Best Tent Camping near Milan, 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.

We camp here a lot and have tried several spots in the South campground.  The ones near the lake have views but don't have water access.  There is also a pavilion near the lake.  

Sites 22, 24, 25, 70 backup to the forest and have lots of room to set up tents, however they are the first to flood and stay wet longer.  

The map is pretty good about and shows pictures of the sites.  At the time of this review the bathrooms between sites 64 & 66 were closed.  The bathrooms and showers near site 23 are bigger and more accessible.  The bathrooms and showers near site 4 do have a ramp but it is uneven, the space inside is much smaller and would be difficult to navigate with a wheelchair.

Site 43 has trees on both sides of the pad and, based on comments from another camper, can be difficult to back in a larger camper.

Sites in the mid and upper 40's are also good for tent camping.  The cypress trees in the area send roots up and the ground can be lumpy because of them.  The campground has lots of gopher holes all over.  The mosquitoes are bad and you should take some strong bug spray. 

The campgrounds does have drainage issues when it rains and if your forecast predicts rain, you might want to put your tent up on the pad.

They opened a small gift shop this year.  The sell worms, and they now rent canoes and kayaks.  There is a boat launch near the entrance, but you can't launch anything too wide.

This campground is due for a makeover and I heard that it is in the works.  

If you love bird watching or photography this place is a dream; osprey, eagles, herons, egrets, and so many others are everywhere.  Pelican's stop here on their migration and I recommend the pontoon tour in October during the festival if you want to see them on the water.

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.

Campground is well layed out with everything well marked. The campsites all have Blacktop drives With concrete pads for picnic tables. Picnic tables are fastened down so you cannot move them. Water and electric are near each site as well as a standard fire ring. There are 2 shower houses on each end of the campground and then there are also several bathrooms on each opposing corner so they're close to all camp sites. Beware the lake has a lot of snakes, so if you are in a lake front campsite you are more likely to see snakes. And the sights along the leg from 23 24 25 up to 68 and on down to the seventies on the map looks like it's lake front but it's actually backed with wooded overgrowth.

We arrived late at this campsite and left early, so I didn't get a chance to see much of the state park (although the hiking trails looked good), but the campsite itself and amenities were great. We were going to camp at site 9, but ended up camped at Site 14, which was on a loop trail, so a little farther from the toilets/ shower block but with more privacy. The campsite had a picnic table and fire ring, and a paved spot to park the car on.

There are also cabins available to rent in one section of the campground, but we chose to just put up our tent. Everything was clean, lots of spots and a mix of RVs and cars- it's definitely a good campground if you are exploring around the area or need a good place to camp while traveling somewhere else.

Note: Site 9 is close to the toilet block and the light was shining into the site late, so we switched to site 14. Site 14 is slightly sloped, so be aware if you are putting up a tent there.