Best Glamping near Lawrenceburg, TN

Most campgrounds in Tennessee are buried in the woods, but not this yurt campsite at Ray of Hope.  The yurt sets on the side of a beautiful Tennessee Hill offering almost a complete view of the nighttime sky.  We watched the moon rise over a hill directly in front of the campsite, and we even saw a brilliant shooting star blaze across the sky for what seems like an eternity.  The Ray of Hope campground is a private campground that went above and beyond our expectations.  The yurt was clean, included battery powered lights and a LED lantern, and a full sized bed that made the night pass with ease.  The campsite also offers free firewood and a large fire ring.  There are two deck chairs at the campsite which are perfect for stargazing.  The entrance of the yurt faces sunrise and the farm animals serenade you in the morning when the mist begins to burn off the valley.  There is a well stocked outside shower surrounded by sweet smelling herbs.  Water and a toilet are near the shower stall.   The campsite is near the small town of Petersburg, TN where you can find two gas stations and a Dollar Store.  If it's hot outside, you might want to bring a battery operated fan.  This place is a perfect glamping experience for an extended date or weekend in beautiful Tennessee.

David Crockett State Park is located near Lawrenceburg, Tn off I64 or I43 depending on your direction of travel.

We visited in March for the Vintage Camper weekend and had an excellent time. The campground is sort of a double loop design , down hill, so makes for a good walk. Full hook up, cement pad, level sites and everyone would have shade if the leaves had come in, though that early in the season it wasn’t really needed. The sites are adequate but not overly roomy. You can fit yourself in, and an extra car. A small tent or hammock would fit too. The showerhouse was newer and well maintained, as well as the campground. The host was very helpful and knowledgeable.

The trail we took was a little rough , definitely technical but plenty of cool things to keep my granddaughter interested in the next turn. The lake will accommodate water sports of all sorts, we did not stop by though because the granddaughter would have ended up in the water ;)

David Crockett State Park is near Lawrenceburg, Tn. Not huge but very outdoor enthusiast friendly.

2 campgrounds to choose from, #1 is the older if the two and has several sites that sit next to the water. Unfortunately these sites have limited camping area. It really depends on what you like within easy access. The other sites in #1 are a little larger. #2 sites have more room and shade and a newer showerhouse. When we visited there were only a few other campers and it was very peaceful and relaxing. Full hookup but no sewer on sites. The temperature at night has started dropping to cool enough and no bugs but not teeth chattering cold. My favorite type of camping weather. The fire is an enjoyable location after dark with a lite blanket in your lap and warm beverage nearby.

There are many sites to see but nothing spectacular. I say this because it means the tourists are not tramping through the area with trash and noise in their wake. To me this park had a more , I guess, homey atmosphere, if that makes sense. The staff had decorated the area in pumpkins and spider webs and the fall colors had just started changing the forest greens into a blanket of warm colors. There is a museum with water wheel on its side that has injured and recooperating wildlife housed next to it. There are trails to explore, fishing and other water sports. You could easily spend a week here just meandering through outdoor activities and sitting in a hammock chilling.

This campground is located in our hometown of Florence AL and is a Gem of a City Campground.  It is a staple as far as local campers are concerned because of its serene setting while at the same time being so coinvent to so many wonderful attractions. Only a mile or two from some wonderful local restaurants and retail as well as being convenient to the Cities of Sheffield, Tuscumbia and Muscle Shoals, all of which are 5 miles or less.  Its a beautiful setting along the Tennessee River (Pickwick Lake).  Boat launches, picnic pavilions, frisbee golf, fishing pier and a beach in the same park.  Wonderful place to watch sunsets and Sun Rises on the River

I have camped here twice so far and it is a nice, basic campground. We tent camped but there were a couple of RV's there, so I know there are places for them. It is on a nice stretch of the Tennessee River, and you can swim, fish, and boat there. Plenty of camp sites and very spacious. Popular with the locals and fairly secluded. Pretty woodland all around. There is a bathhouse with toilets, sinks, and cold showers. The bathhouse is pretty centrally located and there are electric lights around it. Usually not crowded. Plenty of dead wood to collect for firewood. There is a covered area with picnic tables near the bathhouse. Also a few picnic tables around the grounds. There are also plenty of trash cans and fire pits. You can park right next to your site. Very good for family camping. Within a few miles there are a couple of gas stations/convenience stores. Some cell service works out there, some not so much.

What a hidden treasure! We had so much fun! It really is in the woods, complete with songbirds to wake you up and crickets to sing you to sleep. The creek makes a relaxing backdrop to your campfire time at night. The creek is deep enough to sit in, but not swim. It’s very reasonably priced, pretty, and SO worth the drive!

The campground owners are friendly and take great care of the place and campers, but they don’t hang around all the time. They obviously love their place because it was tidy and neat.

The “outhouse” is a four stall building - very clean and private. The owners make sure to think of everything you would need (and a few little extras) We took showers with our solar bags in a outdoor little stall built on a hill. It was so cool to shower “outside”! There is plenty of firewood around the campground, and each site has a fire ring, and a picnic table. There are plenty of trash cans throughout.

Heartstone is a primitive campground, with no hook-ups or electricity. They only allow dry camping for trailer campers. I’m pretty sure the limit for a Camper is 25’. Cell phone signals are spotty depending on your carrier, but they have a land line for emergencies. Welcome to off grid camping!

Although it feels like you’re in the middle of nowhere there are actually stores and restaurants about 15 minutes away in the towns of Hohenwald, or Linden, or Waynesboro. The Buffalo River is only about 5 minutes away where you can go canoeing or floating, and the Tennessee River is about 30 minutes drive. It’s also near Amish communities where you can buy locally made and grown items. Nashville and Huntsville are both about an hour and a half away, depending which way on Hwy 65 you go.

We really loved it there, and will definitely make it a regular stop this year. Hope this helped!

Campground Review

Camping

Davy Crockett State Park is a Tennessee State Park. This is our go to park when we just need to get out in the woods for a few days. There are two separate campgrounds in the park, campground 1 and campground 2. All of the sites have water and electricity but no sewer. Campground 1 is next to the creek and many of the sites back up to the creek. Most of the sites next to the water are not very deep which means you are squeezed in between the road and the creek. They do seem to be plenty wide enough that you don’t feel you are on top of anyone. There also isn’t very much shade next to the water. The sites in campground 1 that are not next to the water are a little better. Deeper with more shade and privacy.  For various reasons, we always choose campground 2. The sites here are deeper and very shaded and private. We prefer site 71, 72 or 73. This trip we were at 74 and our friends were at 73. If you are camping with friends and have kids you can get sites 102 and 104 which are in the center of the campground loop and next to the playground and pavilion. Some of the sites here are elevated a bit and the fire ring and picnic table are down a small hill. We liked that because it keeps the campfire smoke out of the tent or camper. Another reason we choose campground 2 is the bath houses. They have been recently renovated and are super clean. There are two in this small campground so they are never crowded. 

Park Amenities

There are several different hiking trails to choose from, one leads down to Crockett Falls, which is a great place to play in the water during summer months. For those with children, there are two HUGE playgrounds your kids will love. There are also tennis courts and basketball courts near one of the playgrounds. Fishing and boating are available on the lake. You can rent both boats and fishing poles at the pier shop. There is a small museum that highlights details of Davy Crockett’s life. Near the museum are several rescued animals that the park rangers care for that you can see up close. On our visit there were hawks and owls. There is an Olympic sized swimming pool that is open Memorial Day to Labor Day. We didn’t try it our but it looked very nice. We did try the restaurant and it was great. They offer an all you can eat buffet with country style food but we ordered off the menu. Salads, sandwiches and chicken and fish plates are available. 

Product Review

As a Dyrt Ranger occasionally I am given products to try and review. This camping trip we are trying out a product from www.leatherman.com . The product is the Leatherman Signal. This is Leatherman’s gift to campers, hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. It has 19 different tools on it. My husband has been carrying this multi-tool for about 2 weeks prior to this camping trip so he could get a feel for its everyday usefulness. We also used it quite a bit on this trip while setting up camp and getting our fire going. There is a lot of usefulness in this tool but the ones that we found most handy were as follows:

·         hammer – we used it to secure the stakes for our camper awning

·         saw – we cut medium to small sized branches for fire wood

·        awl – a grommet on the canvas of our pop up broke and we punched a new hole

·        fire starter – we only did this because it was cool and it worked with my dryer lint starters

·        can opener – worked great

·        screw driver - has phillips and flat head

·        

My husband is a machinist so he knows quality metal products. He thinks this is a tool with longevity. It has a plethora of uses and can be used at work or at play. It comes with a belt pouch, but he liked the clip that allows it to clip on your pocket for ease of access. The different tools are well made and sturdy. They will stand up to heavy use and are a great option to replace numerous, more bulky tools in your pack or tool box.   Here is a link to his video review.

We stayed in campground 1, we were booked at site 9 but couldn’t get level with our 5er. the sites 5- 12 are not good for larger rigs, (28+) but moved to site 20 which was great, the creek runs long side the sites, great for playing in the water. campground 2 just opened larger pads very nice, we like Campground 1 for the creek.

This is one of our go to campgrounds when we want a long weekend. This park has so much to offer. Hiking, fishing, boating, bike riding & swimming. There is not a morning that I don’t wake up to deer or turkey on the border of our campsite. A very family friendly atmosphere & always clean. When our kids were younger it was their favorite place bc there was not shortage of kids they could connect with. There are 2 campgrounds to choose from. The lower campground is on the creek while the upper campground sits in the woods. Both are great & have recently been upgraded so the sites are level. Sorry I don’t have pics but I’ll be sure to take plenty the next time we go.

Spent 3 nights here in December, 9-12th. Only half the camp sights were open, loop 1 was closed, but that's normal for the season. There's plenty to do here, trails to hike, sights to see. Good restaurant, an old mill, waterfalls, and playgrounds for the kids. Has 50, 30, and 20 amp electric hookups and water at all sights, plus fire ring and table. Dump station in loop 2. Clean restrooms and showers are available. Sites are all paved and level, decent separation. Nice rolling hills all around, and lots of wildlife.

Beautiful campsite surround trees. Very quiet and secluded. There is water and electric hookups at each site and a dump station on the grounds as you leave. This was a very clean and safe campground. I loved being away from everything and in nature. Lots of trails to explore.

Stayed in November. Was very quiet and clean. Paved RV sites that are flat with water and electrical. Very scenic well taken care of bath houses. Easy to get in and out of. Very nice park.

We stayed at campground 1. The sites are tiny and a bit unkept and offer little to no shade. The bath house was clean and updated. The nature reserve had some really cool birds and the waterfall area was pretty to see. While I’m glad we visited this park, we probably will not return. Just so many other prettier options in the area.

Awesome spacious lots with lots of outdoor activities.

Such a lovely place. You can rent canoes to fish or just spend the day on the water.

Stayed in primitive area and a couple sites are close to water but not a good walk way down to water.

We camped in campground #2 in lot 85, my sister camped in 84 right beside us and my parents rented a cabin. It was super nice, campsites were very nice, bathrooms and showers were clean, the cabin was very nice and enough room for 8 people. The camp host was very nice and helpful, the waterfalls were gorgeous! They recently opened Crockett Tubing we had so much fun the whole family got to go! We will definitely continue this 4th of July family tradition!!!!

We visited this park in late June. The campground and park was immaculate! Sites were level and easy to back in. Bathrooms and showers were wonderful.  The staff was super friendly, and the area was wonderful! Make sure to go visit the Amish. We had a great outdoor class to learn about snakes, hiked the trails, and enjoyed the falls. We look forward to going back to this gem again!

Stayed at campground 1 site 20 and was very pleased! Very clean and well maintained! We tent camped and I like the concrete pad because didn’t have to worry about things getting wet from the ground. Has a 20 and 30 amp electric hook up and water beside. Nice fire pit and table also! Site 20 is located right beside shoal creek and with in walking distance to the restrooms and bathhouse!

Nice campsites with a creek and a small waterfall nearby

Campground is very clean and showers are great. Paved pads, two separate campgrounds, one upper and one lower. Restaurant at the campground. Also located very close to restaurants in town. They do lock the campground up at 9:00 pm and it takes a your campground code. I would definitely recommend this campground.

We love camping at Crockett Park!! The campsites have recently been renovated and they are nice!! New Bathrooms too!! Hiking trails are great! All kinds of wildlife to keep an eye out for, especially the deer.

Our first time RVing and this is where we stayed!! We really liked that the pads were concrete and level....took a lot of pressure off of the leveling process campground is clean and very quiet at night. Loved the trail system as well!!

Have full service sites that are all pull through. Most lots have at least partial shade.

Only detriment is the full service sites are close together therefore they do not offer fire rings at each site.