The best DISPERSED camping near
Jellico , TENNESSEE

We stayed for a few days and as a backpacker, the local hikes are some of the best I have ever seen! I would say most of the hikes are moderate, although some say easy. Grandma couldn’t leisurely walk, or scale some of the trails, so you have been warned. But for able bodied persons, the hikes are all doable. There are quite the variety of hike lengths to choose from, from short and squatty, to full day hikes. I’ll submit some of my favorite shots below. For RVs - I was towing a 21 ft trailer and my site at the bottom of the hill, which was away from other campers, but the grade was ridiculous! I had 6” of block height to level side to side! I heard other complaints from other longer tongue pullers as well, regarding the difficulty getting into their sites. Most of the sites are small, too close to other campers, or too close to the smell of the privies. But if you are hiking the area, I think the stay could be worth some of the hassle. There is a pull through dump station on the loop. There is electric and water. Tent campers - probably have plenty of room to spread out, some with power hookups and the convenience of showers at a central bathhouse. Daytime picnics - a beautifully large area to choose from and see. Lots of selections, all of them very well social distanced, family friendly and shaded with trees. Soooo much to see.

Super nice employees. Campsites very close together.  We had to move from the first because on either side there was no room for our slide outs.  We were very close to I 40 and the road noise was extremely loud…all day and all night.  I probably wouldn't stay again only because of the road noise.

We picked this stop because it was a halfway point from our trip in Georgia to home in Ohio and it was easy off and on 75. It’s a small campground with only 37 rv sites, a primitive camping section and several small cabins. They offer a pool, dog park, laundry and game room.

It’s very clean and the staff was nice. We got here after hours and they had everything we needed at the check in with our names, site number and directions to our site. They also offer WiFi and cable tv.

There is not much to do in the park itself but it’s quite and close to town.

We stayed in East campground mid week only 5 sites taken so nice and quiet. Rangers very nice. Bathhouse clean. Beautiful night sky views. Be sure to watch the YouTube video of the building of the dam in the 30's makes you appreciate everything even more. Narrow road to campground.

 North Cumberland/Royal Blue is located a few miles off I-75, and is a good spot for outdoor recreation. This place is a bid draw for ATV’s, and from what I understand they ride up there year round. The area is a WMA, so it’s a good spot for hunting, just make sure to check local regulations, I know they have elk in this area, and quota hunts and such. You can find some great camping spots here, outside of hunting season anyway. The area is large, so you can definitely find a great spot to camp. We chose a spot that someone had used previously and made a fire pit. We were on top of a ridge, and had good cell reception. It was quiet and peaceful. I did take note of several other really good spots too. If you want to escape civilization and enjoy camping for free, this is a good spot.

I love this campground! The sites are spaced out, large and completely shaded. There are several bathhouses and some include large sinks to wash supplies. There is a boat ramp and parking space for trailers. We will definitely be back here!

Awesome campsite. Large, private and very wooded lots. We got a double lot. G4 are the photos here. Electric and water on site. Clean bathrooms with showers in walking distance. Helpful staff. Stunning views. Great hiking paths. Bring you boats, bikes, kayaks, fishing poles and bathing suits. The water is fantastic! Not a lot around close by to do if your are a tourist. If your here just for the site its Perfect… waterfalls and other tourist sites are 40mins to 2hours away. Also, we did not have one issues with any kind of annoying wildlife. No begging raccoons or skunks (our last site) lol. We'll Be Back!

We stayed just one night while driving our new camper home. It was a beautiful park and our site (27 in the west campground) was in a great spot. Keep in mind, a trailer much longer that 16' will have trouble getting in.

We were right next to a trailhead and that gave us a lot of extra room

Big Ridge State Park has some great features, like Norris Lake, which is arguably the best lake around this area. Fishing, boating, biking, campground, nature trails, etc. and then there’s the backcountry. If you choose to stay at one of the backcountry sites, heed the warnings, the hike will be tough, and if you take Sharps Station Site, May God have mercy on your soul! Not only is it steep both ways(don’t even know how that’s possible), the trail is overgrown and rough. The campsite is heavily wooded, and perfect for hammocks. The site leads you to believe the site is on the lake, that is false, so if you plan to get water from the lake, be prepared to hike an additional 2.5 miles to get it and back up to the site. The park has some interesting history, and that’s really cool. There’s three backcountry sites that you can reserve, I would try one of the other two, and avoid sharps station.

Hard to get teens to camp with no WiFi, but Pickett had so much to do that we didn’t get done. They cannot wait to go back 😊