Chester Frost Park
Great Camping Experience
Great camping experience and location. Bathhouses a bit outdated and semi-clean. Would stay here again, especially with a water front site.
The Cumberland Plateau region surrounding Sherwood, Tennessee features diverse camping options within a landscape of waterfalls, forested ridges, and river valleys. Foster Falls Campground in South Cumberland State Park provides rustic tent and RV sites without electrical hookups, situated near one terminus of the renowned Fiery Gizzard Trail. Within a 30-minute drive, Tims Ford State Park offers more developed camping with full hookups at Fairview Campground, while Fireside Camp + Lodge provides a private camping experience with tent sites, RV spaces, and cabins on Sequatchie Mountain. Cloudland Canyon State Park, just across the Georgia border, rounds out the options with year-round camping including tent sites, RV spots, cabins, and yurts. Most campgrounds in this area provide access to hiking trails, swimming areas, and scenic overlooks.
Reservations are essential throughout the region, particularly during summer months and fall color season when campgrounds regularly reach capacity. The area experiences hot, humid summers with temperatures regularly exceeding 90°F, while winters bring occasional freezing temperatures and rare snowfall. Spring brings abundant rainfall that creates spectacular waterfall conditions but can make some trails muddy and challenging. As one camper noted about Foster Falls, "It is a great spot to camp if you want to feel like you aren't really at a campground because all sites are rustic. Foster Falls is right around the corner and you can even take a dip in the little waterfall pool when it isn't too hot out." Cell service varies significantly throughout the region, with better coverage on ridgetops and limited or no service in deeper valleys and gorges.
State parks dominate the camping landscape near Sherwood, with most facilities offering clean restrooms, potable water, and established fire rings. Many campgrounds feature waterfront sites along lakes and rivers that tend to book quickly. According to a visitor at Fireside Camp + Lodge, "Each camp spot boasts its own wooden bench, perfect for soaking in the serene views, with some sites enjoying partial shade from the surrounding trees." For those seeking more solitude, primitive backcountry sites can be found at locations like Alum Gap in Savage Gulf State Park, accessible via a straightforward hike just over a mile from the Greeter Falls parking area. Wildlife viewing opportunities abound throughout the region, with deer, wild turkey, and various songbirds commonly spotted near campsites.
$18 - $21 / night
"Foster Falls is located at one end of the Fiery Gizzard Trail, one of the most beautiful trails in Tennessee, possibly the country!"
"We used two cars and parked one at our campsite here, and brought one to the beginning of the Fiery Gizzard Trail."
$10 - $270 / night
"Campground Review:East Rim Campground Pro’s: 1-Handicap Accessible, there is a cabin which is also HDA. 2- If your visiting for a get together your right next to the day use area and there is a picnic"
"We stopped in for a few hours on our drive home from Tennessee. We drove through the campgrounds to scout out our site."
"Some really nice sites on lake and shaded. Inner sites are nice as well and have sewer. Good space between sites. 30 and 50 amp. The old section that was for yearly rental is gone."
"Gravel drives & pads with water & electric at sites. Our site #28 had an exceptional view out the kitchen window & from the pinic table of the lake. Newer shower house centrally located."
"Park at either the Alabama or the Tennessee trailhead (make sure not to park at the horse trailhead earlier on the road) and descend down into the canyon."
"Close by the creek and close to the Walls. Super peaceful and super beautiful"
"Try to get a campsite on the lakeside, because the view is very nice and it makes it easy to get your boat in the water. They advertise a beach but we never found one."
"Tent camping along the edge of the river. Fire pits or grills, picnic tables, clean bathroom, and hot showers. If you are a light sleeper, the traffic noise from the highway might be disturbing."
$21 / night
"Foster Falls Climbers Loop Trail is right at the entrance of the campground, definitely recommend hiking this trail. You’ll hike all around the falls getting beautiful views from the top and bottom."
"Bathhouse is a short walk from all the sites. Rangers there were helpful. Leaves are everywhere and we did see a few snakes but nothing we don’t expect from the great outdoors."
$10 / night
"Nestled in Tennessee’s Sequatchie Mountain, this tranquil campsite on a private estate’s grassy field is great for nature enthusiasts."
"Wide open spaces and access to amenities. The Verizon service here is great and the hosts have Wi-Fi. Close to town for your needs and 30 minutes away from Lookout mountain and those attractions."
"The Walls of Jehrico trail offers a handful of first-come/first-serve primitive campsites set adjacent to two separate water sources (streams). "
"The trailhead campsite is a short walk from the parking lot, but makes for a great basecamp for exploring the area. The campsite is level and large enough to accommodate many tents."
"The best thing about this spot is the lake access for swimming. We stayed at site 37 and the walking trail down to the lake was right next to our site."
"There are paved paths for miles right there off the campsites. There are other trails as well not paved with but more tugged/traditional trails with bridges and cottonmouths lol be careful."
$55 - $56 / night
"This place is Close to everything you’ll want to do in Chattanooga Tennessee"
"My family and I went a few years ago on a trip to Tennessee. It was a decent place to stay. We RV camped on this trip, but the campground had tent sites too."












Great camping experience and location. Bathhouses a bit outdated and semi-clean. Would stay here again, especially with a water front site.
Beautiful surroundings and very quiet. Fast and easy response from owners.Clean and well maintained .I definitely recommend to everyone!!!
I was greatly deceived by the photos and descriptions online. We had site 40 and it was much much shorter than online said and the incline was insane. I would say 90% of the sites in loops B, C, and D should not be sites. Loop A has the most level sites with a lot not having shade though. Site 15 seemed to be the best in the whole park. Leveling our popup was miserable. Most campers we saw come in seemed to be the same as us. First time being there and not realizing the sites are significantly shorter than listed and shown in photos and extremely unlevel. I couldn’t even imagine a tent camper in most sites comfortably with how much of an incline and then slope you’re on. It’s a straight up hill and then it’s tilted to the side too. Sites are also extremely close together which is fine if you plan to be out or on the water a lot but it’s very cramped.
Bathrooms in loop B were the largest and cleaned daily. Bathrooms were great with the exception of the doors being super small but not an issue really. I’m 6ft and it was just funny seeing over everything.
Lake is BEAUTIFUL. So many areas to swim and great trails. Good place for pets.
One host in the entire park and we were lucky to be next to them and listen to their dog park and cry all day and night as they never let him in. Their site is right there when you go in and just trashed with all kinds of stuff. Feels more like a trailer park than state park. Never once saw the hosts and the camp store/office was closed every day we were there (we were there for a week Sunday to Sunday) Our site had quite a bit of trash when we got there. I’m shocked how the bathrooms were kept so clean but sites were not
They have check in listed at 4pm but every day new campers were there far before 4 which isn’t a problem but helps to know you can really get there anytime.
Overall the area is amazing with so much to do for everyone. Fishing, hiking, swimming, plenty to do all around. I would come back only for loop A and site 15. Maybe some others in loop A. Unless you have a camper van that you are fine being tilted, I would avoid all loops besides A. We saw a lot of people get there and then leave when they couldn’t park or level their site and there weren’t other options any better for them
Cell service was great. T-Mobile hotspot was amazing for me to work remote
Decent space between camps. Well priced. Stayed overnight on our way from Missouri to Atlanta. Good place to take a walk before hitting the road again. It's beautiful and wooded. Quiet and lots of morning birds. No gate or code to enter. Clean bathrooms & showers.
Nothing crazy, scenic but tricky drive in here. Use the coordinates to find it, Apple Maps will send you to the other side and add a 30/40 min drive. The camping area had 1 shared restroom/porta potty type deal. The area is pretty flat ground with about 10 good spots to tent/small vehicle camp. Came on a Tuesday evening to about half the site being used. There’s signs to get here once you get close.
I’ll start with the good- BEAUTIFUL state park. Tons of trails. A hikers dream. Playground for kids and lots of trails throughout. The sites are well shaded, have good cell service, and are pretty spacious. The first row of sites when you come straight in and to the right side all back up towards a road that goes to a planetarium but I can count on both hands how many people and cars are want down it in the week we were there. I think the privacy of theses sites is the best and still a good distance to bathrooms. To get to the campground it can be difficult with how you are going uphill so be mindful. There is a camp store that sells pricy wood and essentials but it’s convenient. A single washer and dryer were in the bathrooms for $1.50 and $1 but the washer leaked badly the entire time even not in use. Bathrooms are probably some of the worst I’ve used. It smelled of rotten eggs to the point you couldn’t be in more than a few minutes without feeling sick and I never saw or noticed them cleaned in the week we were there. Dead bugs on the counter and they were on the Texas chainsaw inspired curtains on the showers too. Not unusable but a cleaning would be nice.
Now for the bad- during our stay we pretty much had no one in most of the sites around us besides a man that was in the site behind us for a few days and a family across from us. We saw him go through the site across from us and steal an armful of items while the family was gone from the site. He noticed us and said “you snooze you lose” and it was WEIRD. I’ve never once seen someone steal from another persons site before. We reported it to the camp office right away and they did not care. We told the family when they got back and they went to the office and got the same reaction. Even after the family was back at their site, the man moved his chair to just watch the family and their young children for what felt like hours. Maybe myself and the parents at the other site just always happened to see him staring but it was extremely weird and uncomfortable especially with small children around. The family reported it to the hosts and different workers in the office and to park rangers and had to call several more times voicing concerns before they went to the police directly the next day. It’s frustrating that the host, park office, or park rangers had no concern for this and not a single person even spoke to him about this. To allow someone to steal from another site and be okay with it is beyond disappointing. I’ve never seen this happen in all the years I’ve camped, but I would expect someone with the camp to do ANYTHING. We didn’t feel comfortable to leave our site again after that out of fear he would steal from us too and nothing would be done.
The park is beautiful but the safety concerns outweigh that. We should be able to enjoy the campground and not be worried that none of the staff will help if something goes wrong
Camp Towhee is the perfect peaceful getaway near Fall Creek Falls! Spacious RV sites with full hookups, plenty of room to relax, and a quiet, well-maintained property make it ideal for a stress-free stay. Highly recommend!
Small gravel parking area off of what appears to be a drive. Nice open field to possibly setup in. Didn’t drive truck on grass. It was cut and well maintained. Large burn pile and old rv on site. Good place to over night. I visited during the day and was not disturbed.
You take a sometimes single lane road to get there. Very windy at points. There is a parking lot to hold 4+ cars. You walk 20’ on trail to first campsite. Nice wooded area with a trail to the water. There are 5 sites with fire pits. There is one private site past the marked site if you keep going you will find a large level gravel lot with a single fire pit that would be much better for van or truck camping. Past this point it turns back into residential.
The Cumberland Plateau around Sherwood, Tennessee sits at elevations between 1,500 and 2,000 feet, creating distinct microclimates between ridgetops and gorges. This elevation change often means campsite temperatures can vary by 10-15°F within just a few miles. Primitive camping options concentrate along the plateau's western escarpment, offering campers direct access to seasonal waterfalls and sandstone bluffs without reservation requirements.
Hiking to waterfalls: Several campsites near Sherwood provide trail access to notable waterfalls including Foster Falls within South Cumberland State Park. "Camping was easy and bathrooms were clean. Really beautiful scenery on somewhat strenuous hikes to waterfalls, some good sport climbing, and a few trails that will take you really high up so you can look down at the beautiful green canopy," notes Kelly M. from Foster Falls Campground.
Cave exploration: The region's limestone geology creates underground exploration opportunities. "Crystal Cave was right on site and enjoyed the guided tour. (Advanced reservations are required.) We also loved the guided tour just down the road at Ruby Falls!" shares Jen O. who stayed at Raccoon Mountain Caverns and Campground.
Climbing access: Foster Falls is known for sport climbing routes suitable for various skill levels. "Foster Falls waterfall and trailhead for incredible hiking can be accessed from the campground," explains Shana D., adding that "Foster Falls campground has primitive sites with a central bathhouse with flush toilets and showers."
Quiet camping atmosphere: Many campers appreciate the peaceful settings away from urban noise. At Fireside Camp + Lodge, "Each camp spot boasts its own wooden bench, perfect for soaking in the serene views, with some sites enjoying partial shade from the surrounding trees," according to Peter D., who also noted good T-Mobile reception with "plenty bandwidth for streaming a movie."
Lakefront access: Water access remains a primary draw for campsites around Tim's Ford Lake. Clinton N. explains that at Fairview Campground, you'll find "Great campground on the water and spacious sites. Water access at your campsite to swim or kayak. Nice bathhouse, clean facilities."
Stargazing opportunities: The region's limited light pollution creates excellent night sky viewing. Asher K. noted that at Fireside Camp + Lodge, "We particularly enjoyed the open field, which allowed us to stargaze at night under the clear skies. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and plenty of space to accommodate one or two tents."
Rooster wake-up calls: Multiple campgrounds report nearby roosters. At Foster Falls, Stephanie J. warned, "There is a farm nearby with a rooster that spent the better part of the day crowing, which can be distracting when you have a toddler you are trying to get to sleep." Fireside Camp also has roosters that campers jokingly call "nature's alarm clock."
Bathhouse considerations: Bathhouse availability and quality varies significantly. At Cloudland Canyon State Park, "The bath house has showers and running hot water," according to Abby M., who appreciated the walk-in sites where "you can have the convenience of my car-but can avoid the noise of RVs."
Primitive site preparation: The more remote primitive sites require proper planning. At the Walls of Jericho, "The campsite is not immediately at the parking lot so you will have to hike/carry your belongings almost an hour before getting to the site. Be cautious of weather because the trail can get fairly muddy if it has rained in the area in recent days," advises Ethan K.
Look for shaded sites: For summer camping with children, shade makes a significant difference. At Foster Falls, "The towering trees give most sites ample shade, and there is a lot of firewood that is easy to collect from felled trees, particularly on the back half of the loop," writes Stephanie J., though she cautions about trash issues on busy weekends.
Consider site location: Proximity to bathrooms and trails matters with children. "Site 8 has a trail running directly behind it that takes you to the falls overlook, and to the trailhead to walk down to the falls themselves. Our 2 and 5 year old walked from our campsite down to the falls and back up easily," shares Stephanie about the Foster Falls campground layout.
Select kid-friendly hiking options: When camping at Walls of Jericho - Clark Cemetery Backcountry Campsite, Steve V. notes "The Clark Cemetery campsite is a moderate sized campsite along the Walls of Jericho trail and is located just yards from the Clark Cemetery and the Turkey Creek Bridge. The site is approximately 3.1 miles from the Alabama hikers trailhead parking lot."
Site selection for larger rigs: Choose carefully for large RVs. At Raccoon Mountain, one camper with a 40-foot class A reports: "While we really enjoyed the campground, this site was not ideal for an RV our size. We weren't able to put out our awnings or comfortably sit outside."
Check hookup types: Electricity amperage varies between campgrounds. At Tim's Ford, Larry S. notes the state park has "30 amp only" electrical hookups, while Fairview Campground offers more options, with Becky S. reporting "Some sites have Full Hook-up, 50 amp. (Sewer not available on water sites.)"
Be prepared for tight turns: Access roads can present challenges. Traci C. advises about Foster Falls: "Trying to get into campground during afternoon hours maybe challenging to bigger RV units. Foster Falls parking does get full, can overflow towards campground even though it says registered campers."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Sherwood, TN?
According to TheDyrt.com, Sherwood, TN offers a wide range of camping options, with 157 campgrounds and RV parks near Sherwood, TN and 7 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Sherwood, TN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Sherwood, TN is Foster Falls Campground — South Cumberland State Park with a 4.3-star rating from 32 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Sherwood, TN?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 7 free dispersed camping spots near Sherwood, TN.
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