Best Tent Camping near Farragut, TN

Tent campgrounds near Farragut, Tennessee offer rustic camping experiences with varying amenities and natural settings. Poland Creek provides lakeside tent sites with boat access, while Windrock Ridge Campground features wooded tent sites across 35 designated camping areas. Rock Creek Campground in the Obed Wild and Scenic River area offers tent-only sites with access to hiking trails and water activities.

Most tent sites in the region have basic amenities with fire rings and picnic tables at established campgrounds like Young Branch Horse Camp, though primitive backcountry sites at locations like Burnt Mill Bridge Loop lack facilities. Several campgrounds including Camp Birdsong provide drinking water and toilet access, while others like TVA Public Land at Fork Bend are completely primitive. Walk-in tent sites are available at multiple locations, requiring short hikes from parking areas to reach camping spots. During summer months, shade becomes particularly important, with sites at Windrock Ridge offering good tree cover for heat protection.

The tent camping experience varies significantly across the region, with backcountry sites offering more seclusion than established campgrounds. Areas near water bodies like Poland Creek provide opportunities for fishing and water recreation directly from tent sites. Trail access is abundant, with campgrounds like Rock Creek connecting to networks of hiking paths through the surrounding forests and along waterways. Many locations are within reasonable driving distance of both Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville urban amenities. A camper wrote about Burnt Mill Bridge Loop: "The trail goes mostly along the water. You will see stunning rock formations and some smaller waterfalls. There are several campsites along the way."

Best Tent Sites Near Farragut, Tennessee (57)

    1. Poland Creek

    5 Reviews
    Louisville, TN
    6 miles
    Website

    "This spot is kid and tent friendly with a boat ramp and beautiful small lake with lots of fishing opportunities."

    "This is a medium size campground which offers both RV and tent camping. There is a recreational facility which can be used for day use as well. Overall everything is grassy green and beautiful."

    2. Windrock Ridge Campground

    4 Reviews
    Oliver Springs, TN
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (865) 435-1251

    $20 - $49 / night

    "Site 26 is good for rooftop tent camping. Shade in afternoon and plenty of room for additional vehicles. Fire ring has a movable grate that is good to cook on."

    "I’m in a truck camper with a rooftop tent."

    3. Camp Birdsong

    2 Reviews
    Maryville, TN
    18 miles
    +1 (954) 296-6693

    $40 - $49 / night

    "Camp Birdsong is here to provide an excellent spot to setup your tent, with a platform for a level setup, and a mini kitchen so that you can prepare some great meals while listening to the morning birds"

    "Luv the fact it tells you about the camping space"

    4. Rock Creek Campground — Obed Wild and Scenic River

    12 Reviews
    Lancing, TN
    30 miles
    Website
    +1 (423) 346-6294

    $15 / night

    "The campsites have a fire ring, picnic bench, and lantern pole. Each campsite has their little parking space except site 9, 10, and 11."

    "It's a primitive campground with 11 sites for tents only. RVs are not allowed. There is a restroom for campers with pit style toilets."

    5. TVA Public Land- Fork Bend

    11 Reviews
    La Follette, TN
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (865) 632-2101

    "I recently learned that TVA land is free to camp on, so I sought out some close to me and found Fork Bend. If you want to get away from people, this place is for you."

    "(Disclaimer: I pack heat whenever I am alone.)

    The site was pretty much shaded by the forest canopy throughout the day, with full sun toward the edge of the water."

    6. GlampKnox

    3 Reviews
    Kodak, TN
    26 miles
    Website

    $75 - $175 / night

    "This spot is new, and the set up is awesome. Perched on top of a hill, the site has great sunrise views."

    "This spot is new, and the set up is awesome. Perched on top of a hill, the site has great sunrise views."

    7. Burnt Mill Bridge Loop

    2 Reviews
    Petros, TN
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (423) 569-9778

    "I went backpacking with a friend and our dogs. We decided to camp out at Burnt Mill Loop. The trail goes mostly along the water. You will see stunning Rock formations and some smaller waterfalls."

    "But there’s several campsites around the area, and you can choose one that’s easier to access if you’d like. We went down near the river, and camped and did some fishing."

    8. Backcountry Site 1 — Norris Dam State Park

    1 Review
    Lake City, TN
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (865) 425-4500

    "I just did an overnighter here but it was quiet, good space between spots,access to bathhouse and good fire rings. Nothing bad to say about it."

    9. Double Camp/Citico Creek

    4 Reviews
    Croatan National Forest, TN
    32 miles
    +1 (423) 253-8400

    "All secluded and away from overpopulated areas. Bring your fishing pole!"

    "Plenty of trails, swimming and fishing!!"

    10. Young Branch Horse Camp

    1 Review
    Tallassee, TN
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (423) 253-8400

    $15 / night

    "Located in between campsites 7&8, Young Branch is the more “civilized” part of Citico Creek. There is a toilet, but no hookups. About 6 different sites within the campground."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Farragut, TN

1444 Reviews of 57 Farragut Campgrounds


  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 25, 2019

    Elkmont Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

    Ranger Review: Wenzel Sun Valley Screen House at Elkmont Campground

    Campground Review

    On a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you quickly learn that you’ll enjoy your visit a lot more if you are located close to what you want to see and do. This means you may find it worth your while to move from one campground to another during your stay, as I did. My final night in the park found me setting up camp at Elkmont Campground, < 5 miles from the Sugarlands entrance, so I would have a shorter drive to view sunset and sunrise from overlooks along the beautiful Newfound Gap Rd. This is also the viewing area for the synchronous fireflies in late May/early June (dates vary; parking passes by lottery in April) if you don’t have a campsite reservation).

    Elkmont is open early March – October and reservations are required. If you arrive without a reservation, there is a phone line there that you can call to make them, or you can return to town where you have cell service and make reservations online. This early in the season (mid-April) the campground wasn’t full, some of the loops were closed. I was in site A14, beside a branch of the Little River with a large tent pad, fire ring, picnic table, and paved, slightly sloped, parking pad. It was a compact site;  the location of the picnic table between the tent and fire ring made it a challenge to set up a screen house over the picnic table and maintain sufficient distance from the fire. I was pleased with my site and the privacy, though I liked the looks of A13 even better. It was somewhat larger and more secluded. Many of the sites, particularly those on the western side of A - F loops, are along the river. Most of the sites are shaded. A few of the B-loop sites are walk-in. It’s bear country, so your food and toiletries need to be locked in a vehicle or hard-side camping unit; there are some food storage lockers provided for the walk-in sites. There’s a small camp store with limited supplies and hours (open late afternoon); Cades Cove has a much larger one, though it tends more toward souvenirs.

    There’s cold running water, flush toilets, and a dishwashing station available, but no showers or hookups (a couple of accessible sites do have electricity for medical equipment). Bathrooms are basic, no frills, but clean; The one in the A loop didn’t even have an outlet or hand dryer. If you ask at the visitor’s center, they’ll provide you with a list of area campgrounds that allow you to take a shower for $3-7. The nearest dump station is a seasonal one at the Sugarlands Visitor Center (doesn’t open until late May); the one at Cades Cove is open year round. Buy firewood in the park or, better yet, pick up deadwood around the park.

    One of the more intriguing areas to explore at Elkmont is the Daisy Town ghost town. Once you’ve set up camp, walk or drive down the road toward the Little River and Jakes Creek trails (leaves the camp road to the left before the ranger station on your way into the campground). Follow the signs for additional parking and you’ll find yourself at the end of a road lined with assorted cottages and cabins that used to be vacation homes. Some are open for exploration, others are cordoned off, and some are undergoing renovation. Another nearby, popular highlight is the hike to Laurel Falls.

    Product Review

    As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I sometimes I get to test and evaluate products. This is a review of a Wenzel Sun Valley 12’ x 12’ Screen House As a camper with a teardrop, I’m always looking to maximize my outdoor living space in subpar conditions, so I was excited to try this out at Elkmont.

    I set this up alone the first time in 14 minutes without reading the instructions. The instructions are attached to the inside of the bag and recommend 2 people for set-up, but if you’ve pitched a dome tent in the past, you’ll find this inituitive. Continuous sleeves for 4 of the fiberglass poles and the “Fast Feet” made set- up easy. I did wish the sleeves for the cross-poles were continuous as well, but the gap allows for a hook to hold the ceiling up and it didn’t take much extra effort to slide the poles in. The hardest part was getting the 4th end of the cross poles for the roof into place. I couldn’t bend them enough to slide it in while on the ground, so waited until everything else was up…should have figured it out while it was at ground level rather than over my head! This part would definitely be easier if there were two people pitching it.

    The zippers on the two doors close tightly and easily without extreme tension, though it was definitely easier to open and close with 2 hands rather than one. There was no gap at the junction of the 3 zippers. Once you are inside, you have a crystal clear view of the outside! It’s quite tall, I couldn’t touch the ceiling in the middle with a raised hand. It doesn’t have a floor, just a wide border around the perimeter, so you can place it over a picnic table. The picnic table (about 6’) fit inside it easily with plenty of room to walk around and even add a chair in a corner. I had to be careful about making sure the bottom of the walls lay flat on the ground, otherwise there were gaps.

    It comes with 10 thin metal stakes for the feet and 4 plastic ones for the guy lines. A word of advice: USE THEM.  The first time I set this up, this experienced camper made a rookie mistake. The weather was nice, but it was getting dark, and I wanted to move it over the picnic table in the morning…so I didn’t stake it down. That night a wind storm blew through and blew it away! Found it at 4am in the next campsite,  astonished to discover it was still intact! No broken poles, just a slight abrasion on one sleeve and a tiny tear in one part of the screen that will be easily repaired. A couple of the poles slid out of the Fast Feet during its overnight adventure, allowing the screen house to collapse and preventing damage to the poles themselves (I’ve seen MANY other screen houses/canopies with bent and broken poles from wind). Truly impressed.

    Pitched it again the next afternoon with the wind still blowing and as you can see in my video, the screen house was like a kite until I staked it down. Once staked, it stood up well to the wind, though it did cause the bottom edge of the screen house to lift a bit. If bugs are out in that weather (there were wind advisories), they probably deserve a chance for some shelter, too.

    Taking it down, it easily fit back in the storage bag, with the zipper extending down one end to open the bag a bit more. Oh, and it weighs so much less than many of the canopies do, coming in around 20# and not requiring a wheeled case to lug it around. If you’re looking for a  screen house, this one has a lot going for it!

    Black fly season is coming and with the Wenzel Sun Valley Screen House packed, I’m ready! MY fuller video review is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ealCyAi02HA

  • T
    Aug. 6, 2018

    Cades Cove Campground

    Great campsite near Cades Cove loop

    We reserved our site online, this can be done a month in advance. We were impressed with the paved parking space, picnic table, fire pit and level tent pad. It looks like these are very new. Proximity to cades cove loop was great. The souvineer shop has great gifts and a good selection of snacks and some supplies. Prices are reasonable, better than we expected. Bathroom was not the best, not very clean. The dish washing sink behind the bathroom was handy. No showers, but this is true for any camp sites in the park. Ranger station nearby is helpful to get advice and current weather reports (no phone reception in the park). Bike rentals available near the gift/snack shop too, to bike the loop. Lots of trees on our site that we used to setup a tarp to stay dry.

  • Adam C.
    Aug. 1, 2023

    Turkey Creek Campground

    Cute off the beaten path, at a good price

    Smaller camp grounds, that best suited for smaller campers, or tent camping. The driveway coming into the campground is steep, so drive slow, and I would highly recommend showing up before dark, not an entrance I would want to make after dark. They have affordable firewood and ice on site, free coffee in the office, and Wi-Fi. Currently I’m using the Wi-Fi from my spot, since cellular service in this area isn’t reliable. Make sure you download a google map “offline mode” map of the area before coming, since service is limited for ATT and Verizon. If your doing tent camping, they made these elevated large squares out of crushed gravel to put your tent on, that are perfectly level, and with the gravel, should stay dry in event of rain. Some of the spots have “river” access, I would call it more of a small creek, but still nice. All the gravel roads seem to be in great condition. Washer and dryers are available, and showers and bathrooms are way better than average.

  • Joel R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 26, 2021

    Elkmont Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

    Great spot in the Smokies

    Elkmont is right here n the National Park. Close to great hiking and occasional wildlife. Bears have been extra active this year, and rangers advise taking extra precautions. All National Park campgrounds are primitive, so no water, or electric. Put toilets and no showers. There is a dump station near the Sugarland Visitor Center. There are several camping loops, Most sites can accommodate a 20-30 ft motor home or travel trailer. A few sites can use a generator if you need it, but Some loops are reserved for no generator camping.

  • D & Jess W.
    Sep. 29, 2023

    Tsali Campground

    Rooftop tent camping

    First come, first serve here. There were plenty spots available in late September. This campground is extremely well maintained. Fire ring with grate, picnic table, bbq grill, a bear pole and a lantern pole at each site. Heard coyotes on each side of us the night we were here. That was fun. Make sure you don’t park under a black walnut tree. Black walnuts fall constantly, and will add fashionable dents to your vehicle. Quiet hours are definitely not proactively enforced. Campsite spacing varies. Some sites have more privacy than others. Overall, a great place to stay. Based on the proximity to Fontana Lake, we would stay here again.

  • Katrin M.
    Apr. 10, 2022

    Rock Creek Campground — Obed Wild and Scenic River

    Nice little primitive campground on the river

    We camped here for one night on a Saturday. 

    The campsites have a fire ring, picnic bench, and lantern pole. Each campsite has their little parking space except site 9, 10, and 11. It is one parking spot for 3 cars and you have to walk about 100 feet. The campsites are very close together. We were very lucky with campsite 11 bc nobody around us showed up. Probably due to the bad weather the first day. The campsite was very spacious and was right on the creek. 

    There is no electricity or water at the campground. The vault toilet had no flushing water but was clean and didn't have a smell. The Obed area is very inviting for fishing, hiking, and rock climbing. There are trails that start right from the campground. If you need an escape from the daily grind, that's your place.

  • Davina B.
    May. 9, 2019

    Rock Creek Campground — Obed Wild and Scenic River

    Great Little Hiking and Fishing Spot

    Rock Creek Campground is the only campground for the Obed Wild and Scenic River National Park. It's a primitive campground with 11 sites for tents only. RVs are not allowed. There is a restroom for campers with pit style toilets. No potable water available, but there is plenty that you can treat.

    Each site has a picnic table, lantern hook, bearproof food locker, fire ring with grill, and a tent pad. Bearproof trashcans are located throughout the campground. A section of the Cumberland Trail begins at the campground. The Emory River runs right alongside the campground with easy access. There is no camp store, but the town of Wartburg is about a mile away if you need anything.

    Pros: Good hiking trails and great fishing. Easy access to the river. Restrooms available.

    Cons: The sites are very close together and it gets quite crowded during the summer months and on weekends. A public road runs right next to the campground so there is traffic at times when people are coming and going from work. No camp store or potable water available. Bathrooms are not kept stocked.

  • Rich H.
    Aug. 20, 2020

    Gateway RV Campground - Tennessee

    Very clean with amenities

    Highs- Very friendly ( in the South we say “neighborly”) folks in the office, playground for the little ones, crystal clear swimming pool as well as kiddie pool, basketball court, laundry facility, clean bath and showers, vending machines and camp store with just about anything you would need including handmade soap in case you forgot yours. Newly cemented sites that require little to no leveling, firewood, fire starters, parts for your rig, full hookups with cable, fire ring and grill, quiet and peaceful but just 1 mile from the parkway. Lows- No trash can at your site. Don’t let a little thing like no trash can at your driveway keep you from enjoying this RV Park. Highly recommended. Just go already!

  • Colin R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 7, 2023

    Elkmont Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

    I've had better tent camping

    The sites are good with picnic tables, fire rings, and gravel tent pads. Also, the trees provide plenty of shade and bear-proof trash containers. Also, no bright street or area lights are shining into the tent all night long.

    Although there are not any shower facilities, which didn't bother me, the toilets are not that great!

    Two big problems for me. 1. A lot of generator noise and 2. No one respected the 5 mph speed limit which was a big concern with the young children running around, and the number of wild animals around.

    If you are a tent camper, I recommend looking for tent only camp sites in this area.


Guide to Farragut

Tent camping near Farragut, Tennessee offers a variety of scenic spots where nature lovers can enjoy the great outdoors. With options ranging from well-equipped campgrounds to serene backcountry sites, there's something for everyone.

Tent campers should check out Poland Creek

  • Enjoy a medium-sized campground with well-shaded sites and a playground, perfect for families looking for a relaxing getaway at Poland Creek.
  • The campground features a recreational facility and a boat launch area, making it ideal for those who love water activities.
  • With a reasonable fee and access to amenities, it's a great choice for a budget-friendly camping experience.

Tent campers like these nearby activities

  • Experience the stunning views and outdoor adventures at Windrock Ridge Campground, known for its spacious wooded sites and proximity to off-road trails.
  • For a peaceful retreat, Burnt Mill Bridge Loop offers beautiful scenery along the water, perfect for fishing and hiking.
  • Explore the unique glamping experience at GlampKnox, where you can enjoy the comforts of home while being close to nature.

Features of the best tent camping spots

  • Camp Birdsong provides a level tent setup with a mini kitchen, making it a convenient choice for campers who enjoy cooking outdoors.
  • At Rock Creek Campground — Obed Wild and Scenic River, you'll find well-maintained sites with easy access to trails and the river for a variety of recreational activities.
  • Young Branch Horse Camp offers a more civilized camping experience with basic amenities, making it suitable for both horse and tent campers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Farragut, TN?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Farragut, TN is Poland Creek with a 4.2-star rating from 5 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Farragut, TN?

TheDyrt.com has all 57 tent camping locations near Farragut, TN, with real photos and reviews from campers.