Best Tent Camping near Tellico Plains, TN

Recent Tent Reviews near Tellico Plains, Tennessee

1631 Reviews of 82 Tellico Plains Campgrounds

• 

  Lori H.

  Legend

  

  Apr. 14, 2019

  Soaring Eagle Campground

  Primitive tent sites

  The primitive tent sites are amazing, I didn’t give it 5 stars only because you can hear a little bit of road noise, as the campground is near the interstate. If you visit in spring, the lake water may not have risen yet, so summer would be better if you want to enjoy lake front camping! We took our rooftop tent and had a perfect corner spot next to the creek. Plenty of room on each site for tent camping. The bath house is pretty far away too. Overall, we love this campground, and the tent sites are the best, can’t wait to camp here this summer!

• 

  vickie V.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 13, 2018

  Horse Cove

  Great Little Hideaway Haven

  If you drive the Cherohala Skyway from Tellico plains, make a left onto Joyce Kilmer Road. You'll come to an intersection; Left gets you Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, Straight ahead will garner you a fabulous view from Maple Springs Overlook, and Right, will take you by Hose Cove Campground. Go Right first and secure a spot at this first-come first-served campground, nestled among the trees of the Nantahala Forest, beside the rushing waters of the Little Santeetlah Creek ...and then go back for hiking and views:)

  This campground has 13 sites on the opposite side of the road from the lake, and several spots flanking Santeetlah. If you are a tent camper, my suggestion is go for the opposite side of the lake. I don't think you can even fit a camper into one of these spaces. The campground is a dead end with #13 at the very end, and no turn around past #10. 

  We arrived at the perfect hour of the day and had our pick of any site. We chose #12, for its privacy and the beautiful rushing water to sleep by and watch while sitting beside the fire and enjoying morning coffee. If you like camping with friends in adjoining campsites, it looked like #8 and #9 would be good to grab as they are closer together and have a little path that runs between them.

  There are flushing toilets and sinks with cold running water, but no hot water and no showers. Just don't even think about using the bathroom facilities until you've selected your spot and paid for it. Elizabeth and John are the camp hosts and NOTHING gets by Elizabeth. Dogs are welcome, but should be leashed. There is a boat ramp with plenty of parking, maybe a mile past the campground, perfect for putting in kayaks and canoes. Bear proof trashcans are on site at Horse Cove, and usual Bear Precautions apply.

  This is a great little tucked away haven and totally worth the $10 a night!

• 

  Tonya B.

  Guide

  

  May. 17, 2017

  Elkmont Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

  I love it here

  Polite campers in rvs watched over my tent camp site while I enjoyed a couple of the trails. All in all a wonderful place to stay. Plus you're right by the river.

• 

  Abigail M.

  Scout

  

  Jan. 28, 2023

  Enota Mountain Retreat

  Scam

  I REALLY WANTED TO LOVE THIS PLACE! It was really pretty. HOWEVER The host wouldn’t allow us to use a tent site because she insisted we needed electric for our tear drop. We told her it was charged and had no need for electric for our one night stay. She then said we weren’t allowed to use a tent site due to the fact that the tear drop simply wouldn’t fit event though it totally would (gaslighting much?). There was one other family in the entirety of the tent camping area and one RV there. Upon check out what was originally supposed to be a $30 trip turned into $90 for a single night of camping along with some very off putting comments regarding my friend and I’s sexuality. Was a totally bizarre experience. Would give it zero stars if I could.

• 

  George & Patty C.

  Ranger

  

  May. 31, 2017

  Vogel State Park Campground

  Beautiful Park

  We spent our three-day Memorial Day weekend at Vogel State Park. We camped in a tent. The staff is very friendly/helpful and the facilities are pristine. Our campsite (#70) was located directly across from the bathhouse and was huge for a "tent" site...we have a 17'x9' tent and the site accommodated our tent, two vehicles and a 5'x8' utility trailer with room to spare! The park has beautiful views and is only a short distance from Brasstown Bald and Helton Creek Falls. The park store had most of the supplies that you would need for camping but, if not, there is a Dollar General located just a few miles away. This is our favorite of the GA State Parks so far!! There are kayak, pedal boat, paddle board and bicycle rentals available!

• 

  Angela M.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 1, 2020

  Enota Mountain Retreat

  Beautiful property in the mountains with waterfalls on site!

  The property is well maintained and beautiful with waterfalls, streams, and a lodge. They have cabins, rv sites, and separate adulting tent camping. We stayed at the adult tent site 74 which is really close to one of the waterfalls. Site 72 is the closest on the side we stayed on but our site had great access to the water and was a little more secluded. The is a spot in front of the waterfall that is public space and we didn’t want people walking up to view the waterfall basically next to our site as the sites are very close together. There is another beautiful sit on the other side that I would say is best for y’all he waterfall. I checked out the other sites as we were the only tent campers as it was during the week. Site 82 is the most private still on the the water and like a little forest dream site. The facilities were nice and well kept however, there was no potable water or restrooms close to the tent camping. The lady that checked us in (not sure if manager or owner) but she was somewhat spastic and forgetful which was not pleasant but was overall friendly. Locations is super close to High Shoals Falls which was a great hike and beautiful as well as close to Helen, Georgia, and Unicoi State Park.

• G

  Garren M.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 8, 2021

  Gee Creek Campground — Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River State Park

  Family friendly

  Nice pull in paved spots for every tent site. Playgrounds and bath houses were kept nice and clean. The loops where the tent sites are can’t be quite busy so keep an eye on the kiddos

• 

  Lori H.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 14, 2020

  Adventures Unlimited Campground

  Let the good times roll!

  Adventures Unlimited is located in Ocoee, TN, just outside of Chattanooga, and is one of the coolest river towns I’ve been to. The Ocoee River was the site for the 1996 Olympics whitewater events. There are numerous outfitters for everything you can do on the river, and this place is the best we’ve visited. We did the Classic Middle Ocoee Rafting Adventure, with Leon as our guide. He was awesome! He wore a Viking helmet (which looks really cool in our pics!) and had vast knowledge of the river and area, and said he’s been guiding for 20 years, so yeah, the best! I would highly recommend Leon if you take a trip!

  The campground is HUGE for tent camping. There are hundreds of great tent sites, and the whole place has a great vibe. I wouldn’t really recommend it for children, it feels more like a grown up place, as the area is filled with kayakers, guides, college kids, etc., and these people have FUN! And there’s the Bus Bar, which I’ll cover in a bit. We stayed in site 13 on the rv sites, and it was nice. All the sites are spacious, most have plenty of shade, except for 6,7,8, they are in the middle and not much shade there. The rv sites have water and electric, and they have a dump station. The bath house is at the front entrance, it was very clean, with 4 restrooms and showers. They also have bungalows, and they looked awesome.

  This place has two restaurants, The Cafe was closed, I’m assuming due to covid, I believe they serve breakfast and lunch there. And The Bus Bar- this place is a must! They have literally converted two yellow school busses into a bar! The restrooms are in one of the busses and the other is where the actual bar is. They have live music on weekends, and there is a very eclectic vibe. Great people watching! You will hear music from your campsite until around midnight. We didn’t try the food, but they have pizza and wings on their menu, so what else do you need?!

  The office is where you check in for rafting, they also sell ice, water shoes, t-shirts, etc. and the people in there were super friendly. This is one of my favorite “fun” places we’ve stayed, it truly was an adventure! We will definitely be returning!

• 

  Asher K.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 1, 2021

  Persimmon Creek RV Park

  Tent and RV Camping

  This is a beautiful secluded site just off of Highway 64/74 not too far from the Tennessee border. The campground is very well kept and has wonderful amenities for both RV and tent campers. I was very impressed with the gorgeous grassy areas along the creek providing a private space for tent camping. They also have large shaded spots for RVs in other areas. Each site has a picnic bench and plenty of room to spread out. If you are like me and prefer tent camping I would recommend staying at one of the sites near the entrance as they have an almost magical feel to them. I also like that this campground provides great access to both hiking in Nantahala National Forest as well as rafting and kayaking on one of the many rivers in the area.

• 

  Timothy T.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 3, 2021

  Smitty's Lodge Motorcycle Campground

  This campground is in tellico plains

  I went to visit this campground today. So I called the number and this campground is actually in tellico plains Tennessee. There is no campground at this location. So please please do not make the trip out there.

• 

  Sean7

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 11, 2021

  Indian Boundary

  Great Choice for Anyone

  Great experience tent camping in the overflow lot, all the amenities were amazing and the area was beautiful! This is a must visit location.

• k

  kevin M.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 9, 2022

  Riverstone Campground

  Good basic campground

  Right off the highway. Tent sites around back. You can swim in the river. Typical campsite.

• 

  Elaine H.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 31, 2019

  Trackrock Campground & Cabins

  Get away from it all!

  We tent camped here October 2013 on site 36 which backed up to the national forest.  Beautiful mountain views and horseback riding on site!! Bathhouse was clean.

• 

  Jordan M.

  Scout

  

  Mar. 6, 2023

  Harrison Bay State Park Campground

  Clean camp sites and Hot showers

  Staff was very helpful in finding the right spot. Campsites are clean and hot showers are abundant. We tent camped, but the park is more suited for RVs or TTs

• 

  Sean7

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 11, 2021

  Starr Mountain Area

  WARNING: DIFFICULT HIKE

  Very intense hike up the mountain but the views are worth it! Hammock camping is ideal here, unsure of tent camping possibilities. Come prepared to hike hard and to experience unexpected weather if it occurs

• W

  Wes L.

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 6, 2021

  Enota Mountain Retreat

  Tent by the river

  Awesome spot about 20 min from Helen GA. Back your vehicle right up to your spot for easy unloading and using your vehicle for extra space for whatever. We tent camped right along the river.

• 

  Michael H.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 15, 2020

  Fort Mountain State Park Campground

  Great Campground

  We love camping at Fort Mountain. Its usually a good bit cooler due to the elevation, and the private wooded campsites make tent camping in Georgia’s summer heat much more enjoyable. Good hiking and things to do nearby.

• 

  Elizabeth W.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 19, 2022

  Morganton Point Campground

  Great day use area!

  Small campground, a few nice waterfront spots for small RVs, 6 tent camping spots all waterfront. Very nice clean & newish bathrooms. Dump station was also clean, large & new feeling. There were some sewage winds in sites near the bathroom.

• 

  Brianna L.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 8, 2018

  Nantahala National Forest

  Nelson’s Nantahala Hideaway Topton, NC

  Clean showers and toilets (including running water), easily accessible tent sites for large groups, litter-free, friendly staff, short hiking trails, less than an hour from Nantahala rafting

• F

  Frank L.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 29, 2022

  Harrison Bay State Park Campground

  Beautiful views!!!

  Tent camping and we had s beautiful spot. But big problem, the aggregate for the tent pad was so compressed we could not set a stake. Had to move tent off pad! Bathrooms very clean in tent loop. Shame on government for not putting funds into pool maintenance. It was shut down. Deer wandering all around!!!

• B

  Brian P.

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 2, 2022

  Mountain Creek Rest

  Secluded, tranquil and gorgeous!

  So, while I believe whole heartedly in the title, I must also disclose that I am the owner of Mountain Creek Rest, and that I rented my own tent site to be sure that The Dyrt's rental platform would perform properly for future guests!

  With that said It is true that the Heartstone tent site at Mountain Creek Rest is secluded, romantic, and stunningly beautiful! My exclusive parking was right next to the tent platform, picnic table, and charcoal grille! 

  The bathroom was just off to the side, and was clean and fresh.

   The campsite also had a firepit area with benches overlooking the tumbling Squally Creek!

  I hope that you, as a prospective guest, will come and see for yourself what a wonderful spot this is.  Truly Yours, Brian

• S

  Sarah V.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 14, 2021

  Cades Cove Campground

  Love this smokies campground

  Great smokies campground. Nice walking trail and beautiful scenic loop to drive. Along the drive there are historic buildings and cemeteries. Tent sites were too close together. Not enough privacy

• 

  Robyn T.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 5, 2021

  Fontana Village Resort and Campground

  Prime spot for easy living

  Loudest noise is the dam above grounds. The hum is soothing and constant. Water flows downriver at different depths before you eyes. The lights on dam at night, mesmerizing. Simple and low key campground. Mostly made of tent camping. Bathhouse is small but clean.

• 

  Cristy M.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 21, 2018

  Townsend-Great Smokies KOA

  Right outside of Great Smoky Mountain National Park

  Amazingly clean campgrounds 10 minutes from the entrance of the National Park and 20 minutes from the Visitor's Center.

  You have a choice of "rustic" tent sites, tent sites with water/electric/cable hook-ups, RV, or Cabins. All sites are pet-friendly including cabins. All camp sites include fire pit and picnic table.

  Lots of amenities are included in your stay. 2 bathroom areas, 1 shower area, pool, wi-fi, etc.

  There's a general store in front of the campgrounds with gas station and small cafe attached. The general store will even deliver your purchased firewood to your site.

  This Koa is near a lot recreational places and some restaurants. Also near towns like Gatlinburg, Pidgeon Forge and Knoxville.

  A nice vacation spot.

• 

  Michael T.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 4, 2024

  Fort Mountain State Park Campground

  A lot offered in a well kept site

  This is a great park with a lot to offer and more in the near vicinity. 

  Cell reception (T-Mobile) was non-existent in the site. However, there was reception at the trading post and possibly elsewhere. 

  They're installing Bear Boxes in tent sites back and front country (as I understood it) and are clearly paying attention to what people want and how to improve visitors experiences. 

  A lot of the sites are RV orientated. But the walk in tent sites are really close to the parking area. Also, nearby backcountry platforms and sites can be easily accessed. 

  If you want walking access to the trails, it's probably best to choose a site near the lake as that's where most trails are accessed from.

• B

  Bob P.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 17, 2024

  Smitty's Lodge Motorcycle Campground

  Motorcycle tent camping and cabins

  The name has changed to Smitty's Lodge & CG. I found this awesome campground close to the beginning of the Cherohala skyway in Tellico Plains. Includes picnic table, fire pit and some chairs (they also sell firewood), clean restrooms and showers, use of refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, and super nice hosts. I highly recommend visiting this campground. I stayed in a tent, but they do have cabins for rent also. Campsites are level and spacious.

• B

  Brian

  Guide

  

  Jul. 15, 2022

  Windrock Ridge Campground

  Nice place!

  Nice place with clean camping spots and clean bath house. Have 3 bars signal with Verizon and good speed. Site 26 is good for rooftop tent camping. Shade in afternoon and plenty of room for additional vehicles. Fire ring has a movable grate that is good to cook on.