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Best Campgrounds in Tennessee

5,016 Reviews

Tennessee provides numerous campground options across its diverse landscapes, from the Great Smoky Mountains to state parks with lakefront sites. Fall Creek Falls State Park Campground offers a variety of accommodation types including tent camping, RV sites, cabins, and glamping options, with a solid 4.6/5 rating from visitors. Similarly, Elkmont Campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park supports multiple camping styles and operates seasonally from April through October. The state features a mix of federal, state, and private campgrounds with varying levels of amenities and accessibility.

Many Tennessee campgrounds operate year-round, though mountain locations like Great Smoky Mountains National Park campgrounds typically close during winter months. Most developed campgrounds require reservations, particularly during peak summer and fall foliage seasons. Access to campgrounds varies considerably, with some locations like Cades Cove and Cosby Campground offering drive-in, hike-in, and walk-in options. Permits are generally not required for established campgrounds, but reservations are recommended, especially for popular locations. Several campgrounds provide both primitive and modern amenities. As one camper noted, "This is the BEST state park in West TN. It's quiet, depending on your camping neighbors, and just sitting on the banks watching the boats go by is peaceful."

The Tennessee camping experience frequently centers around water features, with many top-rated sites located near lakes, rivers, and waterfalls. Campgrounds like Harrison Bay State Park and Rock Island State Park offer boat-in access alongside traditional camping options. According to reviews from The Dyrt, many Tennessee campgrounds maintain clean facilities and friendly staff. One visitor remarked, "The bathrooms are cleaned everyday on weekends and every other day during the week. Completely cleaned!" Mixed-use campgrounds accommodate diverse recreational interests, from fishing and boating to hiking and wildlife viewing. Visitors consistently praise Tennessee campgrounds for their natural beauty, with state parks particularly known for maintaining well-kept facilities while preserving natural surroundings. Family-friendly amenities such as playgrounds, swimming areas, and hiking trails complement the camping experience at many developed locations including Center Hill Lake campgrounds.

Best Camping Sites in Tennessee (999)

    1. Fall Creek Falls State Park Campground

    146 Reviews
    Spencer, TN
    Website
    +1 (888) 867-2757

    "Fall creek falls is one of the best recreational areas in Tennessee. The park is very large and has so much to do. The falls are amazing, and it’s a moderate hike down to the base."

    "Tons to do at one of Tennessee’s top state parks."

    2. Elkmont Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

    127 Reviews
    Gatlinburg, TN
    Website
    +1 (865) 430-5560

    $30 / night

    "I had the most fantastic campsite right next to the river in Elkmont."

    "We stayed 3 nights so we could hike the surrounding trails! Loved learning about the history of the area while checking out the old cabins."

    3. Cades Cove Campground

    100 Reviews
    Townsend, TN
    Website
    +1 (865) 448-4103

    $30 / night

    "You can easily bike through the loop, or drive. Nice spot to see wildlife as well. Cades Cove is well known for spotting bears, deer and turkey."

    "We camped in the middle of a hot sticky Tennessee summer and felt just fine in all of the shade."

    4. Greenbrier Campground

    72 Reviews
    Gatlinburg, TN
    Website

    $35 - $258 / night

    "Had a blast at The Greenbrier Campground in Gatlinburg Tennessee. We had a view of the river which was right next to.our campsite."

    "The campground is surrounded by a little river so many sites have river views. Most are relatively spacious. There are also a few spots on the road side of the island. The amenities were spotless."

    5. Cosby Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

    71 Reviews
    Cosby, TN
    Website
    +1 (423) 487-2683

    $50 / night

    "Drive in is a nice paved road, got our information on where our sites where from the Camp Host, Who was super informative."

    "Cosby is about half an hour outside of Gatlinburg and worth every minute. A16 was big and shady. There were a few steps down to it. Plenty of trees and distance to the nearest neighbors."

    6. Montgomery Bell State Park Campground

    64 Reviews
    Burns, TN
    Website
    +1 (888) 867-2757

    "Campground Review: Montgomery Bell State Park The Four Mile Campground is nestled in a hollow offering shade and creekage on one side plus several of the trailheads start nearby and you are close"

    "It is a beautiful state park known as the"Queen of Tennessee's State Parks". There are 4,000 acres with mountain biking, fishing, hiking, picnic areas, kayaking/canoeing, and a golf course."

    7. Edgar Evins State Park Campground

    60 Reviews
    Lancaster, TN
    Website
    +1 (888) 867-2757

    "I'm from New England and relocated to Tennessee in 2016. The first time I went camping at Edgar Evans, I had no idea what was going on!"

    "The park is a gorgeous property with a lake and hiking trails. There are ADA sights. The hills are steep and some of the sights have angle ramps."

    8. Harrison Bay State Park Campground

    60 Reviews
    Harrison, TN
    Website
    +1 (888) 867-2757

    "This is a great family campground and Tennessee State Park located on Chickamauga Lake of the Tennessee River. Good playground for the Grandkids and bicycle paths."

    "Harrison Bay is a huge park, with four camping loops (3 for RVs, 1 for tents), and a large marina, located on the Chickamauga Reservoir of the Tennessee River."

    9. Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg KOA Campground

    59 Reviews
    Pigeon Forge, TN
    Website
    +1 (865) 453-7903

    "Had we been in a site away from the river, we’d have been packed in like sardines."

    "Close to everything, right in the heart of pigeon forge. Best bath houses we’ve ever been too, all other reviews were spot on!"

    10. Anchor Down RV Resort

    49 Reviews
    Sevierville, TN
    Website
    +1 (877) 784-4446

    $49 - $139 / night

    "Anchors Down is just outside Severville Tennessee and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Located on Douglas Lake with the Smokie Mountains in the back ground."

    "This campground is one of the best you will find in Tennessee.  "

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Recent Reviews in Tennessee

5016 Reviews of 999 Tennessee Campgrounds

  • Bonnie H.
    Oct. 21, 2026

    Doe River Landing

    Kylie T & Andrew W. Review not accurate

    My husband and I arrived at Doe River Landing for 3 nights and enjoyed everything the resort offered. While there we read the 2 reviews posted by Kylie T, and by Andrew W, who gave the resort a 1 star rating. Not knowing the facts that caused the rating by them, and occurred prior to us, we approach the owner and asked.

    The owner showed us videos from their security cameras. These adults has stated in Kylie T review and confirm by Andrew W review that they were a group of 20 adults and "every single one of us is over 21 and family". So why are these adults playing "hide and seek" under the pavilion as they stated? Andrew W stated, "It was not blocked off", yet they had to crawl on the ground and around bushes to get under the pavilion. When the owner yelled at them approximately 10 adults that were under the pavilion crawled out which was captured on the security cameras. Andrew W stated in his review the owner called them hooligans, which is rowdy, destructive persons and from the security cameras, that description is correct. There was no mention of damages in their reviews such as the Adirondack chair they broke or possible damage to the water pipes and electric wires under the pavilion, which the owner was currently checking.

    Once we read these two reviews by Kylie T and Andrew W and saw the owners security videos, we felt future customers deserved to know another opinion based on our findings.

    These entitled adults justified their review of a 1 star by stating they paid money to use the campground.

    I would ask these adults "why do you think it is OK to treat someone else's property in this destructive way?"

  • Kyle T.
    Oct. 20, 2026

    Doe River Landing

    Unprofessional hosts that ruins a place with good potential

    We brought our whole family out and rented almost every cabin on the property, plus the event center, for the weekend— we gave this place a lot of business. And honestly, the stay itself was great— nice place, no complaints about the cabins. The owner is the problem. He came flying in in his blue F-150 doing 20–30 mph where the posted speed limit is 5, and started screaming at us over something that could've been handled with a simple conversation. His exact words:"Where are your parents? This is a family establishment. I will not have hooligans running around here." Every single one of us is over 21 and family. All we were doing was playing hide and seek— which isn't against any of the property's rules— and there were no other guests to disturb, since we had the entire area rented. He still threatened to call the police, even though it wasn't even quiet hours. Before anyone could get a word in, he peeled out so fast the gravel sprayed up at us and our cars. Then on his way out he drove the wrong way down the property's one-way road, so apparently the rules only apply to guests. It's sad, because the property itself is great, and we were never anything but nice to the owners the whole weekend. To be treated in such an unprofessional manner— screamed at, threatened, and never given so much as an apology afterward— put a real dent in the weekend. We won't be back

  • A
    Oct. 20, 2026

    Doe River Landing

    Beautiful place ruined by unprofessional ownership

    Our group of about 20 rented nearly every cabin at Doe River Landing for my friend's wedding weekend, with the reception held on site. The cabins were nice and well-equipped, and the only other guests were in a cabin half a mile away through the woods. Unfortunately, the hosts ruined the stay. One night, some of us were playing hide and seek in an area that wasn't blocked off or against any rule. The host's husband came speeding in at roughly 30 mph(the posted limit is 5), jumped out of his truck screaming that he"will not have child hooligans running around the campground," told us to"go back to the motel we crawled out of," and demanded to see our parents— despite all of us being adults in our twenties. He then peeled out so aggressively he sprayed gravel at us and our cars. It wasn't even quiet hours, and we weren't disturbing anyone. Afterward, the host called us again, passive-aggressive, and questioned our ages— even though you have to be 21 just to rent a cabin there. The property is lovely, but the hosts' behavior put a real damper on what should have been a joyful wedding celebration. It's a shame they treat people paying good money this way. We won't be back.

  • HThe Dyrt Pro User
    Oct. 20, 2026

    Meriwether Lewis Campground, Milepost 385.9 — Natchez Trace Parkway

    Nice!

    I liked this NPS free campground on the Natchez Trace.  It is convenient to the Nashville Area and accessible by other nice highways, not just the Trace.  The town of Hohenwald is just a couple of miles away. 

    There were many camping people on a Friday night in October from strictly tenters to fancy busses and everything in between (motorcycles, truck campers, suv campers, car campers etc).  Everyone was respectful of others and quiet at night. 

    The grounds have lots of mature trees and  the pads are in pretty good condition and fairly level.  There are pull-throughs and back-ins.  There is a central restroom, which I did not use.

  • don B.The Dyrt Pro User
    Oct. 19, 2026

    Wiseman Park

    Self serve campsite

    Sides are clean and well spaced. The review said before that it was $20 a night. It’s now $30 a night for 20 amp service and I believe 44 for 30 or 50 amp service.

  • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt Pro User
    Oct. 18, 2026

    Love's RV Hookup-Dyersburg TN 641

    Good Overnighter

    This review is from an overnight perspective versus destination campground. We pulled into Love’s and followed the signs directing us to four RV sites behind the front gas pumps near the dog park. There was plenty of room to maneuver our big rig for an easy back-in to site 4, which had water and electric(50/30/20 AMP). The hookups were located at the far back of the pad, but with no curb, we were able to back over the grass a little to get closer. With temperatures around 100 degrees, we were anxious to get our air conditioners running. We attempted to check in using our confirmation email, but the electric would not come on. We went inside and were told the electric should already be working. About 10 minutes later, two employees came out and explained that we had not checked in. After explaining that we had attempted to check in online, we returned inside, where an employee completed our check-in. One of the employees then came back out to make sure our electric was working. We were impressed with the service and follow-through. Water pressure was on the low side at 30 psi, but for an overnight stay, no big deal. The four sites were nicely spaced with yellow striping separating each site. We had 3 bars of 5G on T-Mobile and 4 bars of 5G on Verizon. The Love’s Stop RV Wi-Fi worked well for light internet use, while our T-Mobile Home Internet handled TV and other streaming needs. With no trees, satellite reception would not be a problem. Site 4 was closest to the dog park, and having some grass nearby was especially nice for getting our pup out during the hot afternoon when the concrete and asphalt were too hot for her paws. Unlike the larger Love’s RV Stops, this location did not have full hookups, a shower house, playground, or other RV amenities. However, a dump station was available at no additional charge. We’ve stayed at several Love’s travel stops, and this location was among the noisiest, with considerable truck traffic and highway noise throughout the night, possibly due to the limited truck stops along I-155. We’re generally not bothered by noise, but the constant activity did affect our sleep a little. Overall, a convenient overnight stop with easy site access and helpful employees, but light sleepers may want to consider the noise.

  • Jacob A.The Dyrt Pro User
    Oct. 17, 2026

    Tennessee Wall Camp

    Hard to find, really busy but most of them were hikers let left at nightfall.

  • N
    Oct. 17, 2026

    Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg KOA Campground

    Busy but Nice

    This worked well for us while we were visiting Dollywood in our trailer, but we wouldn't stay here if we had been in a different type of site. Cons: Unless you have a site up against the river or on patriot park, you are packed in VERY TIGHT with other people, sometimes with your sliders only a foot or two away from your neighbor's sliders. We were in a site that was "on patriot park", but the few first sites of that type are really just behind the trolley parking lot and pick up with a path behind you (including ours). People are on the other side of the fence walking about two feet behind you all day and pretty late in to the night. Pros: There are lot of trees and campground is very pretty. Super close to Dollywood and other Pigeon Forge points of interest.

Guide to Tennessee

Camping in Tennessee offers a mix of beautiful landscapes, fun activities, and a chance to connect with nature. Whether you're looking for a family-friendly spot or a peaceful getaway, Tennessee has something for everyone.

What to do

  • Hiking: Many campgrounds, like Fall Creek Falls State Park Campground, have well-maintained trails. One camper mentioned, “The hiking trails were well maintained but vary in difficulty.”
  • Fishing and Swimming: At Bledsoe Creek State Park Campground, you can enjoy fishing and swimming. A visitor shared, “The campground is quiet, clean, beautiful. So nice to be on the river.”
  • Exploring Waterfalls: Foster Falls Campground is known for its stunning waterfalls. One reviewer said, “The landscape is absolutely gorgeous and breathtaking.”

What campers like

  • Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate clean bathrooms and showers. A visitor at Edgar Evins State Park Campground noted, “Facilities were clean. Would recommend.”
  • Friendly Staff: Many campers mention the helpfulness of the staff. One camper at Rock Island State Park Campground said, “Staff was super friendly and helpful.”
  • Spacious Sites: Campers enjoy having enough space. A review from Baileys Point highlighted, “Great level gravel site. The sites are spaced just right.”

What you should know

  • Crowded During Peak Season: Some parks can get busy, especially in summer. A camper at Fall Creek Falls State Park Campground mentioned, “The park is a top visited park in TN - it’s crowded.”
  • Limited Amenities at Some Sites: Not all campgrounds have full amenities. A visitor at Foster Falls Campground pointed out, “There are no electrical hookups. There are also no generators allowed.”
  • Check Site Conditions: Some sites may have steep inclines or be hard to access. A camper at Edgar Evins State Park Campground advised, “I definitely recommend either scouting out a site before booking or researching well which site would be a good fit.”

Tips for camping with families

  • Choose Family-Friendly Campgrounds: Look for parks with activities for kids. One camper at Henry Horton State Park Campground said, “Enjoyed walking along the river. It is not secluded and is right off a local highway but has many conveniences.”
  • Plan for Activities: Make sure to have a list of things to do. A family at Cedars of Lebanon State Park Campground enjoyed, “There are so many trails, playgrounds, and bike/walk friendly roads.”
  • Pack Essentials: Bring along games and outdoor gear. A camper at Bledsoe Creek State Park Campground mentioned, “The campground was excellent!!”

Tips from RVers

  • Check Site Sizes: Make sure your RV fits the site. A visitor at Rock Island State Park Campground noted, “This is not a big rig friendly park, but lots of people still crammed their campers that were too big onto the sites.”
  • Look for Full Hookups: Some campgrounds offer limited hookups. A camper at Edgar Evins State Park Campground mentioned, “Only Campground 3 was open during our stay.”
  • Plan for Leveling: Be prepared for uneven sites. A visitor at Rock Island State Park Campground said, “The only issue we had was leveling our camper, there was a 7in difference between the sides.”

Tennessee camping offers a variety of experiences, so whether you're in an RV or tent, there's something for everyone to enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best state parks in Tennessee for camping?

Tennessee offers exceptional state park camping experiences. Pickwick Landing State Park Campground features rustic sites with new bathhouse facilities, a playground, and convenient firewood sales. The park also offers a lodge with restaurant and beautiful cabins near the Tennessee River. Fall Creek Falls State Park Campground is another standout destination with multiple camping options including drive-in, hike-in, and walk-in sites, plus access to stunning waterfalls. Other excellent choices include Rock Island State Park with its unique geological features, Montgomery Bell for its central location, and Edgar Evins with its distinctive platform sites overlooking Center Hill Lake. Most Tennessee state parks offer reservable sites with water and toilet facilities, though amenities vary by location.

Where can families find the most kid-friendly campgrounds in Tennessee?

Harrison Bay State Park Campground stands out for families with children, offering excellent playgrounds, bicycle paths, and access to Chickamauga Lake on the Tennessee River. Located about 30 minutes from Chattanooga, it provides convenient access to additional family attractions. Greenbrier Campground near Gatlinburg offers family-friendly amenities with proximity to Great Smoky Mountains National Park activities. Many Tennessee KOAs, including Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg KOA, cater specifically to families with swimming pools, game rooms, and organized activities. Look for campgrounds with modern bathhouses, playground equipment, swimming areas, hiking trails appropriate for various ages, and proximity to area attractions. The Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area offers numerous family-friendly camping options with easy access to entertainment and outdoor recreation.

How do camping options differ between East, Middle, and West Tennessee?

Each Tennessee region offers distinct camping experiences. East Tennessee features mountain camping in the Smokies and alongside Cherokee National Forest. Anchor Down RV Resort exemplifies east Tennessee camping with sites overlooking Douglas Lake against the Smoky Mountain backdrop. Middle Tennessee offers a mix of woodland and lakeside camping with more moderate terrain, like Montgomery Bell State Park Campground featuring a variety of site types. West Tennessee provides unique wetland and river-based camping experiences, exemplified by Reelfoot Lake State Park Campgrounds, offering secluded water-adjacent sites and Blue Bank Resort on Reelfoot Lake. Eastern campgrounds typically feature more elevation changes and cooler temperatures, middle Tennessee offers rolling hills and moderate terrain, while western Tennessee provides flatter sites often near Mississippi River tributaries.

What tent camping options are available throughout Tennessee?

Tennessee offers diverse tent camping experiences across the state. For primitive options, Spring Creek Primitive Campground — Mousetail Landing State Park provides a small, shaded, and quiet experience off the beaten path near the Tennessee River. Starr Mountain Area offers more adventurous primitive camping with stunning views and rugged terrain for those willing to hike. For unique experiences, Ray of Hope Guest Ranch and Horse Motel features yurt camping with panoramic hillside views and incredible stargazing opportunities. The Great Smoky Mountains provide numerous tent camping options, from established campgrounds to backcountry sites. Most state parks offer tent-specific areas, and many private campgrounds throughout Tennessee accommodate tent campers with dedicated sites away from RV sections.

Keep Exploring

  5. View all Tennessee cities for camping