Best Cabin Camping near Lancing, TN

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.

The campground part of Cumberland Mountain State Park has several sections, but most of them seem more conducive to RVs than tents.  Although there were a few of us tent campers there, the pads to put the tents were hard gravel.  There are fire pits, lantern poles, grills, and picnic tables—all the necessities for ideal camping.  However, there is not a whole lot of privacy, although my neighbor was very nice.  It’s easy to get lost in this campground with all of the one way roads and different sections.  You almost need a compass or GPS to get around.  The bath house I used seemed in need of attention.  The stalls were rusted and the outside of the bath house didn’t look much better.  It was, however, clean with hot water.  Close to the office there is an aviary, and once you cross the bridge, there is a restaurant and several other amenities.  What was once a building for changing and bathrooms is now a small CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) museum, which tells the history of the area.  There is also an outdoor screen for movies at night, tennis courts, basketball, and playgrounds.  When walking along the shoreline behind the restaurant, you will want to watch out for goose droppings.  For those who like water sports, there is also a canoe and kayak launch area.  The equestrian camping area is separate from the other camping areas, so odor is not a problem.  If you don’t have an RV or a tent, you can also stay in one of the park’s cabins.

This is a very lively, well traveled RV Park and Campground. Sweetwater is a Holiday KOA meaning it’s has more amenities than their Journey parks (meant for traveling through).

The park has quite a few large sites for big rigs that are about 80-100ft long. The maximum rig size is 60ft. Some sites are paved, most are gravel. There are two sites that are very long with amazing decks.

The park offers full hook up RV Sites, Cabins, Tent sites. For amenities there is a bouncy blob (dry), small pond with fountain and memorial bench, large playground for the kids, volleyball, basketball, I’m not sure what the game is next to the blob. They have two dog parks, one for tiny pups and one for larger pups. There is a nice pavillion near the pond with a large fire pit. They have trash bins distributed throughout the park making trash disposal convenient.

This park goes all out for the holidays. We are a month out from Halloween and they have done a spectacular job with decorating. They have lots of kids events. On Saturday there is a train that takes kids and adults on a ride around the park.

Everyone who works here has been super friendly and helpful. They really seem to go above and beyond making sure everyone has a great stay.

Cellular signals for AT&T and TMobile we’re both pretty good. We were able to stream and work. There were a couple of brief moments that getting signal was a challenge, but overall it was easy to work.

Pickett State Park is a great spot to camp if you like peace and quiet, but don’t want to have to backpack in to a spot. Despite the small campground, it was pretty much empty on the first weekend in August when we stayed. It is near the Big South Fork, and Scott State Forest, so there’s lots of great hiking, horseback riding, river recreation, etc. nearby. From other reviews on The Dyrt, I learned the park is excellent for stargazing, and it is true, you will have amazing views at night, we slept in a tent without a rain fly, just so we could see the stars!

The campground has several sites with electric and some without. We stayed in B1, which did not have electric. All the sites have picnic tables and fire rings, and the ones on the outside of the loops back up to the woods and trails. All the sites are spacious.

The restrooms were clean, but they must be pretty old. There were some areas in need of tile repair, but it was just a cosmetic issue, so it didn’t bother me. The showers were nice, and everything was clean.

The campground also has cabins, and those seemed to have more guests than the campground. They have a set of cabins that were connected, like apartments, and they have some larger, freestanding cabins too. They had a group site as well, but I did not go to it.

The park has a lake with swimming area, and canoe/kayak/paddle board rentals, a swinging bridge, playground, tennis courts, a gigantic picnic area, and several great trails.

This was a very pleasant find, and we will definitely return!

Approximately 4 miles off of exit 144, from I~75. Easy to locate, and a well maintained RV campground! Website has all the info on the different types of sites, cabins and ATV’s. Resources for permits, pricing, and other requirements are also listed. The trails are accessible from the CG. FHUs on Back in and Pull-throughs,bathhouses, on site fishing pond, playground, and Ohhh yes….the ATV wash station! General store is on the right from the entrance, which is awesome! They sell firewood and ice, as well as extreme OHV sporting equipment/gear, snacks, souvenirs….to list a few. Rental cabins are available nearby, for larger families or groups. I believe they thought of almost everything! I would love to come camp here in the fall, as I can imagine that the views are spectacular! They provide WiFi, but my T-Mobile reception was good, at 3 bars.

Loyston Point is a really nice campground right on Norri Lake. There is not a bad site in the whole campground. Most sites have a lake view and the ones that don't are heavily wooded and spacious. I stayed here in November, and the water was low, but it was still a spectacular sunrise. The area is very popular for mountain biking, no matter when you visit, the trailhead lot will likely be full. The lake is probably the cleanest and nicest around, so if you visit in warmer months you will be glad to have access to it. There is a camp store, and I saw at least two bathhouses. The one that was near our site was clean and heated. The sites are all extremely spacious, and many have good trees for hammocks. The sites have shared water hookups, so if you are in an RV, you should be sure to have an extra-long water hose. There are some small cabins for rent here too. I highly recommend this place for lake camping.