Best Glamping near Gainesboro, TN

I think it was the best weekend my husband and I had in a long time. It was only him and I on the property. (Except the owners, and they kept to themselves but to check In every now and then at the pool to make sure we were enjoying our stay! The pool and the views, I could stay here all day and just float. It's so peaceful. They have nice new outdoor furniture for sunbathing and even tables and even enough umbrellas to keep my husband shaded. The Canvas yurt glamping tents, the beds were so comfy. The had welcome waters, and a few snacks for our arrival. The best was sitting in the hot tub at night looking up at the sky filled with stars. We brought wine- they even had wine glasses, an opener and mini frig and a cooler for our use. After being in the tub we rinsed off in the shower house. Amazing hot water and pressure. The bathroom was very clean and it even had ac/heat unit in each bathroom. My husband and I will definitely definitely will return. If your looking for an escape into nature but still want great comforts and only have to pack and overnight bag, this will definitely check that box.

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.

A beautiful and unique campground built I. The side of a rolling hill. All of the sites are cantilevered platforms on the hill. The platforms are heavily engineered so no worries about collapse! The platforms make for very level camping and amazing views. You feel like you are in a tree house. The park is a gorgeous property with a lake and hiking trails. There are ADA sights. The hills are steep and some of the sights have angle ramps. Each one is well detailed on the reservation sight so make sure you read the site info. There is a bathhouse, laundry, camp store and Park office. This is the only campground in the US like this and it is all nestled in the Tennessee hills.

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 .

When I happened upon this campground I was pleasantly welcomed by a visitor center and hiking from the moment I entered the park.  But no matter how nice this area was I wasn’t able to even expect what was to come with the camping facility which by far was a surprise to say the least.   

I had seen great reviews for this place, like many in Tennessee, but the amenities never seemed to stop when I actually arrived.  From an Olympic sized swimming pool, horse stables, a historic chapel, butterfly garden, playgrounds, picnic areas, hiking trails, nature center and even outdoor recreation fields.  It seemed never ending! There was even a cave, that with special permit you can crawl into and explore!

The spaces were closer together than I might have have normally liked, but everyone was so friendly it didn’t seem to matter.  When I was there, there was an event going on that coming weekend so it was a bit more full than typical week day would have been.   

Still despite all the people, it wasn’t loud.  People did not blast music, talk loudly after hours or have generators humming throughout the night.  Instead it was like being in this nice isolated area just with a bunch of neighbors also enjoying the isolation.

I took full advantage of all the outdoor spaces, the only one I didn’t get a chance to enjoy was the pool which was at a point during the season where it was only open on weekends.   

I would stay at this site again if passing through.  Reservations are not required but could be helpful on busy weekends like the one I stayed just before.  I do suggest checking into the office also to get a Passport for the State of Tennessee (a small book you can stamp with each stop you make at a state facility).

TIPS:

• Bring your sense of adventure!  Lots of things to do from birdwatching to hiking and everything in between.
• Sit in the butterfly garden.  The area is so peaceful and beautiful because of the unique selection of plants selected to draw in the butterflies.  It is a perfect place to spend some time in quiet reflection.

We camped here for 2 full weeks.  The campground at Cedars of Lebanon State Park deserves 5 stars for their proximity to Nashville, the large paved pads for campers, the peaceful woods, and their overall cleanliness.

However, we were here when there was construction going on.  It was LOUD from 8am to 4, 5, and even 6pm somedays with working trucks and digging up the Tennessee Rock.  

The weekends were peaceful without the construction, and the trails are all easy and flat.  The showers worked well and were the typical campground showers.  

The wifi that is listed on the website is basically nonexistent, so don't count on that for anything important.  But Verizon had good service, while AT&T was fair.  

Only Campground 3 was open during our stay and you can see the work they are doing here is going to make a huge difference to be big rig friendly.  Enjoy!

I'm from New England and relocated to Tennessee in 2016. The first time I went camping at Edgar Evans, I had no idea what was going on! All I saw was platforms, and what I considered 'normal' camping sites were labeled 'primitive' sites. I was in total awe. I didn't know how it was going to work with a tent, but my boyfriend showed me that all you need to do is bring nails to hammer down and secure your tent to the wooden platform. Where as I was at first turned off by the platform, there are a few pluses:

-It rains A LOT in Tennessee. When I used to camp up north, we got flooded out during heavy rains, as we were camping directly on the ground. The platform keeps you elevated, so digging a trench around your tent is a non-issue.

-If you get a waterfront site (HIGHLY recommended), the views are gorgeous. I'd say go for the sites in the lower 40s - they're super close to a bathhouse and a few paths that will bring you down to the edge of some gorgeous cliffs, giving you the best view in the site. If you go in the other direction, you'll be looking at a community of house boats, which kinda blew my mind, as clusters of houseboats aren't really a thing up north, either.

-You can comfortably fit two tents on a platform; three is pushing it, but we've seen people pack around four in (which I don't think you're actually supposed to do).

-Something else I've noticed in TN - virtually all camping takes place at State Parks, and Edgar Evans is one of the few that actually offers wooden platforms and primitive sites. Most of them offer concrete platforms for RVs and smaller trailers, making it difficult to camp with a tent.

The sites in the lower 40s also offer more level ground for the fire pits. Some sites have a really steep drop off, which make it difficult to place chairs and sit and relax without being a little wobbly.

There's also a pretty big trail system to explore, and it seems like you might need to set aside an entire day to do the loop in its entirety - we're still planning on doing that! I find that I get more immersed in relaxation mode when I'm there instead of active hiking mode - taking a chair down to the cliffs and sitting by the water with a book makes for some beautiful downtime!

All of this being said, this is our favorite spot! We've come here at least twice, if not three times a year since I've moved down here. The staff is friendly and helpful, the campers are friendly, and there's usually lots of adorable dogs around to pet lol! Definitely love this place!

 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.

Ww made a reservation for April 19th and 20th but we had an emergency and had to cancel on April 16th and the lady said it was ok we couldn't make it but she said we couldn't get a refund but could come another time so we called yesterday to schedule the weekend of memorial day but they said we don't have a credit and we're just out of the money they just made it like it's OK I guess then once it got past the time we was supposed to come the lied

Near a fish hatchery so you should be able to catch rainbow trout, four of us fished for an hour and a half and never got a nibble. Some sites are shaded but others are completely sun. Very nice camp hosts.

Quite. Clean. Nice water view from our site and a short walk to shower facility. Location of campground: a car ride away from activities. Not a bicycle friendly area.(hills and roadways).

We stayed here in November 2017; we camped in the primitive camping section which has a parking area up top and you hike with your equipment down some stairs into a wooded area with about 7 primitive campsites. We could see and hear the lake from our campsite and though there were a few other folks camping too, it was pretty quiet and very relaxing. We packed up during the day to explore other nearby parks like fall creek falls and Cummins falls but came back at night to camp. Our stuff was safe and there was plenty of room for 2 tents on the camping pad. The site we stayed at was sloped a bit so we ended up sleeping in our hammocks, but that was lovely too. Bathhouse was only a short hike away and there were strategically placed water pumps where we could get water near our campsite. Overall a great experience and cheap too.

We loved this primitive tent camping spot. All sites were nestled in the woods along the edge of the lake. Each site had a fire ring & tent landing. It was near parking, but all gear had to be carried into the woods. These were not pull in campsites. Shower house was a decent walk. Maybe at 1/4 mile? Water spigots were dotted throughout the woods, but not at every site.