Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Kingston, TN has a lot to offer. Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are Kingston campgrounds just for you. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Kingston and user-submitted reviews.
$15 / night
"The campsites have a fire ring, picnic bench, and lantern pole. Each campsite has their little parking space except site 9, 10, and 11."
"It's a primitive campground with 11 sites for tents only. RVs are not allowed. There is a restroom for campers with pit style toilets."
$20 - $49 / night
"Site 26 is good for rooftop tent camping. Shade in afternoon and plenty of room for additional vehicles. Fire ring has a movable grate that is good to cook on."
"I’m in a truck camper with a rooftop tent."
$30 / night
"We were limited on site selection with our rooftop tent, and I saw a couple teardrop campers, but you can’t take anything larger."
"Big bundles of good firewood. Wifi only at the brewery area which is perfectly fine for my camping style. They even had a band Friday night. I’ll definitely be back."
"This spot is kid and tent friendly with a boat ramp and beautiful small lake with lots of fishing opportunities."
"This is a medium size campground which offers both RV and tent camping. There is a recreational facility which can be used for day use as well. Overall everything is grassy green and beautiful."
"I went backpacking with a friend and our dogs. We decided to camp out at Burnt Mill Loop. The trail goes mostly along the water. You will see stunning Rock formations and some smaller waterfalls."
"But there’s several campsites around the area, and you can choose one that’s easier to access if you’d like. We went down near the river, and camped and did some fishing."
$85 - $95 / night
"I recently learned that TVA land is free to camp on, so I sought out some close to me and found Fork Bend. If you want to get away from people, this place is for you."
"(Disclaimer: I pack heat whenever I am alone.)
The site was pretty much shaded by the forest canopy throughout the day, with full sun toward the edge of the water."
$40 - $49 / night
"Camp Birdsong is here to provide an excellent spot to setup your tent, with a platform for a level setup, and a mini kitchen so that you can prepare some great meals while listening to the morning birds"
"Luv the fact it tells you about the camping space"
"I just did an overnighter here but it was quiet, good space between spots,access to bathhouse and good fire rings. Nothing bad to say about it."
TravelerWe reserved our site online, this can be done a month in advance. We were impressed with the paved parking space, picnic table, fire pit and level tent pad. It looks like these are very new. Proximity to cades cove loop was great. The souvineer shop has great gifts and a good selection of snacks and some supplies. Prices are reasonable, better than we expected. Bathroom was not the best, not very clean. The dish washing sink behind the bathroom was handy. No showers, but this is true for any camp sites in the park. Ranger station nearby is helpful to get advice and current weather reports (no phone reception in the park). Bike rentals available near the gift/snack shop too, to bike the loop. Lots of trees on our site that we used to setup a tarp to stay dry.
LegendWe camped here for one night on a Saturday.
The campsites have a fire ring, picnic bench, and lantern pole. Each campsite has their little parking space except site 9, 10, and 11. It is one parking spot for 3 cars and you have to walk about 100 feet. The campsites are very close together. We were very lucky with campsite 11 bc nobody around us showed up. Probably due to the bad weather the first day. The campsite was very spacious and was right on the creek.
There is no electricity or water at the campground. The vault toilet had no flushing water but was clean and didn't have a smell. The Obed area is very inviting for fishing, hiking, and rock climbing. There are trails that start right from the campground. If you need an escape from the daily grind, that's your place.
GuideRock Creek Campground is the only campground for the Obed Wild and Scenic River National Park. It's a primitive campground with 11 sites for tents only. RVs are not allowed. There is a restroom for campers with pit style toilets. No potable water available, but there is plenty that you can treat.
Each site has a picnic table, lantern hook, bearproof food locker, fire ring with grill, and a tent pad. Bearproof trashcans are located throughout the campground. A section of the Cumberland Trail begins at the campground. The Emory River runs right alongside the campground with easy access. There is no camp store, but the town of Wartburg is about a mile away if you need anything.
Pros: Good hiking trails and great fishing. Easy access to the river. Restrooms available.
Cons: The sites are very close together and it gets quite crowded during the summer months and on weekends. A public road runs right next to the campground so there is traffic at times when people are coming and going from work. No camp store or potable water available. Bathrooms are not kept stocked.
TravelerThis campground is great! It has clean bathrooms with showers, fire rings with grill grates, lots of hiking, hike to a beautiful waterfall, huge lake to swim or float on a raft, and the lightning bugs were breath taking!!
We stayed at site #39. Next to the trail that leads to the lake. Next to rest room, trash bin, and water spout. This specific site has the driveway and then stairs to the fire/table/tent pad. We set our large tent on the tent pad and a smaller tent on the driveway next to the stairs.
Pros: No reservation needed. Warmish showers. Hiking. Lake to swim in. Beautiful waterfall. Perfect to see millions of lightning bugs. Easy payment (put money in slip and put in bin, and yes they do check). Pets allowed.
Cons: we had the WORST neighbors I’ve ever experienced while camping! The staff warned them about quiet hours but never came back to in force it. Fire ring grill topper was broke off.
DON’T drive up the dirt path, we made that mistake. Take the regular rode. GPS sends you automatically to the dirt road.
Over all I’m defiantly going to camp there again. Well kept and overall has a lot to offer
GuideThis campground is located within the Cumberland Mountain State Park. The sites are set up for RVs and it is very popular.
Pros: There is no camp store, but there are vending machines available. There are restrooms available. Staff is in the office during business hours. There are 2 short hiking trails (less than 1 mile in length each). There are playgrounds, a lake for fishing, and a golf course. Each site has parking for 1 vehicle, a large gravel pad, water and electric hookup, picnic table, and lantern hook.
Cons: site are very close together. Tents and RVs do not have separate loops. No camp store. No showers.
Overall, this campground is set up to cater more toward those with RVs than people camping in tents.
ScoutI stayed at this campground for one night this past spring during April. My friends and I went rock climbing at the Obed and originally we were going to stay at the usual climbers campground spot. After checking it out and realizing we were unprepared to set up a tent in a gravel mud puddle we checked out frozen head's campground and it was so nice. The place we set up our tent was relatively dry for the cold, wet weather (about as good as it gets). The fire rings and picnic tables were great and so were the hiking trails. The best part was how big, nice, and clean the bathrooms were. The bathrooms were kept extremely warm for the weather.
TLDR (Too Long Don't Read)
GuideThis is the campground that has been forgotten by the National Park service. There is a narrow and washed out road to get back to the campground. There is a run down abandoned ranger station at the front of the campground that is not staffed. You would think that for how remote this campground is it would be tranquil and relaxing but that is not the case. The campsites are very close to each other and with the lack of Ranger presence or a campground host and no cell phone reception this camp ground was very loud and overcrowded even after quiet hours. We had people pull up to site 15 (just a few feet away from our tent) at midnight and took over an hour to set up camp with blazing lights and were loud. Being in the most black bear populated national park you would think each site would have a bear box but they don’t. Also the community dish washing sink was always full spiders and was not functional. The bathrooms were just one toilet and one sink with no paper towels or soap. The bathrooms and the wash sink area are in need of a major remodel. Side not e for people that use solar panels this entire campground is shaded 90% of the day which makes it cooler but it also makes it where your battery bank will not charge while you are here. This was the worst national park campground we have ever been too.
TravelerWe camped two nights last week in Loop A, the tent only, nonelectric section. Being mid-week, there were not many people, meaning it was also nice and quiet. The sites are roomy, with a large tent pad, fire ring, picnic table, lantern hook, and a food storage locker. Yes, this is bear country, but we didn't see any during our visit. The bath houses are as nice as you're likely to find in a national park, with flush toilets, hot showers, and an outside sink for dish washing, etc. There is also a large, wheelchair accessible bathroom with roll-in shower. A water hydrant is available to fill jugs and tanks.
We drove through the other loops to see what they look like, because Loop A isn't open in winter. Should we decide to camp here in winter, Loop B is the only section open. But, that will let us use an electric heater.
Be aware that some things are not open in 2020 due to Covid-19. The park visitors centers are still closed, the swimming pool wasn't open mid-week, and the check-in building was unstaffed when we arrived. There was a sign at the check-in point telling us to reserve and pay for our site using Recreation.gov. We had cell service there, so no problem. It you don't have service, drive across the road to the Camp Store (which is not always open) to use WiFi there. There is a note on the front door with the password.
There are so many things to do in Big South Fork and surrounding areas that you really need to just visit the park website and make a list of things to do. Some are easy and roadside, others not so much. For example, to hike the Twin Arches Loop Trail, you'll drive several miles of dirt roads to reach the trailhead and end up hiking about 6 - 6.5 miles. The description says the loop is 4.6 miles, which is true, but you have to add another 1.4 miles for the out-and-back from the parking lot to the start of the loop. The loop trail isn't bad, but the access trail has steep stairs. Anyway, find something you like and enjoy the Cumberland Plateau.
GuideAll sites here are on the river. Plenty of room for a small rv or tent, level gravel sites with fire ring and lantern pole. These sites, well all of the campgrounds on the river are cheap (10 bucks a night), well maintained with no frills. No water or power with vaulted toilets. Not much in the way of hiking, but a good place to relax, Fisk and kayak. Zero cell service and narrow paved road going in are the only downside.
Tent camping near Kingston, Tennessee offers a variety of scenic locations perfect for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Kingston, TN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Kingston, TN is Rock Creek Campground — Obed Wild and Scenic River with a 4-star rating from 12 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Kingston, TN?
TheDyrt.com has all 49 tent camping locations near Kingston, TN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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