Fall Creek Falls State Park and surrounding campgrounds near Rock Island, Tennessee feature diverse camping terrain with elevations ranging from 800 to 1,800 feet. The Cumberland Plateau region experiences temperature variations of up to 30°F between day and night in spring and fall. Several campgrounds accommodate overnight visitors within a 45-minute drive radius of Rock Island, with seasonal closures affecting some facilities between November and March.
What to do
Waterfall hiking: 4 miles of trails connect Greeter Falls to multiple cascade viewing points. "Very clean bath house and grounds. Friendly staff inside small camp store. Spacious sites. Walk or drive to Greeter Falls trailhead for a beautiful waterfall hike," notes Jennifer U. about Greeter Falls Campground.
Zip lining: On-site adventure courses available at Bigfoot Adventure RV Park. "Great weekend get away. Clean, great walking trails, fun zip lines. Clean bath house only one shower but it wasn't a problem getting in," reports Felicia about Bigfoot Adventure RV Park & Campground.
Cable trail climbing: Technical descent routes require moderate fitness levels for accessing lower gorge areas. "One of the best hiking parks I've ever been to. Miles and miles of trails; short, long, loops, overnights. This place has it all. Make sure you do three things while you're there: hike to the bottom of the big waterfall, swim in the cascades next to the nature center, and stand on the edge of the bluff at Buzzard's Roost," advises Myke C. regarding Fall Creek Falls State Park.
What campers like
Convenient waterfall access: Short walking distances from campsites to trailheads at several area campgrounds. "We only checked out the primitive sites while passing through the area. The sites had picnic tables and fire rings, but they were pretty overgrown. They have a couple of portable toilets on site with garbage cans next to the toilets. There is a water spigot at the exit that can be used for filling tanks/containers," explains Shana D. from Greeter Falls Campground.
Modern facilities: Recently constructed bathhouses feature code-locked doors and regular cleaning schedules. "Paradise on the Mountain RV Park is brand new. The office is beautiful- complete with a conference room & 'home-office' type room with computers if needed. The bathrooms are spectacular and sparkling clean," reports Jessica D. about Paradise on the Mountain RV Park.
Natural swimming areas: Creek access points provide cooling options during summer months. "We did this hike in the afternoon and got a nice dip in at the falls since it was such a hot day. There were lots of people there enjoying the space and everyone was incredibly friendly," shares Asher K. about the Greeter Falls area.
What you should know
Primitive site limitations: Some undeveloped areas remain works in progress at newer campgrounds. "Nice, new campground. Right around the corner from the Greeters Falls trailhead which made it convenient. Cute little camp store & bathhouse. Be sure to check the site measurements. Our only complaint was the site size & distance to our neighbor. We stayed at primitive site 1," cautions Karlie from Greeter Falls Campground.
Site spacing concerns: RV sites near Rock Island, Tennessee vary in privacy levels between campgrounds. "If you're looking for a small spot to pitch your tent and spend some time in silence, keep going. This is not the place. At around 11:30 pm, a camper arrived and tried really hard to get into a spot next to ours, even though they clearly didn't fit," warns Andrea S. about Fall Creek Falls State Park Campground.
Cell service reliability: Reception strength changes dramatically between higher elevation campgrounds and gorge locations. "I have Verizon and had 3 bars and LTE and the data signal was strong for me. Was able to stream, FaceTime, pretty much whatever I wanted. Of course, I'm not sure if it's like that everywhere in the campground, but where I was it worked great," explains Thomas H. from Greeter Falls Campground.
Tips for camping with families
Horse viewing opportunities: Adjacent farm access makes for educational encounters. "There are horses on both sides of the park, the owner feeds them will allow your children to feed with him (pretty cool I thought). There's not much for kids to do but he doesn't mind a blow up pool as long as it isn't in the grass," shares Elizabeth L. about R&R RV Campground.
Kids' play areas: Dedicated spaces for younger visitors at several rv sites near Rock Island. "They have a fenced in dog park area centrally located in area C, seemed of good size with lots of trees. They have a little sand pit area for kids to play in," notes Thomas H. about Greeter Falls.
Yurt options: Alternative accommodations provide camping experience without equipment requirements. "We are here on our Honeymoon. It was a last minute lets roll the dice and see where God leads us. The Yurt was so nice had 2 foam pads for us to sleep on with sleeping bags. A lantern and charger for the lantern. And a fan. And chairs to sit on," describes Brandi Y. at Greeter Falls.
Tips from RVers
Site leveling requirements: Uneven terrain at some campgrounds requires additional equipment. "Sites were fairly level. I had to use 2 yellow flat blocks on site 1. Restrooms and showers were closed due to Covid-19 restrictions. We were told they were full but several sites remained empty during our stay," mentions Chris H. about Spring Lake RV Resort.
Parking arrangements: Space limitations affect tow vehicle placement options. "My camper is 23 ft long and tow vehicle is an F150. I unhooked and had just enough room to park off to the side in front of my camper. The spots are very spaced so if you don't have room like that you may be able to park beside the site," advises Thomas H. about Greeter Falls Campground.
Electrical reliability issues: Power supply fluctuations occur at some campgrounds during peak usage. "We put our surge protector on and the power at the site kept shorting out. We managed to get slides out then it shorted out. Turned breakers back on to turn on a/c and it blew again," reports Douglas T. about Deer Run RV Resort.
