Best Tent Camping near Jackson, TN

Was excited as we drove into camp. It looked beautiful. Our site has a beautiful view of the lake. Tent pad was mostly level. They say gravel- it was really rocky. Fire ring, standing grill and table were at the site. Ours was nicely shaded. Water spigot not to far away. Tent area restroom was clean. No showers. Walked across the bridge to go to the swimming area. Trash EVERYWHERE. that only got worse as we got to the beach area. The majority of the people we saw there were... the kind of people you’re not surprised to see dropping their trash instead of walking 3 feet to put it in the trash can. I saw several people hawk and spit on the ground. One last view her nose in the ground in plain sight. Gross enough before COVID-19. The water was BROWN. very dirty. My daughter came out brown. Her suit was brown. The restrooms at the beach were FILTHY and full of trash. There is one cold water outdoor shower. Very disappointed in this park.

**Campground Review: **

On Friday, August 23, 2019 my son Charlie and I camped at Chickasaw State Park to celebrate his ninth birthday. We couldn’t have found a better park than this one. It reminds me of the classic summer camps I saw on television as a kid: beautiful lake, horses, stables, paddle boats and canoes, and even a well maintained swimming hole. They even have three birds of prey on display for visitors to enjoy. From our arrival to the moment we left, the rangers and staff made us feel welcomed and safe. Ranger Brittany helped me find the perfect site and even checked in later to make sure that we were completely satisfied with the spot. Who wouldn’t be? The campsite was located right on Lake Placid in the middle of almost 15,000 acres of state forest. Each campsite in the tent campground had a new picnic table, a fire ring, access to potable water, and a grill. Our campsite, number 109, was located right next to a large handicapped parking spot that is big enough for a very large handicapped van. The parking spot was constructed on level ground with concrete. Campsite 109 was far away from the bathroom, but the trail to it was beautiful and made even the most hasty trip pleasant walking. Campsite 109 also had easy access to the pier which spans the width of the lake. My son and I enjoyed walking out into the middle of the lake and seeing the expanse of the Milky Way(what a treat!). There’s great firewood for sale at the stables for$6.00 a box. This is the best campfire wood I’ve ever purchased. It burned slow and steady leaving us enough to pass on to one of our neighbors the next morning. I would suggest spending at least two nights here. We only spent one, and my son and I didn’t want to leave. There’s so much we didn’t get to see and do at this park. This place is a real gem. I’ll guarantee that you will feel like you’re back at summer camp. By the way, don’t forget to bring a good lantern or flashlight with you: you will need it since many of the trails to the bathroom and out to the pier are very dark at night. This just helps you to see the stars better.

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**Product Review: **

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I have the opportunity to test some of the latest and coolest camping products on the market. On my camping trip to Chickasaw, my son and I tried out the Grub Stick Deluxe Kit. What a fun way to cook over a campfire! In my kit I received two telescopic poles which have well made attachments such as the Grub Cage, Grub Fork, Burg Cage, and Grub Tube that attach to the end of the telescopic poles. 

We used the Burg Cage for supper and it made awesome burgers. They had that perfect campfire flavor. My son enjoyed getting to cook his own food rather than waiting for dad to cook it on the grill. The handles are very comfortable to hold, and they were just the right size for my son’s smaller hands. The whole time he was using it, I kept hearing wows. It’s great when a company makes a camping product that engages children in cooking. The Grub Stick does just that. 

The kit also came with special grips like the finger grabber and the hot pad to help open and close the cages and other attachments. You can really tell that the makers of the Grub Stick thought of everything when they were designing this. 

One of the things that was really fun was the Grub Cage. It left me wondering,“where have you been all my life?” Instead of building the S’more AFTER roasting the marshmallow on a stick, you build it in the cage and toast the whole thing. I think this is the way the S’more was always meant to be. Everything, including the graham crackers, oozes with sugary, toasty goodness. 

For breakfast, we used the Grub Tube and wrapped it with bacon and croissant rolls. It was as good as it sounds. As I was cooking, I kept thinking of other things that could be cooked over the fire using this kit. I’m excited to have it in my cooking kit now, and I see us using this quite often especially on those winter camping trips when we want to stay close to the fire. 

Overall, this is a great product for engaging kids in camping. The Grub Stick will allow my kids to come up with their own recipes, put them together on their own, and then try them out on the fire. They love being a part of the cooking part of camping, and the Grub Stick is the perfect tool for this. 

I did have an issue with one of the telescopic handles. After cooking three burgers, one of the telescopic handles broke. I contacted customer service, and they went above my expectations to not only replace it but to help me understand their product even more. Most people expect things to be returned with“no questions asked,” but this isn’t how Grub Stick operates. They asked for pictures and a description of the failure so they can make sure their product gets better and better. I wouldn’t hesitate at all to order more from this company. It’s great when people not only believe in their product but also stand by it and are always looking for ways to improve it. They sent a replacement immediately, and I can’t wait to get this back out in the field.

Parker’s Crossroads is located very conveniently off of I-40 and the park is gorgeous! They have some long term campers, storage, and an RV Repair Center on site. The shop inside has more parts then we have ever seen at an RV Park. While here we needed a switch for a water heater, they had it!

The campground had some narrow roads and some less than level sites but they were all doable. They have a nice pool area, spaces for dogs to be walked (on leash), pet waste disposal, cabins, and full hook ups.

The park was very quiet and clean, well kept. They have large mature trees, and great landscaping.

The cellular service for TMobile and AT&T we’re both decent and streaming video was possible each night.

20-30-50 amp service 

7 laser leveled sites with concrete pads all other sites or gravel with some wooden decks

Rigs up to 70 feet

Propane available on site, laundry room, swimming pool during season, there is a large grassy area for pets on leash Check in 1 PM with check out at noon. Daily, weekly, and extended stay rates. Reservation on line or call 731-249-9988 with daily rates at $45.56 Free cable and wireless wifi. Campground is secure and quiet. There is a large office with a "Guest Only" after this point. The pond is a "Catch and Release". Located between Memphis and Nashville and a short distance from I40 in the beautiful rolling hills of Tennessee.

LNT

Travel safe

We camped here for just 1 night on our way west. There are 2 campgrounds. We stayed at the primitive one which was separated from the main park. The sites are on the water but there was not really an access to it. The sites have a picnic table and a fire pit. There are plenty of porta-potties but no water spigots. The sites were close together. At the end of the campground is a little gazebo with a swinging bench to watch the Tennessee river. The hiking trails are nice and the dogs had the chance to swim. The main bathroom in the other campground was well maintained. Overall it was a basic campground that was good for 1 night, but the park was very beautiful.

After picking up a brochure in Memphis I made it a point to come to this campground because it looked so inviting with a quaint lake with swimming beach and tent sites nestled right into the woods along the waters.

I drove about an hour and a half to the site passing though a few small towns along the way, but nothing major in way of traffic. It was a pleasant drive with great views of the lands of Tennessee.

When I arrived at around 4:45 the office was already closed which made for a little confusion with getting my site. There was a sign posted about after hours arrivals and to report to the stables where there was a small store. I went there and no one was there either and it then had an additional sign to go to the swimming beach for the concessions area there. Again, no one was there! I found this a little unsettling that even when I was given a basic instruction there was no follow through on the part of the park staff to be in those areas, but I did chalk it up to it being a weekday and perhaps things were run a bit differently.

I followed signs to the tent camping area to see if there were sites available and indeed found there to be no one at the site so I had the entire side of camp to make my selection. The sites were two levels with the upper level being a pull out for your car and the lower being the area with a tent pad and picnic table.

I selected a water facing site without any additional amenities and began to settle in. The bathroom was just up the hill about 50 feet so I checked it out to get a feel of the amenities and was very pleased to find showers and flush toilets. Though I did think it to be a bit strange that despite being the only one at the camp on this side there were wet footprints and it was humid as though someone had just taken a shower.

I went on to set up my tent and after locking up my car took a brief walk across one of the two walking bridges which span the lake. I had taken my Midland radio I am testing on this trip with me and began to scan the channels as I walked because of some pretty crazy clouds that looked like they were coming in. Sure enough a siren blasted through and warned a tornado just south by a ways.

A little rattled I quickly returned to camp, only to find that the wet footprints which I had discovered had an owner who was more than a little sketchy. A car parked just beside the restroom with a man and a woman seemed to be facing my tent watching it. When I came closer to my car, the man exited and started speaking to me. Something didn’t seem right about this person and knowing that the storm was coming, I quickly started disassembling my camp while he continued speaking and began to ask very odd questions like “was I camping alone”.

I don’t know if this is exactly what people want to hear when they read a campground review, but this is the reality of what happens sometimes. I have never been so thankful for a storm because after hearing the man speak and talk about how he “checks up on campers” because he is a local and seeing him try to look into my car while speaking to me without seeming obvious I would have NEVER stayed at this campground. The storm just gave me a good excuse to leave quickly, and because of that I was thankful.

The campground itself was really nice and if I was with a party of people I would give it another shot, maybe even perhaps when it was a busy weekend with other people. But under no circumstances would I return here alone.

Overall: Small, shaded and quiet. Way off the beaten path near the Tennessee River. A drive to the nearby Lady’s Bluff Small Wild Area is worthwhile. 

Getting there: If you want to get away from the crowded I-40 Interstate and do not mind a 30 minute drive through the gently rolling hills and farmland of rural Tennessee this might be a good stop for you! Be sure to set your GPS before leaving I-40 because at least with ATT you will lose signal.  

Check in and staff: Online reservation was easy and the website has photos with a good listing by site of what is there, including whether or not there is a tent pad and the size of same. We needed to change sites at the last minute. The ranger was very kind and helpful. 

Amenities: power and water available at main campground but not all site:, spotty cell service with ATT. Does work on the hilltop of the main campground. Washer/dryer available in bath house. Camp store closed for remodeling and paving while we were there. 

Bathrooms: older but clean, well kept. Small, one shower. 

Site: partial shade, some reasonable separation between sites but some close together. Fellow campers were quiet and courteous. Picnic tables and fire pits clean and in good order.

Camp site (Teardrop camping)

We briefly stayed at this camp site overnight. There is an electric/water hook up on the site + picnic table and a fire ring.

We were there during the off season but there were still lots of people but it still was a pleasant stay. Tells that this CG is popular.
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Facilities/ Amenities

Bathroom / showers were clean and well maintained. Dumpster is a bit of a walk.
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Surrounding area

The CG is in the woods so you'd definitely feel connected to nature. Haven't explored the surrounding area enough to leave a review.
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