Best Tent Camping near Toone, TN

Was excited as we drove into camp. It looked beautiful. Our site has a beautiful view of the lake. Tent pad was mostly level. They say gravel- it was really rocky. Fire ring, standing grill and table were at the site. Ours was nicely shaded. Water spigot not to far away. Tent area restroom was clean. No showers. Walked across the bridge to go to the swimming area. Trash EVERYWHERE. that only got worse as we got to the beach area. The majority of the people we saw there were... the kind of people you’re not surprised to see dropping their trash instead of walking 3 feet to put it in the trash can. I saw several people hawk and spit on the ground. One last view her nose in the ground in plain sight. Gross enough before COVID-19. The water was BROWN. very dirty. My daughter came out brown. Her suit was brown. The restrooms at the beach were FILTHY and full of trash. There is one cold water outdoor shower. Very disappointed in this park.

Shaded, private showers, water and electric hookups, tent friendly, and wildlife-fanatic friendly. Though it is his and gets sweaty at night so bring a fan and appropriate sleeping gear if you'll be tent camping. The grounds are well shaded and comfortable so you don't cook during the day. At night you can indulge in the rich atmosphere of southern cicadas and crickets backdropping owls and coyotes (don't worry! Coyotes are scared of people, they just sound a little jarring when you first hear them yipping). Really nice playground next to the bathrooms.

**Campground Review: **

On Friday, August 23, 2019 my son Charlie and I camped at Chickasaw State Park to celebrate his ninth birthday. We couldn’t have found a better park than this one. It reminds me of the classic summer camps I saw on television as a kid: beautiful lake, horses, stables, paddle boats and canoes, and even a well maintained swimming hole. They even have three birds of prey on display for visitors to enjoy. From our arrival to the moment we left, the rangers and staff made us feel welcomed and safe. Ranger Brittany helped me find the perfect site and even checked in later to make sure that we were completely satisfied with the spot. Who wouldn’t be? The campsite was located right on Lake Placid in the middle of almost 15,000 acres of state forest. Each campsite in the tent campground had a new picnic table, a fire ring, access to potable water, and a grill. Our campsite, number 109, was located right next to a large handicapped parking spot that is big enough for a very large handicapped van. The parking spot was constructed on level ground with concrete. Campsite 109 was far away from the bathroom, but the trail to it was beautiful and made even the most hasty trip pleasant walking. Campsite 109 also had easy access to the pier which spans the width of the lake. My son and I enjoyed walking out into the middle of the lake and seeing the expanse of the Milky Way(what a treat!). There’s great firewood for sale at the stables for$6.00 a box. This is the best campfire wood I’ve ever purchased. It burned slow and steady leaving us enough to pass on to one of our neighbors the next morning. I would suggest spending at least two nights here. We only spent one, and my son and I didn’t want to leave. There’s so much we didn’t get to see and do at this park. This place is a real gem. I’ll guarantee that you will feel like you’re back at summer camp. By the way, don’t forget to bring a good lantern or flashlight with you: you will need it since many of the trails to the bathroom and out to the pier are very dark at night. This just helps you to see the stars better.

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**Product Review: **

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I have the opportunity to test some of the latest and coolest camping products on the market. On my camping trip to Chickasaw, my son and I tried out the Grub Stick Deluxe Kit. What a fun way to cook over a campfire! In my kit I received two telescopic poles which have well made attachments such as the Grub Cage, Grub Fork, Burg Cage, and Grub Tube that attach to the end of the telescopic poles. 

We used the Burg Cage for supper and it made awesome burgers. They had that perfect campfire flavor. My son enjoyed getting to cook his own food rather than waiting for dad to cook it on the grill. The handles are very comfortable to hold, and they were just the right size for my son’s smaller hands. The whole time he was using it, I kept hearing wows. It’s great when a company makes a camping product that engages children in cooking. The Grub Stick does just that. 

The kit also came with special grips like the finger grabber and the hot pad to help open and close the cages and other attachments. You can really tell that the makers of the Grub Stick thought of everything when they were designing this. 

One of the things that was really fun was the Grub Cage. It left me wondering,“where have you been all my life?” Instead of building the S’more AFTER roasting the marshmallow on a stick, you build it in the cage and toast the whole thing. I think this is the way the S’more was always meant to be. Everything, including the graham crackers, oozes with sugary, toasty goodness. 

For breakfast, we used the Grub Tube and wrapped it with bacon and croissant rolls. It was as good as it sounds. As I was cooking, I kept thinking of other things that could be cooked over the fire using this kit. I’m excited to have it in my cooking kit now, and I see us using this quite often especially on those winter camping trips when we want to stay close to the fire. 

Overall, this is a great product for engaging kids in camping. The Grub Stick will allow my kids to come up with their own recipes, put them together on their own, and then try them out on the fire. They love being a part of the cooking part of camping, and the Grub Stick is the perfect tool for this. 

I did have an issue with one of the telescopic handles. After cooking three burgers, one of the telescopic handles broke. I contacted customer service, and they went above my expectations to not only replace it but to help me understand their product even more. Most people expect things to be returned with“no questions asked,” but this isn’t how Grub Stick operates. They asked for pictures and a description of the failure so they can make sure their product gets better and better. I wouldn’t hesitate at all to order more from this company. It’s great when people not only believe in their product but also stand by it and are always looking for ways to improve it. They sent a replacement immediately, and I can’t wait to get this back out in the field.

My son Conner and I stayed at Pickwick Landing State Park on Monday night, July 15. We arrived after dark, but thanks to a park staff member I called earlier, we had an amazing campsite(#18) waiting for us when we arrived. Campsite#18 is located near the bathrooms and shower areas. The restroom and shower building had 8 individual shower rooms with fold down benches. Each of them were big enough to allow someone in a wheelchair to use them. Both the bathrooms and the shower rooms were clean and well stocked. The park staff cleaned them thoroughly the next morning as we prepared to leave. Each campsite has a picnic table, asphalt drive, a fire ring, grill, and lantern post. These sites also have power and water, but they do not have trash cans at the campsite. Trash must be taken from the campsite to the dump station by the campers. If you’re camping here make sure to bring your own trash bags. The sites seemed well spaced and all of them probably have full shade most of the day due to the mixture of pine and hardwood trees that fill the camp. A gas station/bait shop/oyster bar is about a mile away from the camp grounds. Grocery stores and other restaurants are within 5 miles. Though this was a quick camping trip for us(we went to see the Shiloh Battlefield and Shiloh Indian Mounds), the trip was made a little easier by having an efficient, comfortable, and peaceful campsite to call home for a few hours. Be on the lookout for our nighttime visitor Lester the curious racoon. He checked out our campsite after we went to bed looking for an easy meal. Luckily, we had put all of our food securely in the car before calling it a night. This is another 5 star Tennessee State Park campground. Sidenote: We enjoyed a good lunch at a place called the Rib Cage just a few miles from camp. Conner recommends the ribs but not the hot sauce.

Parker’s Crossroads is located very conveniently off of I-40 and the park is gorgeous! They have some long term campers, storage, and an RV Repair Center on site. The shop inside has more parts then we have ever seen at an RV Park. While here we needed a switch for a water heater, they had it!

The campground had some narrow roads and some less than level sites but they were all doable. They have a nice pool area, spaces for dogs to be walked (on leash), pet waste disposal, cabins, and full hook ups.

The park was very quiet and clean, well kept. They have large mature trees, and great landscaping.

The cellular service for TMobile and AT&T we’re both decent and streaming video was possible each night.

20-30-50 amp service 

7 laser leveled sites with concrete pads all other sites or gravel with some wooden decks

Rigs up to 70 feet

Propane available on site, laundry room, swimming pool during season, there is a large grassy area for pets on leash Check in 1 PM with check out at noon. Daily, weekly, and extended stay rates. Reservation on line or call 731-249-9988 with daily rates at $45.56 Free cable and wireless wifi. Campground is secure and quiet. There is a large office with a "Guest Only" after this point. The pond is a "Catch and Release". Located between Memphis and Nashville and a short distance from I40 in the beautiful rolling hills of Tennessee.

LNT

Travel safe

Site/Surface: Site 19 was an excellent site with great views, site 18 was smaller and not as good. Sites were a mix of grass/dirt/rocks

Shade: Plenty of shade on both sites. 

Firerings: Both sites had firerings, but no grill grates.

Onsite Grill: None

Bathhouse: Bathhouse was close. It was cleaned early in the day and become very gross by the end of the day.

Playground: Playground was in good shape and close by. 

Campstore: There was a campstore, but it was closed when we went in June. There was no camphost either.

Local Activites: The main park is about 15 minutes away and has a great swimming beach and tons of other activities.

Overall: Decent ranger prescense during the day, but nothing at night. Several RVs ran their generators, against the campground rules, which took away from the peacefullness. Camground was fairly loud at night and there were some interesting characters. This spot has amazing views and tons of potential. If they would have a bit more enforcment of no generators, have a camphost it would be a must stay every year.