. The sites are all mixed together. You have a handful of RV sites with 50 amp, a couple of 30 amp sites and then lots of tent sites that have 20 amp or no power at all. The problem for us was that the leaves have fallen, so we couldn't even see where the parking pads were and all of the different sites were mixed together. I think it would be easier to sort it out via the website that has info listed for each site. 

Ranger Tyson informed us that they were doing a night hike to the Fort and they would be serving Gumbo for dinner around the campfire at the Fort. Sign me up! It was one of the fee based activities, but for $5 per person, it was totally worth it! Tyson and Matt were awesome and the evening hike was surprisingly very cool!

As for the park itself, they don't have a huge "tourist attraction" like some parks, so it was very peaceful and not overcrowded. They work hard to offer great ranger lead programs. You can tell right away that the staff really does care about this park. 

The bathhouse was newer and clean. Each bathroom was private in that you had your own suite style bathroom with toilet, sink & shower. The only drawback is that the bath house building (2) only had (1) mens suite and (1) womens suite each. I could see a line forming during warmer months, especially if there were lots of tent campers.

The park had a really nice day use area with a new playground, pavilion area and picnic tables. There is also a basketball goal/court area near the day use area. The visitors center/museum was a bunker style building built into the side of the hill. Great exhibit and lots of info on the battle and fort at Fort Pillow. There is also a small fishing lake with a boat ramp and pier.

Let me start by saying that the Rangers who run this place are top notch folks. The head Ranger stopped in a couple times every day to ask if we needed anything and to inquire about our opinion of the new site (more on this later). The facilities were well maintained, and a pleasant surprise for such a small state park.

So, we stayed on site #3. According to the head Ranger, we were the first to camp on this site since its renovation. Previously it had been a tent pad, but was now a concrete pad with a new 50A post and new water hydrant. Online, it lists the site as being 40’ long and 15’ wide. What they don’t tell you is that only the pad is this size. I had another 30’+ of gravel to park on in front of the pad. It was large enough for the biggest of fifth wheels with slides on both sides. There are now 11 total sites like this in the park thanks to recent renovations. All seemed very level. Site #3 and it’s neighbor #2 seemed perfectly level laterally, but required dropping the nose quite a bit to get level longitudinally. I still believe any length RV could pull it off easily. Each concrete site had a charcoal grill with adjustable height grates, a lantern pole, a fire pit with grill grate, and a picnic table that is bolted down (this might be my only nitpick complaint, as I like to move my picnic tables under the awning and on top of my mat... but I understand why it’s done.). The two bath houses are basically single occupancy Men and Women side facilities, but are almost brand new and heated for winter use. The Ranger said they added to accompanying porta potties for extra toilets until they can add an extra stall on each side to the buildings.

There is no playground in the campground, but a short drive into the park gets you to a very nice picnic area with a playground that looks as new as the bath houses and RV pads. Drive a bit further and you can visit the museum dedicated to the Fort after which the park is named and the men who died there. Get a map and hike the well marked trail to see a recreated portion of the fort (yes, it well marked with colored flashes and signs). Along the drive you will also find a scenic overlook of the Mississippi River and a small lake you can fish in. Canoe, Kayak, and Paddle Boat rentals are available at the museum.

For those wishing for a more rustic camping experience, the primitive sites here are among the best I have ever seen. Ever site is level, and graveled with smooth pea gravel. They all have the same fire pit, grill, and table as the RV sites. Some Require a bit of a walk from your parking spot, but you will well rewarded with some isolation. The only down side for some is that these sites have no on site water and only a few offer an electric post. There are community hydrants around the park for filling up bottle or tanks.

My personal favorite spot for primitive tent camping would have been site number 27. It is accessed via a short gravel road off the main paved road and past site 26. While it is a haul to get water, it is almost completely isolated from the rest of the campground and you can drive rite up to it with no walking. It has low ground on three sides. One side is the road leading into the park, but traffic here is light and it shouldnt be an issue.

Speaking of roads, this place is kind of out in the middle of nowhere, and the roads in can be narrow when meeting oncoming traffic. It’s not terrible but can make you a bit nervous when you meet another RV heading the other way.

All in all, I would say this park is a gem of a find since the remodeling of the RV sites and a solid 7/10 for those primitive tent campers. My only knock is the lack of a playground for those with kids. If you are empty nesters or young adults or just generally travel without kids, this is a solid 10/10 kind of place.

Reelfoot is just a few hours from our Tennessee home and a great weekend spot. The campground is next to a waterfront restaurant with boat/fishing and a nice deck. There are several restaurants and stores close to the campground.

The camp store is small but has essential items and the folks were nice. They delivered wood to our site.

We spent 3 days here with a back in lake front site. The mosquitos would eat you alive, even with repellant. The lake is a famous Tennessee landmark, known for the beech trees in and surrounding the lake. Make sure you go to the visitor center with the raptors and boardwalk. Kayaking the lake is a really awesome activity. The campground is a little rundown, but still nice.

Definitely choose the north campground (airport) if you are looking for a quieter, less claustrophobic camping experience. We stayed here in a tent. Everyone else had RVs so we had the bathroom and showers to ourselves. Bathrooms were clean and we had no problems with airport noise. It’s not the most scenic campground in the world, but there are plenty of trees and it’s very quiet. Plus, less bugs because you aren’t right next to the water.

Wife and I camp here 2 or 3 times a year. We have a popup camper, so we have camped on tent and rv sites. Rangers are top-notch and friendly. Bath houses are clean. They have installed a small playground for smaller children. We camp during the week between holidays, so not many campers there. Very quiet and relaxing. Around October, stink bugs are a big nuisance. The sites are kinda close together. But this is a very nice campground.

The campground was laid out well in the fact that you didn’t feel crowded at all, even when there were lots of campers. We were in site 45 with a 33 ft travel trailer and had plenty of room. Nice walk for our dog and grassy areas also. Showers were clean but nowhere to put toiletries except on the dressing area bench... but that was okay. It was all tiled also. Mosquitoes were the big downfall. Just be prepared. We put up a screen tent as well as having bug spray. Ate at Boyettes too and it was really good.

If if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and not be around a whole lot of other campers with kids, this is the campground for you. We stayed in the Air Park campsite number 4. There are two circles in this campsite with no frills except Water and Electric. The area is very flat and the bathhouse is within walking distance. The lake is absolutely gorgeous and Grey's bait shop offers boat rentals for $80 a day. There is a picnic table and fire pit at each campsite. Located 4 hours west of Nashville is in the upper corner on the Kentucky line in West Tennessee.

We were passing through Memphis and stayed overnight at Fort Pillow. The staff in the office were not super friendly or helpful. I had to ask for everything, like a campsite map to my site, a trail map, and buying firewood. Nothing was offered, so definitely ask. The layout is also backwards. You have to drive all the way to the back of the park to get to the museum visitors center. I am sure there is a practical reason for this, but it wasn’t fully transparent. I always check in to campsite to introduce myself and get a lay of campsite from the people who work there. They just were not very social or helpful.

We stayed in campsite 4 which is more or less a walk-in type site. You park and then have to haul your gear about 15 yards to your site. The privacy and cliff side campsite is worth it, but there again was no one warning. We were only staying one night and the site was a little impractical for our needs. If you are staying 2-3 nights then grab campsite 4, in the winter months after the leaves have fallen this site would be stunning. It is basically a private overlook to the Mississippi. Only thing that would’ve made this campsite perfect would be running water. Instead you have to walk to the bath house to snag water.

Amenities:

There was electrical hookup at site but no water. (Was not able to locate communal water) Bath house cleaned daily and was a private set room style. Tent pad and campsite is pebbles to allow for moisture/bring long stakes or expect to not to be able to stake in your tent.

We camped here for 2 nights on the weekend. The state park has 2 campgrounds. We stayed at the main one at the lake and near the visitor center. The campsites were extremely close together. Each of them had electricity and water. There were a few primitive sites at the end of our loop. The campground has 2 bathhouses with showers. You also have a little check in building. The staff was very nice and provided excellent knowledge about the area. They also rent out boats and sell some merchandise and ice. The boat ramp is right next to it. The lake is very beautiful. We saw pelicans, bald eagles, and herons. The campground is on a main road so you will hear traffic. If you don't want to cook, there are restaurants very close by. The area is very well maintained. There is even a little nature trail starting at the campground. The other short trails are within brief driving distance. The sunset from area near the boat ramp was spectacular. For our taste it was just way too crowded. We drove over to the other campground and it was much more quiet and less packed with RVs and tents. The disadvantage is that the driving distance to the lake and the town is much longer. If you are into fishing and bird watching, it is the place to be.

Just spent one quick night here. We didn’t get an optimal site, but the park was well maintained and clean. The park was scenic and it would be a place we’d come back to with a bit more time to spare.

We always enjoy camping here. The lots are maintained well. Its always quiet and peaceful. (We have never camped here in april, peek fishing season) Reelfoot lake is beautiful, this was our first time kayaking the lake and it was really nice. The visitor center is always a must, to check out the eagles, owls and snakes!

Exceptional canoeing and wildlife! This park is like nothing else, it’s a flooded forest. You can kayak among this and other lovely bayou environments, lakes, etc. I love this park and have enjoyed it in all seasons. You will need a watercraft of some sort or you will be kicking yourself for not being able to enjoy it fully. You can rent canoes and boats nearby but not at the park itself. Nice easy hiking trails too. Close to town for restaurants and necessities.

There are two campgrounds. This review is for South Campground. This campground has more amenities than the other campground, including a playground, showers, etc. The camping spots are fairly close together here.

Yay: Nature center, amazing kayaking, great wildlife!

Nay: Sites a little small/close. You have to drive to see most of the park.

**Surprise: take one of the many ranger-led tours by land or boat!! We did a bird watching tour that was incredible, we got close to so many different species.  **

Exceptional canoeing and wildlife! This park is like nothing else, it’s a flooded forest. You can kayak among this and other lovely bayou environments, lakes, etc. I love this park and have enjoyed it in all seasons. You will need a watercraft of some sort or you will be kicking yourself for not being able to enjoy it fully. You can rent canoes and boats nearby but not at the park itself. Nice easy hiking trails too. Close to town for restaurants and necessities.

There are two campgrounds. This review is for Airport/North Campground. This is the smaller of the two, which is great for seclusion but it also has fewer amenities and is further from the park offices. There are no showers but you can drive to the other campground to use those. Each site is much more spacious.

Yay: Amazing kayaking, great wildlife!

Nay: there are only about a dozen sites here, but they are reservable. Not as close to the water as at South Campground. You have to drive to see most of the park.

**Surprise: take one of the many ranger-led tours by land or boat!! We did a bird watching tour that was incredible, we got close to so many different species. **

Our first trip there and it was great. There had been heavy rains and some sites were flooded. we had a blast watching the ducks swim right up to our site. Plan on returning soon.

I booked this place because I was excited about the boardwalk and the trees growing out of the water. We didn’t really get to enjoy much of the campground because it was flooded.

Bathrooms were very clean and showers were awesome. Staff was very nice and helpful.

This is a great state park campground, with the water and electric close to each pad, Although some sites have water on one side & electric on the other! The camp sites out along the main road actually faced the main road, so your front door opens on to the main road about 75' away. Camp sites on the water are great, but it's not an easy walk in to the water, there are cypress knuckles and no beaches. campsites along the end and side between 19 - 25 are actually backed by swampy overgrown woods, rather than actual waterfront. There are a lot of snakes so be aware of those.

Did not have reservation or call ahead as website listed campsite availability. We arrived before 4:45 but everything closed at 4:30- offices, visitor center ect. No one answered phone #s nor gave any after-hour access information. From what we could see the campsites appeared flooded and a lot of construction. Why not list on website or at least have on your phone message? Hope to be this way again and will try again but not without talking with someone in the park

We decided to make the 2 hour drive to do a one night camp here and explore the area. We checked online and saw that several spots were open, so we went without reservation. When we finally made it to the park, we were greeted with a "closed" office. Apparently the office at the campground closes everyday from 12p-1p for lunch. We decided to drive through the park and look for a spot to settle in on. After making part of the first loop, we immediately saw why there were so many unreserved spots...A good 90% of the campground was underwater! The handful of sites that were still open for use had pools of water standing on the site. Hard pass for us. I wish this would have been listed as a warning on the TNSP website.

We drove to the visitors center to check that area out and consider the 2nd campground that is not on the water. We were greeted with another "closed" sign but no other signage about the hours or when they would reopen. We walked around outside and viewed the beautiful eagles, owls and hawks. 

We never found the other campground due to poor signage, so we left without actually getting to camp here. Very disappointed with everything being closed. Will have to try again in the spring.

Small campground with only 3sites with full hook ups, but it's quiet and on Reelfoot Lake.