RV campgrounds around Lake City, Tennessee offer sites within 30 miles of the Cumberland Mountains with elevation changes that affect navigation for larger motorhomes. Summer temperatures typically range from 65°F to 85°F, with occasional afternoon thunderstorms that can create temporary flooding on dirt access roads at some campsites.
What to do
Water activities at Douglas Lake: Anchor Down RV Resort provides direct water access with a private beach area featuring an inflatable water slide. "Beautiful views from all campsites, level concrete pads for easy set up. Each site has plenty of room on both sides. The staff is friendly," notes Sarah R.
Trail access to Windrock Park: Windrock Gap Campground sits just minutes from Tennessee's largest off-road recreation area. "Just a short distance from Windrock. RV sites have power and water, but are very close together, in my opinion. There are also a few tent sites and cabins. Parking for off-road vehicle trailers," reports Steve V.
Fishing opportunities: Southlake RV Park offers direct bank access for anglers. "If you are wanting to fish the bank or even put in kayaks this spot is money. The tent sights are located right on a great fishing cove on Fort Loudon reserve," according to Nate H.
What campers like
Privacy features: Dumplin Valley Farm RV Park maintains grassy sites with natural spacing. "Very soft green grass over the entire RV park. Plenty of room for pets to walk on lead. Quiet with no road noise, we will stay again in the area," notes Kerrie C.
Campground cleanliness: Creekside RV Park maintains immaculate facilities. "We really enjoyed the clean and well maintained characteristic of this place. Everything works and the bathhouse is nice. Also it's so close to Pigeon Forge," writes J. Blake S.
Quiet locations: Up the Creek RV Camp provides a peaceful alternative to busier campgrounds. "This is seriously the quietest campground I've ever been to. I wouldn't bring children to it (there's nothing for them to do there, anyway) but it's a very relaxing 'adult' campground," shares Taylor M.
Seasonal decorations: Riveredge RV Park hosts special events for holiday weekends. "Every Saturday in October, campers decorate their site and hand out candy to the costumed campers! My kids LOVED that. We have already booked for this next October and plan to make it a tradition!"
What you should know
Reservation waiting lists: High-demand parks like Anchor Down RV Resort require planning ahead. "It is so hard to get a reservation here, so we decided to take what we could get so we could try it out! A tip to get reservations! Call and put your name on a waiting list for the dates you need. If they have cancellations, they call the people on the list instead of releasing the dates on the website!"
Noise considerations: Road noise affects certain sites at multiple campgrounds. "We stayed in a pull through with full hook ups. The highway is right below the campground and could be noisy if outside," comments a visitor to Royal Blue RV Park.
Communication challenges: Some campgrounds have inconsistent management practices. "We were there for 17 days, and needed to get a couple of boxes, one being our ballots to vote, one small package, and one medium size package. We again called the phone number, a female answered, gave us permission and told us the address. The first two arrive without issue."
Tips for camping with families
Pool and water features: Two Rivers Landing RV Resort offers kid-friendly amenities. "Has a good playground we used thoroughly. (Also a pool but too cold for us to use)," mentions Kristen M.
Bathroom accessibility: Consider bathroom location when camping with children. "Definitely would return without the kiddos. Tip- there's only one bathhouse, so if you plan on using that a lot, work with the office to make sure that will work for you," suggests a Creekside RV Park visitor.
Entertainment options: Some parks provide recreational facilities beyond outdoor activities. "We love staying here. It is so well done. Each site is clean and roomy with private fire pit. The premium sites have custom fireplaces and the views are gorgeous. I imagine it's lots of fun in the summer with the lake and the private beach. People are so nice!!"
Tips from RVers
Site selection for larger rigs: Windrock Gap Campground & RV Park accommodates large fifth-wheels. "Windrock Gap is clean, accessible (43' fifth wheel), very well maintained and the owners are very helpful and attentive to the details. Came for Jeep BOH Rides for the weekend and will definitely stay here again!"
Water pressure variations: Several campgrounds have either very high or very low water pressure. "They have a pressure regulator on the water so showering was like a spit bath and took forever to get the shampoo out of my 'short' hair."
Leveling challenges: Site topography varies significantly between parks. "Where we parked which was 9 is not. It's uphill and was very difficult to level out the rv. Ours like many is self leveling and it just couldn't make it happen. We had to level it by sight as I guess we now need to purchase a small level for these situations."