6 campgrounds with availability next weekend
Tent campsites in the Greeneville, Tennessee region range from established sites to dispersed camping areas in Cherokee National Forest. Paint Creek Corridor offers primitive tent camping opportunities with limited facilities, while Bald Mountains provides more remote backcountry camping experiences. The Round Knob Campground serves as a basic tent site located near the Appalachian Trail, providing simple amenities for overnight hikers.
Most primitive tent campgrounds near Greeneville require campers to be self-sufficient. Paint Creek Corridor features dispersed camping with limited designated sites and has "no camping" signs in some areas that were previously open. Sites are typically situated on natural, ungraded surfaces requiring careful tent placement. Vault toilets exist at some locations but are sparse throughout the area. Fire restrictions vary seasonally, with some areas prohibiting fires entirely. One visitor noted, "There are dispersed camping sites throughout the corridor; however, I was only able to locate one and luckily it was vacant."
The tent camping experience around Greeneville offers natural settings with varying levels of seclusion. The Appalachian Trail passes through the region, providing backpackers with multiple access points to backcountry tent sites. Rocky Fork State Park provides primitive walk-in tent sites accessible via trails of various difficulty levels. Campers seeking more isolation should arrive on weekdays, as weekend traffic increases substantially at most sites. A camper reported finding "a lot of trash in the area" at Paint Creek, indicating that practicing Leave No Trace principles is especially important. Sites along waterways like Paint Creek offer the soothing sounds of running water but may attract more visitors during peak seasons.
"Situated along the beautiful French Broad River."
"Beautiful campground with great campstore right at the entrance that sells everything. Large campsites with great privacy foliage, picnic tables, & fire rings."
"Cosby is a small town about a 45 minute easy drive from Gatlinburg. Heavily wooded, lends itself nicely to hammock camping."
"Most of the sites are better suited to tent campers, though a few of them are designated RV sites offering a back-in parking pad."
from $50 / night
"This campsite is in the mountains so be prepared for amazing views and a steep drive up to the office to check in. We stayed in the Pavilion and loved it!"
"Lovely spot near the hot springs but it's for sale now"
from $15 - $40 / night
"There is a paid campground in the area which is $10 and offers vault toilets and nice sites. If you drive past that there are parking and picnic areas along the road that have “no camping” signs."
"Panther Creek SP Panther Creek State Park was an unexpected find outside of Knoxville, TN , in Morristown. I’ve driven by the sign but no need to camp so close to home."
"The park is quiet and well patrolled by rangers and sheriff, so very safe. Store closest to campground is open 2-7:30 PM. Visitor Center at the entrance opens at 7 AM."
Available next weekend
"I love that we camped in the mountains by the river, and were only about a ten minute drive to the city. Our site was right on the river. Beautiful stars."
from $10 - $20 / night
GuideDrove 5 hrs from our last campground to here for event Campground was very well maintained and liked the site. Wasn’t overly crazy about the event not a lot of vendors mainly jeeps went to a few local shops in town had a great lunch at the cookie dough monster.
ScoutLet me first start by saying that this campground is absolutely beautiful. I have lived in this area my entire life and the Doe is one of my favorites. I am a avid camper and have camped all over this area. I decided to give this place a try, I own a small pop-up camper and knew it was going to get cold 10/20/2026-10/22/2026, so me and my sister rented the RV at Doe River. #1 check in is not until 3pm, I always order a load of wood from a local guy who delivers to camp sites, I do all my cooking in a Dutch oven over the fire or burgers and dogs in the fire, what is a camping trip without a nice warm fire. The owner came over to my campsite and asked if I had ordered this wood and I replied yes, she then asked what I was going to do with it all, I replied I am going to burn it. So, I told Carl (the wood guy) where to stack it, the owner then said that I need to leave it in my truck bc if I didn't use it all I would have to put it back on my truck and take it home with me, I said really? It's just a unspoken rule that if you don't use all your wood that you pay it forward and leave it for the next camper?? She said absolutely not, So we moved the wood from his truck and into mine. She then asked again why I needed so much wood and that most ppl just buy small bundles from her. And just like that I understood! Carl the wood man and his wife also made a comment about how rude she was about the wood. It does not end there, Not only does she have camaras on some of the out blds which I get, but I don't get why they are pointing directly at camp sites, We felt like we were in a fish bowl the entire time. Every single time we went to the bathroom she showed up abt 5 mins later, There is a camara right above the bathroom door, One on the pavilion, and one on each side of the bathhouse, at the entrances and who know where else. So much for privacy in the great outdoors. I didn't even feel comfortable hiking, we felt like we were being watched constantly. She was constantly there, walking her dog which was not friendly and so big she could hardly control him on the leash which was really scary, she also was driving through several times throughout the day. Then came the kicker, about 1 o'clock in the morning we were freezing, I had turned the heat on in the camper before going to bed and heard it come on, Well the propane ran out between 11pm and 1am, I called her at least 10 times we had every blanket and was still freezing, We decided we would go to the bath house bc it had a mini split hanging on the wall, Out of luck there, it was set on air conditioning with no way to change it, so we found a blow dryer trying to get warm, still the entire time trying to call the owners, We finally ended up in our car until the husband arrived. He acted so annoyed at us and said all u have to do is fip the switch on the propane tanks outside! We had never stayed in a travel trailer before and according to them all we had to do was show up and start glamping!! So, I was supposed to know to go outside at 1 am and switch over propane tanks?? No, It should have been FULL when I got there!!! With attitude he said,"Its Basic Camping" No sir it's not, what I do is basic camping, I was told on the phone that I was glamping, She, the owner also said we should have called 911 when we could not get hold of them so that Carter County police officers could come and wake them up!!! Not sure if that is putting our tax dollars to good use?? Like I said it is truly a beautiful place and has great potential, we left that second night at 11pm because again the heat was not working, we have not asked for any refund we just took the loss. it would be to much of a hassle. We just know better next time. With owners like that they can keep it. Windy Wells/Debra Price
TravelerThis place is a nice campground, quiet and the guests (during our stay) respect others by keeping the noise down. The spaces are set up to maximize privacy between sites. There is no cell phone service (to do this report we are in a picnic area by a small lake and I can get cell as well as internet on my travelfi device) sos is the only access. I normally listen to audio books but not while here. On my computer I could see three others with low signals; they might have had a better device/provider. The spots tend to the small back in typically found in campsites built before RVs got really big, type. There is another camping area I haven’t been to yet and I did see a large over lander (looks indestructible and tall/long) towable head that way and the campground attendant didn’t predict any problems so perhaps there are larger spots elsewhere. This place has single person shower rooms and nice flush toilets. The whole place is set in woodland so it isn’t like a commercial RV place that was more concerned with volume over aesthetics. This is a lovely spot with ample amenities (my space had no hookups) for our type of camping (toilets, trash, quiet neighbors, semi private spaces) just zero phone or internet.
TravelerThis campground has a great location in maggie valley, close to Waynesville with plenty to do in close proximity. While it is a traditional campground, they have very competitive rates for weekly and monthly stays. For us its the perfect getaway destination for the summers and fall. The staff is super welcomming and friendly. You find a cute creek on the backside of of the campground with trout as some fisherman told me. The staff takes pride in all the flowers, landscaping and seasonal decorations. Also nice to know is you are not being looked down to with an older camper. As long as your rig is decent and functional you are admitted.
ScoutLovely spot on the river. Freeway was loud but not too bad.
ScoutMy husband and I arrived at Doe River Landing for 3 nights and enjoyed everything the resort offered. While there we read the 2 reviews posted by Kylie T, and by Andrew W, who gave the resort a 1 star rating. Not knowing the facts that caused the rating by them, and occurred prior to us, we approach the owner and asked.
The owner showed us videos from their security cameras. These adults has stated in Kylie T review and confirm by Andrew W review that they were a group of 20 adults and "every single one of us is over 21 and family". So why are these adults playing "hide and seek" under the pavilion as they stated? Andrew W stated, "It was not blocked off", yet they had to crawl on the ground and around bushes to get under the pavilion. When the owner yelled at them approximately 10 adults that were under the pavilion crawled out which was captured on the security cameras. Andrew W stated in his review the owner called them hooligans, which is rowdy, destructive persons and from the security cameras, that description is correct. There was no mention of damages in their reviews such as the Adirondack chair they broke or possible damage to the water pipes and electric wires under the pavilion, which the owner was currently checking.
Once we read these two reviews by Kylie T and Andrew W and saw the owners security videos, we felt future customers deserved to know another opinion based on our findings.
These entitled adults justified their review of a 1 star by stating they paid money to use the campground.
I would ask these adults "why do you think it is OK to treat someone else's property in this destructive way?"
ScoutWe brought our whole family out and rented almost every cabin on the property, plus the event center, for the weekend— we gave this place a lot of business. And honestly, the stay itself was great— nice place, no complaints about the cabins. The owner is the problem. He came flying in in his blue F-150 doing 20–30 mph where the posted speed limit is 5, and started screaming at us over something that could've been handled with a simple conversation. His exact words:"Where are your parents? This is a family establishment. I will not have hooligans running around here." Every single one of us is over 21 and family. All we were doing was playing hide and seek— which isn't against any of the property's rules— and there were no other guests to disturb, since we had the entire area rented. He still threatened to call the police, even though it wasn't even quiet hours. Before anyone could get a word in, he peeled out so fast the gravel sprayed up at us and our cars. Then on his way out he drove the wrong way down the property's one-way road, so apparently the rules only apply to guests. It's sad, because the property itself is great, and we were never anything but nice to the owners the whole weekend. To be treated in such an unprofessional manner— screamed at, threatened, and never given so much as an apology afterward— put a real dent in the weekend. We won't be back
ScoutOur group of about 20 rented nearly every cabin at Doe River Landing for my friend's wedding weekend, with the reception held on site. The cabins were nice and well-equipped, and the only other guests were in a cabin half a mile away through the woods. Unfortunately, the hosts ruined the stay. One night, some of us were playing hide and seek in an area that wasn't blocked off or against any rule. The host's husband came speeding in at roughly 30 mph(the posted limit is 5), jumped out of his truck screaming that he"will not have child hooligans running around the campground," told us to"go back to the motel we crawled out of," and demanded to see our parents— despite all of us being adults in our twenties. He then peeled out so aggressively he sprayed gravel at us and our cars. It wasn't even quiet hours, and we weren't disturbing anyone. Afterward, the host called us again, passive-aggressive, and questioned our ages— even though you have to be 21 just to rent a cabin there. The property is lovely, but the hosts' behavior put a real damper on what should have been a joyful wedding celebration. It's a shame they treat people paying good money this way. We won't be back.
TravelerThis worked well for us while we were visiting Dollywood in our trailer, but we wouldn't stay here if we had been in a different type of site. Cons: Unless you have a site up against the river or on patriot park, you are packed in VERY TIGHT with other people, sometimes with your sliders only a foot or two away from your neighbor's sliders. We were in a site that was "on patriot park", but the few first sites of that type are really just behind the trolley parking lot and pick up with a path behind you (including ours). People are on the other side of the fence walking about two feet behind you all day and pretty late in to the night. Pros: There are lot of trees and campground is very pretty. Super close to Dollywood and other Pigeon Forge points of interest.
Tent camping options near Greeneville, Tennessee concentrate in the Cherokee National Forest at elevations between 1,500-4,000 feet. The region experiences distinct seasons with warm, humid summers reaching 80-85°F and winter temperatures often dropping below freezing. Most dispersed camping areas require self-contained waste management as facilities are limited to vault toilets at designated areas.
Hike the Appalachian Trail sections: The AT passes directly through Hot Springs Campground, allowing easy day access to this iconic trail. "A bucket list trip to step foot on the APP and spend time wandering Hot Springs NC," notes camper Kate M.
Soak in mineral springs: After hiking or camping, rejuvenate at nearby hot springs. "Can play on the French broad river and then take a soak in the hot mineral tubs," shares Grant D. about the natural springs located just across from camping areas.
Explore local waterways: The French Broad River offers opportunities for paddling and fishing. At Creek Ridge Camping, "We had a bit of a climb down the mountain on a well kept path to the river. There was a nice shelter to put our tent and a fire pit on a small front. The river was calm and swimmable," reports Jennifer Z.
Secluded forest settings: For the best tent camping near Greeneville, Tennessee, many campers prefer Cosby Campground for its privacy. "Very large campsites, great privacy, beautiful area, well cared for, lots of dishwashing stations. Local friends say that this campground is never full," according to Lynn G.
Access to small mountain towns: The proximity to walkable towns appeals to many visitors. "Walk into town for restaurants and brews! Walk to spa for soak in hot tub!!" mentions Roxanne R. about Hot Springs Campground.
Riverside camping spots: Prime locations along waterways rank highly among campers. "Stayed 20 feet from the water on a holiday weekend! Staff was great!" reports Mickey L. about Creek Ridge Camping. These riverside sites provide natural white noise and cooling during summer months.
Limited facilities at dispersed sites: Paint Creek Corridor offers primitive camping, but facilities are minimal. "There is a paid campground in the area which is $10 and offers vault toilets and nice sites. If you drive past that there are parking and picnic areas along the road that have 'no camping' signs," explains Rachel D.
Site availability concerns: Some areas have fewer sites than indicated online. One camper noted about Paint Creek: "The national forest service website says there are dispersed camping sites throughout the corridor; however, I was only able to locate one and luckily it was vacant."
Seasonal considerations: Most forest service campgrounds close during winter months. Cosby Campground operates from "mid April - mid October," while some private campgrounds like Creek Ridge Camping run from "April 1st - November 1st."
Choose established campgrounds: For tent camping near Greeneville with children, established sites offer more amenities. "There is ample parking nearby and trailheads. I was there when it was a little cooler and there was hardly anyone there, which was nice!" shares Jessica L. about Cosby Campground.
Look for ranger programs: Educational opportunities enhance family trips. "On Fridays they have special Ranger programs. We were lucky enough to learn about moon-shining from guys on the moonshiner TV show," reports Janine B.
Consider noise factors: Train tracks run near some campgrounds. "Literally the only downfall for me was the train that goes by across the river in the middle of the night and lays in the horn," warns Olivia R. about camping along the French Broad River Area.
Limited hookup availability: Few tent campgrounds near Greeneville offer full RV amenities. "Only 3 fifty amp full hook up sites. Lots of 30 amp and tent camping. Right on the river," notes Sonya A. about Hot Springs Campground.
Site selection concerns: Many RV spots are not level or require preparation. "Dirt site by the River all hook ups. They also have small cabins and tent sites," reports Karen P. about the variable terrain at Hot Springs.
Arrival timing matters: Weekday arrivals provide better site selection. "Most sites are walk up, so you don't need a reservation, and there are probably 100+ sites, so even during the busiest of times you can find a good site," explains Lori H.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Greeneville, TN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Greeneville, TN is Hot Springs Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 29 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Greeneville, TN?
TheDyrt.com has all 74 tent camping locations near Greeneville, TN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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