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Best Campgrounds near Vonore, TN

2,059 Reviews

Camping near Vonore, Tennessee encompasses a range of waterfront and mountain-adjacent sites situated between the Great Smoky Mountains and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) managed lakes. The area features established campgrounds like Toqua Beach Campground with its 102 sites directly in Vonore, as well as nearby options including Indian Boundary in Cherokee National Forest and several Great Smoky Mountains National Park campgrounds within driving distance. Tellico Lake provides a scenic backdrop for many camping experiences, with boat-in access available at several locations. Campers seeking full amenities can find them at Yarberry Campground in nearby Lenoir City, while those preferring more rustic experiences can explore the quieter campgrounds in the surrounding foothills.

Most campgrounds in the Vonore area operate seasonally, with peak availability from April through October. Toqua Beach Campground remains open year-round, providing consistent access to Tellico Lake. Summer temperatures typically range from 75-90°F with high humidity, while spring and fall offer milder conditions ideal for camping. Winter camping is available at select locations but with reduced services. Reservations are strongly recommended during summer months and fall color season when Great Smoky Mountains National Park visitation peaks. Cell service varies significantly throughout the region, with better connectivity at campgrounds closer to Vonore and Lenoir City, and limited to no service in more remote mountain locations.

The camping experience varies considerably between lakeside and mountain sites. Lakeside campgrounds like Toqua Beach and Lotterdale Cove offer water recreation opportunities including fishing, boating, and swimming. According to reviews, "sites along the creek are amazing" at locations like Abrams Creek Campground, providing natural sound barriers from other campers. Mountain campgrounds provide access to hiking trails and wildlife viewing opportunities, with one visitor noting that Cades Cove is "well known for spotting bears, deer and turkey." Most campgrounds accommodate both tents and RVs, though amenities differ significantly. TVA-managed campgrounds typically offer more developed facilities with electric hookups, while national park campgrounds often provide more basic amenities with an emphasis on natural surroundings.

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Best Camping Sites Near Vonore, Tennessee (494)

    1. Indian Boundary

    28 Reviews
    Tallassee, TN
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (423) 253-8400

    $20 / night

    "The lake is great for kayaking and swimming, with an easy trail around the perimeter. The gorgeous Cherohala Skyway is very close by (highly recommend!)."

    "The surrounding mountains and water were breathtaking. This camp ground is close to the water if you stay in loop A. Just a short walk the water and beach."

    2. Cades Cove Campground

    98 Reviews
    Townsend, TN
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (865) 448-4103

    $30 / night

    "You can easily bike through the loop, or drive. Nice spot to see wildlife as well. Cades Cove is well known for spotting bears, deer and turkey."

    "We camped in the middle of a hot sticky Tennessee summer and felt just fine in all of the shade."

    3. Yarberry Campground

    14 Reviews
    Lenoir City, TN
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (865) 986-3993

    "Yarberry Campground is a gated lakefront campground and day use area located on Tellico Lake, not far from the Fort Loudon Dam."

    "We rented a pontoon boat for four hours and had a great time exploring the lake. Highly recommend this campground if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the larger campgrounds."

    4. Abrams Creek Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

    24 Reviews
    Tallassee, TN
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (865) 448-4103

    $30 / night

    "We were in site 11, nice but next to a group site so a little louder than I like. There are trails near by but I was unable to experience. Bear boxes and trash bins. Centrally located water."

    "Way if they beaten path and reservations can ONLY be made online. No cell service no internet for at least ten miles away from camp.. absolutely gorgeous location and rangers keep it clean every day."

    5. Lotterdale Cove Campground

    6 Reviews
    Greenback, TN
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (865) 776-0720

    $26 - $48 / night

    "Would have been nice to have, but  the view being right next to the lake made up for it four-fold. "

    "Great family location with dry camping for tents, travel trailors and places for RVs. Some are on the Tellico Lake Reservoir.

    Many of the sites are occupied by seasonal residents."

    6. Melton Hill Dam Campground — Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

    29 Reviews
    Lenoir City, TN
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (865) 361-0436

    $18 - $31 / night

    "We really enjoyed Milton Hill dam, very friendly people , well stocked store, easy access to swimming and fishing and full hook up sites if you want them."

    "We made a last minute trip to Melton Hill that was very conveniently located just outside of Knoxville. The campsite offers several options for camping along the water or in the woods."

    7. Sweetwater KOA

    14 Reviews
    Madisonville, TN
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (865) 213-3900

    "For amenities there is a bouncy blob (dry), small pond with fountain and memorial bench, large playground for the kids, volleyball, basketball, I’m not sure what the game is next to the blob."

    "Very nice area, close to a historic area and site seeing underground lake."

    8. Toqua Beach Campground

    3 Reviews
    Vonore, TN
    3 miles
    Website
    +1 (423) 884-3317

    $49 - $69 / night

    "This is a very clean, gated campground located right on the lake with available boat slips to rent during your stay. This is a very open campground with very few trees."

    "But with that being said the lake is beautiful. We didn't see the beach till the last day we were there unfortunately. But it look like an awesome area. There is a Beach area with volleyball."

    9. Look Rock Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

    14 Reviews
    Maryville, TN
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (865) 436-1261

    $30 - $36 / night

    "There is a state campground near the base, but it was crowded and noisy. Unfortunately I've been informed this campground is no longer in operation, so sad."

    "This place has so many gorgeous camping spits and hiking trails! In the fall there is just so many different hues of oranges reds and yellows"

    10. Elkmont Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

    123 Reviews
    Gatlinburg, TN
    37 miles
    Website
    +1 (865) 430-5560

    $30 / night

    "I had the most fantastic campsite right next to the river in Elkmont."

    "We stayed 3 nights so we could hike the surrounding trails! Loved learning about the history of the area while checking out the old cabins."

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Recent Camping Photos near Vonore, TN

781 Photos of 494 Vonore Campgrounds

Recent Reviews near Vonore, TN

2059 Reviews of 494 Vonore Campgrounds

  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 9, 2025

    Camp Margaritaville RV Resort & Lodge

    Beautiful grounds if you feel like splurging

    It is an absolutely beautiful campground with an awesome club house and a ton to do. The pool and lazy river are heated. Honestly though you really need to want to splurge to justify staying here because you are still camping if that makes sense.

    Also the trolley “system” is super confusing and the front desk knows nothing about it lol

    Our site is great. It is right across the road from the playground without having to pay for a family site.

  • Lisa M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 8, 2025

    East Campground - Norris Dam State Park

    Nice park but road is not that friendly

    Google maps and the website will tell you to take the 441 to get here but I recommend going down to the 61 and coming up that way as the road is quite a bit wider and not so steep and windy. The last mile or so into the campground is a pretty narrow road that when we were here was in bad shape with potholes. Note that some of the campsites have only 30 amp and some of the campsites have only 50 amp so when making a reservation don’t assume that a 50 amp campsite will also have 30 amp. They all did appear to 20 amp. There is a dump station available and a fairly nice bathroom and showers. Most of the spaces are fairly level and fairly easy to get into. 1-3 were quite short. Recommend popping down to the Clinch River Brewery for a beverage and possibly dinner. Also the Appalachian museum in Norris was pretty fascinating.

  • Joel R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 8, 2025

    Cades Cove Campground

    Quite, beautiful, weekend traffic

    This is one of the quietest campgrounds I’ve stayed at. Sites are nestled in the woods in a cove in the Smokies. No cell service. No internet. No cable tv. Just peace and quiet! This is a national park campgrounds, so no water, electric or hookups. There is a dump station and modern bathrooms. Cold water showers. There is a camp store with basics. There is a lot of traffic especially on weekends with visitors driving the scenic Cades Cove Loop Road.

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 2, 2025

    Little River Campground & RV Resort

    Labor Day weekend

    Overall a positive experience. We stayed in the tent camping area. Absolutely beautiful site with a wonderful river view, but be aware that the direct river bank is considered common area including day use so it had a lot of traffic while we were there. The staff was very helpful and friendly. Being a holiday weekend it was very crowded and very noisy, including a few neighbors without regards to quiet hours. Overall the facilities including bath house are were very nice though I believe the large crowds caused issues with the crew being able to keep up with keeping them clean. The location is very convenient to Townsend and we rode bikes out to explore and get food in the evening. We would definitely go back just probably not on a holiday weekend.

  • Doug S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 1, 2025

    Persimmon Creek RV Park

    Beautiful Little Camp Ground

    Persimmon Creek is a beautiful and peaceful place. The owner is very friendly and helpful. It is centrally located to some great attractions.

  • VThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 31, 2025

    Mountaineer Campground

    Pleasant Stay

    Lovely campground on the river and close to amenities. Biking, hiking, tubing, swimming. My favorite experience here has been the pavilion prayer and fellowship on Sunday mornings hosted by Charm ministry volunteers. Very casual with lots of singing and great conversation in a very positive and welcoming atmosphere. The bathrooms and showers were kept very clean as well as the laundry and pool area. The camp hosts were very helpful and work hard to keep the above clean. The campground offers a 50% discount on a 28-day stay which I took advantage of. They allowed me to stay an extra 28 days due to my dog passing away so I could wait for his remains. They were very understanding, thoughtful and gracious during this sad time for me and I am very grateful to the management and hosts for the time, space and respect they extended to me July & August.

  • Kc K.
    Aug. 30, 2025

    Fooshee Pass Campground

    Amazing site! See note on hook-ups

    This campground is great. The hosts/camp store workers are so nice. This site is big and has easy walk-in access to water for swimming or fishing. **Only weird thing is the hookups are on the opposite side of the site. Take a 50 ft water hose and a 30 amp extension - ours was 50 ft but I think a 30 ft would work. **

  • A
    Aug. 27, 2025

    Chilhowee

    Clean areas

    Bathrooms always clean. It’s pretty family friendly with adult supervision. Great views and scenery. Swimming lake.

  • Kc K.
    Aug. 24, 2025

    Big Ridge State Park Campground

    Big level site

    Site 43. Big site. fairly flat. Just have levelers on one side. Close to the bathhouse and a quick walk to the entrance to get to the store, swim area, etc. Roads are a little narrow in the campground, made it a little hard to back trailer in- the front of the truck was the issue hitting rocks on the side of the road.

Guide to Vonore

Camping near Vonore, Tennessee, offers a fantastic escape into nature with beautiful landscapes and plenty of outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, there are several campgrounds to choose from.

What to do

  • Hiking: Explore the scenic trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. One camper mentioned, “We did one of our hikes from our site—the Little River Trail to Cucumber Gap, and it was beautiful.”
  • Wildlife Watching: Keep an eye out for local wildlife. A visitor at Cades Cove Campground shared, “Had numerous sightings of wildlife even in the campground.”
  • Fishing: Enjoy fishing in nearby lakes and rivers. A camper at Cosby Campground noted, “There is a stream that runs through the back of the site that our kids loved.”

What campers like

  • Beautiful Settings: Campers rave about the stunning views. One review for Elkmont Campground said, “The campground is beautiful and the park rangers were awesome.”
  • Clean Facilities: Many appreciate the cleanliness of the campgrounds. A visitor at Greenbrier Campground remarked, “The bathrooms were amazing.”
  • Family-Friendly Activities: Campgrounds often have activities for kids. A family at Greenbrier Campground enjoyed, “There were bounce houses, multiple playgrounds, and a lazy river with a swimming hole!”

What you should know

  • Site Privacy: Many campgrounds have sites that are close together. A camper at Cades Cove Campground mentioned, “Most sites are close, and site spacing is tightly packed.”
  • Limited Amenities: Some campgrounds may not have showers or electric hookups. A visitor at Cosby Campground noted, “No drinking water, no electric hookups, and no showers.”
  • Wildlife Precautions: Bears are common in the area, so be cautious with food. A camper at Harrison Bay State Park Campground advised, “Due to the amount of black bears in the area, they’re very vigilant about keeping trash in trash cans.”

Tips for camping with families

  • Choose Family-Friendly Campgrounds: Look for places with activities for kids. A family at Greenbrier Campground loved the “great little spot to go swimming and several free things for kids to do.”
  • Plan for Quiet Time: Some campgrounds can be busy, so be prepared for noise. A visitor at Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg KOA Campground mentioned, “It was completely sold out, but it was absolutely silent at night.”
  • Pack for Activities: Bring gear for fishing, hiking, or swimming. A camper at Chester Frost Park said, “There is plenty of lake access for boating, kayaking, and swimming.”

Tips from RVers

  • Check Site Size: Make sure your RV fits the site. A visitor at Anchor Down RV Resort noted, “Super tight for our 45 ft bus. Never again!”
  • Use Amenities: Take advantage of the campground facilities. A camper at Anchor Down RV Resort shared, “The bathrooms/showers are super clean, and there’s plenty of room for your dog to have an equally good time.”
  • Be Prepared for Crowds: Some campgrounds can get busy, especially in peak season. A visitor at Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg KOA Campground mentioned, “It’s a very busy campground with close together spaces.”

Camping near Vonore, Tennessee, offers a mix of adventure and relaxation, making it a great spot for families and RVers alike.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best campgrounds in Vonore, TN?

Vonore offers excellent camping options along Tellico Lake. Toqua Beach Campground is a standout choice with lakeside sites, boat access, and full amenities including water hookups and restroom facilities. For those seeking a more natural setting, Citico Creek Area provides dispersed camping with creek access and proximity to great day hikes. The free sites along Citico Creek are perfect for tent campers looking to enjoy nature on a budget. Both locations serve as excellent basecamps for exploring the surrounding Cherokee National Forest and Great Smoky Mountains.

How far is Vonore from Pigeon Forge and is it worth staying there instead?

Vonore is approximately 45 miles (about a one-hour drive) from Pigeon Forge. Staying in Vonore offers a quieter, more natural alternative to the tourist-heavy Pigeon Forge area while still being within day-trip distance. Anchor Down RV Resort is located just outside Sevierville and Pigeon Forge, offering lakefront camping with mountain views and only a 30-minute drive to attractions like Dollywood. For a more immersive mountain experience, Elkmont Campground in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is close to Pigeon Forge while offering riverside camping and direct access to hiking trails. Vonore is worth considering if you prefer tranquility and lake activities but plan to visit Pigeon Forge attractions occasionally.

What amenities are available at Toqua Campground in Vonore?

Toqua Campground offers a comprehensive set of amenities for a comfortable camping experience. The campground features water hookups, modern toilet facilities, and is big-rig friendly with spacious sites. Campers have direct boat access to Tellico Lake, making it ideal for fishing and water recreation. The campground is fully reservable, which is recommended during peak seasons. While specific amenities vary slightly by site, most include picnic tables, fire rings, and lake views. For those seeking additional recreation, Indian Boundary nearby offers similar amenities with hiking trails and fishing opportunities.

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