Best Glamping near Fayetteville, TN

Most campgrounds in Tennessee are buried in the woods, but not this yurt campsite at Ray of Hope.  The yurt sets on the side of a beautiful Tennessee Hill offering almost a complete view of the nighttime sky.  We watched the moon rise over a hill directly in front of the campsite, and we even saw a brilliant shooting star blaze across the sky for what seems like an eternity.  The Ray of Hope campground is a private campground that went above and beyond our expectations.  The yurt was clean, included battery powered lights and a LED lantern, and a full sized bed that made the night pass with ease.  The campsite also offers free firewood and a large fire ring.  There are two deck chairs at the campsite which are perfect for stargazing.  The entrance of the yurt faces sunrise and the farm animals serenade you in the morning when the mist begins to burn off the valley.  There is a well stocked outside shower surrounded by sweet smelling herbs.  Water and a toilet are near the shower stall.   The campsite is near the small town of Petersburg, TN where you can find two gas stations and a Dollar Store.  If it's hot outside, you might want to bring a battery operated fan.  This place is a perfect glamping experience for an extended date or weekend in beautiful Tennessee.

We followed our RV GPS right to the campground (CG) that is located right off I-24. Check in was quick and easy. We were then escorted to one of their“long” pull through sites with FHUs, site 27. What we first noticed was the large cement patio with table, chairs, bench, stand up barbecue, and fire pit. The utilities are located smartly in the middle of the pad to include an extra sewer connection near the pad’s front. Water pressure was okay at around 45 psi. They have cable but we did not use it. Their Wifi was about average for a CG this size. We got 3 bars on Verizon and used our MiFi on this overnighter. Satellite could be iffy due to the amount of mature trees. We did see Starlink antennas at some of the sites. The sites are decently spaced and site 27 was the easiest pull through we’ve ever had as its angled straight in from the street, no turns or maneuvering to center the rig. They have glamping cabins, teepees, and a covered wagon with nice patio decor. There’s also a swimming pool, pickleball court, catch& release pond plus other amenities. There’s also laundry and propane. The staff was very nice and helpful. We were impressed with this CG with the only caveat that there’s quite a bit of highway noise from the interstate. However, the noise did not overweigh our satisfaction and we will definitely mark this CG for another overnighter or longer stay in the future.

Some really nice sites on lake and shaded. Inner sites are nice as well and have sewer. Good space between sites. 30 and 50 amp. The old section that was for yearly rental is gone. Big plus because these are nice sites as well. Restrooms and showers were clean but could’ve better. Great place for kayaking and swimming. Roads in park have couple of bad spots but they have been working on them. Need to enforce their dog lease rules. Again Tennessee should update this park. Get with it ! The potential is great.

My son Conner and I stayed at the Old Stone Fort Campground in Manchester, Tennessee on the night of Monday, July 8, 2019. We arrived at the park and were checked in at the museum entrance by the helpful and courteous staff. They really made us feel welcome. The campground setting is dense, lowland hardwood. The sites are very close together, so you will need to love your neighbor as yourself on holidays, or if you need solitude, you may need to go during the week or on non-holiday days. Each site had a water spigot, electrical hookups, an asphalt pad, a fire ring with grill, and a standalone grill. Some sites had a raised, gravel tent pad which would come in very handy on nights when rain’s in the forecast. The bathrooms were old, but they were clean, well stocked, and functioning. Recycling bins were also located near the well lit bathrooms. Trash was picked up in the morning from the campsite, and throughout the day and night rangers and park staff made their scheduled rounds for security. The campground is near the Old Stone Fort which is a stone wall constructed nearly 2,000 by the native people of the Tennessee Valley. Its sacredness is felt as you tour the many waterfalls that surround the campground and archaeological site. There are numerous swimming holes for kids and adults and a non-motorized boat launch near the campgrounds. There is a small museum on site and is free to the public. After the museum tour, you can walk the trails free of charge and see the ancient ruins. If you are going to the campground during the summer, you will need a good DEET based bug spray. For those traveling in RVs, you will need to call ahead and make sure your RV can make it across the one lane bridge that serves as the only entrance to the campground. In addition, it’s worth noting that the campground is near the small town of Manchester. You will hear an occasional siren, but other than that you will feel like you are a thousand miles away from town. I’d suggest driving through the campground and selecting a couple of possible campsites before registering. The three loops are well used, but we enjoyed staying on the main drive. Overall, this is a wonderful campground near a very fascinating archaeological site. The trails and waterfalls make this a great place to visit if only for a day.

Campground Review

Camping

Davy Crockett State Park is a Tennessee State Park. This is our go to park when we just need to get out in the woods for a few days. There are two separate campgrounds in the park, campground 1 and campground 2. All of the sites have water and electricity but no sewer. Campground 1 is next to the creek and many of the sites back up to the creek. Most of the sites next to the water are not very deep which means you are squeezed in between the road and the creek. They do seem to be plenty wide enough that you don’t feel you are on top of anyone. There also isn’t very much shade next to the water. The sites in campground 1 that are not next to the water are a little better. Deeper with more shade and privacy.  For various reasons, we always choose campground 2. The sites here are deeper and very shaded and private. We prefer site 71, 72 or 73. This trip we were at 74 and our friends were at 73. If you are camping with friends and have kids you can get sites 102 and 104 which are in the center of the campground loop and next to the playground and pavilion. Some of the sites here are elevated a bit and the fire ring and picnic table are down a small hill. We liked that because it keeps the campfire smoke out of the tent or camper. Another reason we choose campground 2 is the bath houses. They have been recently renovated and are super clean. There are two in this small campground so they are never crowded. 

Park Amenities

There are several different hiking trails to choose from, one leads down to Crockett Falls, which is a great place to play in the water during summer months. For those with children, there are two HUGE playgrounds your kids will love. There are also tennis courts and basketball courts near one of the playgrounds. Fishing and boating are available on the lake. You can rent both boats and fishing poles at the pier shop. There is a small museum that highlights details of Davy Crockett’s life. Near the museum are several rescued animals that the park rangers care for that you can see up close. On our visit there were hawks and owls. There is an Olympic sized swimming pool that is open Memorial Day to Labor Day. We didn’t try it our but it looked very nice. We did try the restaurant and it was great. They offer an all you can eat buffet with country style food but we ordered off the menu. Salads, sandwiches and chicken and fish plates are available. 

Product Review

As a Dyrt Ranger occasionally I am given products to try and review. This camping trip we are trying out a product from www.leatherman.com . The product is the Leatherman Signal. This is Leatherman’s gift to campers, hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. It has 19 different tools on it. My husband has been carrying this multi-tool for about 2 weeks prior to this camping trip so he could get a feel for its everyday usefulness. We also used it quite a bit on this trip while setting up camp and getting our fire going. There is a lot of usefulness in this tool but the ones that we found most handy were as follows:

·         hammer – we used it to secure the stakes for our camper awning

·         saw – we cut medium to small sized branches for fire wood

·        awl – a grommet on the canvas of our pop up broke and we punched a new hole

·        fire starter – we only did this because it was cool and it worked with my dryer lint starters

·        can opener – worked great

·        screw driver - has phillips and flat head

·        

My husband is a machinist so he knows quality metal products. He thinks this is a tool with longevity. It has a plethora of uses and can be used at work or at play. It comes with a belt pouch, but he liked the clip that allows it to clip on your pocket for ease of access. The different tools are well made and sturdy. They will stand up to heavy use and are a great option to replace numerous, more bulky tools in your pack or tool box.   Here is a link to his video review.

You can camp by the water at Tim’s Ford Lake. Some sites have full hook up’s up to 50 amp. Sewer hook up is not available at the water sites. We enjoy this campground. Great for kayaking and fishing. Family friendly.
35’ Fifth Wheel was a breeze at most sites, a couple sites may be tight.

We are in a 35’ 5th Wheel. Most sites easy access, some sites maybe tight for bigger Rigs.
Some sites have Full Hook-up, 50 amp. (Sewer not available on water sites.). This campground is family friendly. Great for kayaking, fishing, swimming, and family gathering.

Had a great time 3 nights, camp sites great. Fishing was great, very helpful staff. Definitely will be coming back.

When I arrived I couldn’t believe the view! Not all sites have “water access” but there are several spots you can jump in. The water was nice to cool off in and pretty clean.

The showers and restrooms were clean and well kept. I saw the staff continuously driving around checking trash cans. Monty was very helpful with canoe rental and anything we needed from the shop.

I will definitely be back!

Beautiful, clean, well-maintained campground along Tims Ford Lake. Most campsites are on the water with incredible views. The campsites are shady and nicely spaced. Boating, fishing and kayaking (kayak rental in the office) are among the many outdoor activities found at this State Park. Ease of access to the Stare Park including wide roads within the park. Highly recommend

A real nice park. Sparse on shade and level sites. Free wifi at sites, but spotty at times. Gravel drives & pads with water & electric at sites. Our site #28 had an exceptional view out the kitchen window & from the pinic table of the lake. Newer shower house centrally located. Fairview/Devils Step is the newer campground & so designed for larger rigs.

We visit here at least once a month. Perfect little getaway. Always clean and friendly.

After many recommendations, we were finally able to book a site at the Fairview (Devil’s Step) Campground at Tim’s Ford State Park. Although half of the campground was literally under water after some heavy rain, we were able to tread some 3ft deep waters to reach our site. Initially, we were frustrated because we were not informed of the conditions before arriving. We also tried to contact the park ranger, and we had no luck. Thankfully, some fellow campers helped us through the waters and we made it safely to our site.

Despite all the trouble, we will definitely be back. The location is incredible. We stayed at site 29, and we had plenty of room for our 28ft trailer. The lake views are beautiful. There was a bass fishing tournament this weekend, and the noise of the boats didn’t even bother us. We enjoyed seeing all the excitement!

Give this place a try! Site 41 has the most incredible views but is already booked until next spring. Please leave 29 open for us and our bullies!

We stayed at site 40 with great view of lake. Site was very narrow (even for our pop up) but private as door side of camper opened to wooded area directly on lake. If neighboring campers backed in (vs pulling straight to camp with family on other side) they would have been kinda close. The site’s fire ring/grill and picnic table were down a bit from camper (not right outside door) but still on lake with beautiful view. Small Cell/WiFi tower was right next to site so got great reception (a must have since working remote). Bathhouse was very clean and being a shower snob, I was able to shower comfortably and didn’t get grossed out. We are planning to stay here again.

We stayed in lot 59 which while not lakefront, it’s situated in a triangular spot right at the entrance with plenty of space for full setup. Picnic table and campfire grill also on site. Bathhouse was clean and the dogs had plenty of shoreline to run on. Would return!

Camp hosts were awesome! Golf, Biking, Hiking, Tim's Ford has at all. Enjoyed our stay immensely. Main campground is primarily for smaller rigs. Lynchburg, TN is also a must see while staying at Tim's Ford SP.

Great location. Sites are not set up for large campers

Because it is the best of the 2 Tim's Ford choices. It is 8 miles from the state park but it is right on the lake and the other one is not. There is a boat launch right next to the campground too.

This campground has mostly shady sites. You can view the individual sites when booking online to see if it is shaded or not. We were in 41 and it was fantastic. Beautiful view of the lake and we could fish from the bank. Most of the sites are on water but some are on little inlets which make it easy to pull your boat right up to your site. Sites 45-49 and 25-28 are good for boaters.

The bath houses have been redone and are clean but a little sterile looking. Think prison toilets. The shower rooms (4 of them) were nice and there was plenty of hot water. The lights in the shower rooms are motion sensing which was a little weird.

This is a great family campground. No alcohol is allowed and pets are welcome. Children were riding bikes and scooters and swimming in the lake.

The staff was awesome. They came by and treated us, offered to help us get backed in. Brought firewood and just came by to say hi. The grounds were clean as well as the bath houses. We’ve stayed here 10 different times.

Tim’s Ford ‘ Fairview’ is very beautiful. Very nice and peaceful. Very nice bathhouses and a friendly staff. It’s not a huge campground so you may want to reserve early.

Great campground on the water and spacious sites. Water access at your campsite to swim or kayak. Nice bathhouse, clean facilities. Will definitely be back!

We come back here every time we’re in TN for work to get away on the weekend and enjoy nature. Lots of spots on the water, you can bring your boat and have a great time fishing, swimming and hanging out.

We had the best time! Loved being right on the lake