22 campgrounds with availability this weekend
The rural landscape around Bulls Gap, Tennessee features several established campgrounds suitable for various camping styles. Within a 25-mile radius, campers can find options ranging from full-service RV resorts to lakefront camping areas. Baileyton KOA Holiday provides year-round camping with tent sites, RV hookups, and cabin rentals, while Share the Farm offers a more intimate setting with 22 sites and a private pond for fishing. Lakefront camping is available at Cherokee Lake Campground and Lakefront Glamping Resort, where accommodation options include tent camping, RV sites, and glamping tents or yurts.
Camping facilities in the Bulls Gap area vary widely in terms of amenities and accessibility. Most developed campgrounds offer electric hookups, water access, and shower facilities, though sewer hookups are less common at public parks like Cherokee Lake Campground. Many sites require reservations, particularly during the peak summer season from May through September. The region experiences four distinct seasons, with hot, humid summers and mild to cold winters. Several campgrounds remain open year-round, including Baileyton KOA, Around Pond RV Park, and Panther Creek State Park. One visitor noted, "Cherokee Lake is beautiful. As for the sites there are some good ones and some not so good. Be prepared to level your rig because East Tennessee has very little level ground."
Waterfront access ranks high in camper preferences throughout the region. Cherokee Lake provides popular shoreline camping at several locations, though sites vary in quality and levelness. Travelers seeking more amenities gravitate toward privately-owned campgrounds like Baileyton KOA, which one camper described as having "immaculate facilities, easy access off I-81" and being "family friendly, well maintained and can handle big rigs." For those wanting a quieter experience, Share the Farm received praise as "a very friendly and quiet campground" with a private fishing pond. Lakefront Glamping Resort offers a unique experience with glamping tents and a micro A-frame accommodation that can be opened for an open-air experience. The bathhouse facilities at many campgrounds receive positive reviews, with visitors frequently commenting on cleanliness and accessibility.
"Conveniently located close to highway 81 and town!"
"Even though it's very close to the interstate, it was very quiet. We had a full hook up site, relatively level. It had a picnic table and fire ring."
"Panther Creek SP Panther Creek State Park was an unexpected find outside of Knoxville, TN , in Morristown. I’ve driven by the sign but no need to camp so close to home."
"Nuzzled into the East Tennessee hills. Very pretty. Nice State Park. Would stay here again."
Available this weekend
from $40 - $60 / night
"Open May-September, this property is located on Cherokee Lake. There are four glamping tents (two with king beds and two with queen beds) and the newest addition is a Micro A-Frame with a king bed."
"Open May-September, this property is located on Cherokee Lake. There are four glamping tents (two with king beds and two with queen beds) and the newest addition is a Micro A-Frame with a king bed."
from $149 - $299 / night
"Large swimming pool, TONS of historical events around, hiking & river walks. Super clean and new bath houses as well. Honors Tennessee state discounts. If possible make reservations online."
"The drive in follows the TN “Sunnyside Early Country Trail” through picturesque farmland with mountains in the near distance. Do your shopping before arrival, there’s nothing close to the park."
from $14 - $32 / night
"Did a couple of days at Around the Pond Campground in Greenville Tennessee.( mtns.) It was a awesome trip with our friends Ronni Herold& Dean."
"Close to highway."
"Several Lake front spots. Shower and bathroom buildings on site. Several pavilions. Dumpsters, Lots of walking trails. As well as a boat ramp."
"We had the lake in front of us, cooked out, had our music, restrooms, and showers."
"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. "
from $49 - $139 / 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."
from $50 / night
LegendBeautiful campground with all the amenities. If you like rustic in the woods this is not your place, but they advertise what they are. Top dollar for top service and gorgeous sites. All the frills if that’s what you want. We love both. Lots of grass for dogs and good dog parks if that’s important.
TravelerNext door to trolley depot, and Old Mill heritage. Walking path along river. Walking distance to shops. Nice camping spots, clean showers and bathrooms. Lots of kids amenities, pool open most of the time.
GuideWell it was my first time and I went with this guy Brandon and his family. We had the lake in front of us, cooked out, had our music, restrooms, and showers. I loved the experience we should have brought us an air conditioning battery operated air conditioning unit or a fan. So I loved the beauty and the ones I was surrounded by. We even went out on the lake in a boat. We had a lot to keep us occupied, and happy for our 4 day stay! Wonderful sunrises and sunsets to make your days and nights perfect!
GuideMother nature is amazing and helps relieve stress from the ones who never deserved to be around you to take and cover it up. So I'll run to God's beauty, and enjoy my fire at the same time. Come on baby light my fire! ;)
TravelerVisited in October of 2025 to go to Dollywood. Close to everything yet feels private. VERY well maintained and super friendly hosts. Nighttime activities like bingo, games for kids, large tv area, loved the creek. Would stay there again.
TravelerSuper clean park, friendly hosts that had planned activities for evenings, close to most everything but yet felt out of the hub. would stay again
TravelerShowers give you maybe 20 seconds of warm ish water. The. Pretty much tap temps. Amazingly it’s still completely fogs up the bathhouse mirrors due to the inadequate exhaust. That may. Be due to the temp, exhaust, and venting strings are easily manipulated by one of the million children in the “Resort”. It’s not a resort in any way. It’s a campground that has really nice pads. Marginal hookups. Lots and lots and lots of bears. Big BIG bears. I’m a bear hunter. There isn’t one I’ve seen that isn’t a legit Pope and Young. The toilets are clean. The floor and showers are gross. The lazy river is cold. Hot tube warm. If you are a camper spending $250 a night and a resort fee per person, you still don’t get given a towel to use the pool. Front desk actually said the towels were NOT for campers but for “ hotel resort” guest. So why am I paying the fee? We stayed here because it was a Margaretaville property. There are many other nicer and cheaper options in town. It’s expensive. The bar car does not exist. There is wood delivery. But it’s a bundle of twigs for $10. It is dry. The food is Sysco crap and the inside bars are just part of the kids arcade or cafeteria. Live music was super strange. The guy literally was standing in the doorway to the cafeteria bar. Don’t waste your money here. If you do anyway, plan on bears digging thru your stuff every night. Kids? Dogs? And Bears……not good.
LegendWe took US-321 into the back side of Gatlinburg to avoid the downtown craziness. RV Life GPS guided us directly to Twin Creek RV Resort, while Waze suggested a few shortcuts that we wisely passed on. The campground (CG) entrance was a little tight and downhill, but we had no trouble getting to the office for check-in. One of the very friendly and helpful staff members escorted us to back-in site 14, where backing in was easy. We wanted to lower our toy hauler patio to enjoy the creek running behind the sites, and the staff kindly allowed us to park our F-450 in site 38 across the road to give us more room. Our site had a nice patio area with a long bench, picnic table, and nearby fire pit. CG Wi-Fi was so-so at 6.17 Mbps download. Verizon had 2 bars and T-Mobile had 3 bars, while our T-Mobile Home Internet delivered a respectable 106 Mbps download. There was considerable road noise from US-321, especially during daylight hours, although evenings were noticeably quieter. The fenced dog park was small, but there was plenty of room around the CG to walk our pup. Overall, we enjoyed our creekside site, the helpful staff, and the convenient location away from the busiest part of Gatlinburg.
GuideDrove 5 hrs from our last campground to here for event Campground was very well maintained and liked the site. Wasn’t overly crazy about the event not a lot of vendors mainly jeeps went to a few local shops in town had a great lunch at the cookie dough monster.
Camping sites near Bulls Gap, Tennessee provide easy access to the scenic Cherokee Lake and several state parks within the Appalachian foothills. The area sits at approximately 1,300 feet elevation with relatively cool summers compared to lower-lying regions. Most campgrounds in the region operate year-round due to the mild climate, though winter temperatures can occasionally drop below freezing between December and February.
Fishing opportunities: Cherokee Lake Campground offers waterfront sites with direct lake access. "Several Lake front spots. Shower and bathroom buildings on site... Lots of walking trails. As well as a boat ramp."
Water recreation: Lakefront Glamping Resort provides paddleboard and kayak rentals. "We chose the SUP n Stay package (middle price option); included in our reservation was the rental of either a SUP or kayak. The Stay package includes accommodations plus a floating lake mat."
Historic exploration: Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park features a replica historic farm with educational programs. "There's also a sweet man who gives tours of the replica farm of David Crocket.. in character and costume. Clean bathrooms. Overall a great place to camp, particularly with kids."
Smaller crowds: Cosby Campground attracts fewer visitors than other Smoky Mountain locations. "This location is a great choice for anyone who wants to visit GSMNP while avoiding some of the crowds. This campground rarely fills up, allowing for the opportunity to pick your site when you get there."
Clean facilities: Baileyton KOA Holiday maintains well-kept bathrooms and campsites. "The bathrooms and showers were so clean! As clean as any hotel. I would definitely recommend this campground." Another reviewer noted: "We were only here for one night in the rain but it was quiet and the bath hall was spotless!"
Private fishing: Share the Farm offers a personal fishing pond exclusive to campers. "Quiet campground with a private pond for fishing." The 22-site campground provides a more intimate setting than larger facilities in the region.
Site levelness: Finding level ground can be challenging at some Bull Gap area campgrounds. "Beautiful clean park. We stayed here overnight just as a stopping point on our trip, but we were pleasantly surprised! Nice pool, very clean park, lots of things for the kids... We stayed in a pull through site and it was not very level."
Weather considerations: The region experiences four distinct seasons, with potential for inclement weather year-round. "The rain resulted in a very muddy area around the A-Frame and Tennessee mud is no joke. We accumulated about an inch of the thick gooey mud on our shoes."
Pet policies: Panther Creek State Park Campground allows pets in camping areas but restricts them on trails. "Note that dogs are welcome in the campground but not on the majority of the trails." Some facilities near Bulls Gap prohibit pets entirely, so check before booking.
Playground access: Panther Creek State Park offers multiple play areas. "Very nice bathrooms. The sites aren't the most private we've ever stayed at, but the mountain biking was so much fun we didn't care! Hiking and biking was an A+. Great place for families because of the surrounding wooded activities."
Kid-friendly activities: Some campgrounds schedule special weekend events. "They have activities on the weekends. We stayed in a pull through site and it was not very level (we had planned to not even unhook from the truck but had too bc of this) looks like a lot of seasonal campers here but maintained very well."
Educational opportunities: Bring children to ranger programs when available. "The rangers have programs regularly. Lots of trails leave at the campground and also nearby. There's a touristy town nearby with more attractions...try the rafting trips from any of the companies in town."
Highway accessibility: Most campgrounds near Bulls Gap offer quick access from I-81. "This is a very nice place for an overnight stop, probably one of the nicest for a KOA. Very clean and tidy campground. Mostly level, gravel sites. But some grass between sites! Some shade. Full hookups."
Hookup availability: Electric and water connections are common, but sewer hookups vary. "Overall was impressed with the grounds! Well kept, and huge park. Only reason for 4 stars, is no sewer hookup on site. Several Dump stations on grounds, though they are free for guests."
Site selection: Request specific sites when making reservations. "The sites in the upper curve are bigger then the ones on the hill. There are several that offer tent pads and small vehicle pads. Check your lengths and bring your leveling boards."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Bulls Gap, TN?
According to TheDyrt.com, Bulls Gap, TN offers a wide range of camping options, with 369 campgrounds and RV parks near Bulls Gap, TN and 7 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Bulls Gap, TN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Bulls Gap, TN is Baileyton KOA Holiday with a 4.4-star rating from 17 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Bulls Gap, TN?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 7 free dispersed camping spots near Bulls Gap, TN.
What parks are near Bulls Gap, TN?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 33 parks near Bulls Gap, TN that allow camping, notably Cherokee National Forest and Cumberland Gap National Historic Park.
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