Best Tent Camping near Troy, TN

We camp here a lot and have tried several spots in the South campground.  The ones near the lake have views but don't have water access.  There is also a pavilion near the lake.  

Sites 22, 24, 25, 70 backup to the forest and have lots of room to set up tents, however they are the first to flood and stay wet longer.  

The map is pretty good about and shows pictures of the sites.  At the time of this review the bathrooms between sites 64 & 66 were closed.  The bathrooms and showers near site 23 are bigger and more accessible.  The bathrooms and showers near site 4 do have a ramp but it is uneven, the space inside is much smaller and would be difficult to navigate with a wheelchair.

Site 43 has trees on both sides of the pad and, based on comments from another camper, can be difficult to back in a larger camper.

Sites in the mid and upper 40's are also good for tent camping.  The cypress trees in the area send roots up and the ground can be lumpy because of them.  The campground has lots of gopher holes all over.  The mosquitoes are bad and you should take some strong bug spray. 

The campgrounds does have drainage issues when it rains and if your forecast predicts rain, you might want to put your tent up on the pad.

They opened a small gift shop this year.  The sell worms, and they now rent canoes and kayaks.  There is a boat launch near the entrance, but you can't launch anything too wide.

This campground is due for a makeover and I heard that it is in the works.  

If you love bird watching or photography this place is a dream; osprey, eagles, herons, egrets, and so many others are everywhere.  Pelican's stop here on their migration and I recommend the pontoon tour in October during the festival if you want to see them on the water.

Reelfoot is just a few hours from our Tennessee home and a great weekend spot. The campground is next to a waterfront restaurant with boat/fishing and a nice deck. There are several restaurants and stores close to the campground.

The camp store is small but has essential items and the folks were nice. They delivered wood to our site.

We spent 3 days here with a back in lake front site. The mosquitos would eat you alive, even with repellant. The lake is a famous Tennessee landmark, known for the beech trees in and surrounding the lake. Make sure you go to the visitor center with the raptors and boardwalk. Kayaking the lake is a really awesome activity. The campground is a little rundown, but still nice.

Perfect area for history buffs, plus lots of hiking, boating, and wildlife. There is info on local nature and historical facts, primarily Civil War. There are two camping options: RV friendly sites and log cabins.

Yay: Very clean, wooded open sites. Close to town.

Nay: it’s a typical RV-friendly loop so not much privacy for tent campers.

Surprise: great little Civil War museum.

Definitely choose the north campground (airport) if you are looking for a quieter, less claustrophobic camping experience. We stayed here in a tent. Everyone else had RVs so we had the bathroom and showers to ourselves. Bathrooms were clean and we had no problems with airport noise. It’s not the most scenic campground in the world, but there are plenty of trees and it’s very quiet. Plus, less bugs because you aren’t right next to the water.

The campground was laid out well in the fact that you didn’t feel crowded at all, even when there were lots of campers. We were in site 45 with a 33 ft travel trailer and had plenty of room. Nice walk for our dog and grassy areas also. Showers were clean but nowhere to put toiletries except on the dressing area bench... but that was okay. It was all tiled also. Mosquitoes were the big downfall. Just be prepared. We put up a screen tent as well as having bug spray. Ate at Boyettes too and it was really good.

If if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and not be around a whole lot of other campers with kids, this is the campground for you. We stayed in the Air Park campsite number 4. There are two circles in this campsite with no frills except Water and Electric. The area is very flat and the bathhouse is within walking distance. The lake is absolutely gorgeous and Grey's bait shop offers boat rentals for $80 a day. There is a picnic table and fire pit at each campsite. Located 4 hours west of Nashville is in the upper corner on the Kentucky line in West Tennessee.

We camped here for 2 nights on the weekend. The state park has 2 campgrounds. We stayed at the main one at the lake and near the visitor center. The campsites were extremely close together. Each of them had electricity and water. There were a few primitive sites at the end of our loop. The campground has 2 bathhouses with showers. You also have a little check in building. The staff was very nice and provided excellent knowledge about the area. They also rent out boats and sell some merchandise and ice. The boat ramp is right next to it. The lake is very beautiful. We saw pelicans, bald eagles, and herons. The campground is on a main road so you will hear traffic. If you don't want to cook, there are restaurants very close by. The area is very well maintained. There is even a little nature trail starting at the campground. The other short trails are within brief driving distance. The sunset from area near the boat ramp was spectacular. For our taste it was just way too crowded. We drove over to the other campground and it was much more quiet and less packed with RVs and tents. The disadvantage is that the driving distance to the lake and the town is much longer. If you are into fishing and bird watching, it is the place to be.

This is a lovely park with wide asphalt and level spaces, water and electricity hookup. We snagged a lakeside spot and listened to the water lapping up against the bank while we slept. Quiet and peaceful. Took our jeep and did some off road exploring. Also, the price to stay at this park is very low for what you get. Highly recommended. We drive a 40 foot Tiffin Allegro Bus and had no issues navigating the park.

Campground is well layed out with everything well marked. The campsites all have Blacktop drives With concrete pads for picnic tables. Picnic tables are fastened down so you cannot move them. Water and electric are near each site as well as a standard fire ring. There are 2 shower houses on each end of the campground and then there are also several bathrooms on each opposing corner so they're close to all camp sites. Beware the lake has a lot of snakes, so if you are in a lake front campsite you are more likely to see snakes. And the sights along the leg from 23 24 25 up to 68 and on down to the seventies on the map looks like it's lake front but it's actually backed with wooded overgrowth.

Stayed for the night on the south campground and it was excellent. Lots of friendly people with locals and travelers alike . Only downside was the massive amount of gnats and mosquitos by the lake sites. Bring your mosquito repellent and don’t let them take away the great experience you can have here! :)

We had spot 5 and 6. The area is quiet and nice it’s right next to a little airport that no one really uses. The water is on the wrong side on the site so bring a extra hose.

This campground had a lot of families, a simple but age appropriate playground (ages 5-12), and many spots with views of the lake. The bath house nearest our site (88) was not in commission, and judging from the webs and nature overtaking it I would say it hd been closed for a long time. The land is low so if there is heavy rain it will be soggy in many places. The site we had was spaced nicely from others but close to the main road. Lots of campers with dogs. Only one hiking trail on-site. We did choose one night to go to the resort restaurant (a fish house) next door to the campground (a quick walk even with small children).

Site 17

Location : perfect location if you’re wanting a good view of the water. Brush is cleared behind this site making it a clear view to the water / sunset. The sunset is breathtaking. Directly across from the bathrooms, laundry, & dumpster. Paved site. Fire pit. Tree located right in front of the spot, would only be a problem of putting out an awning.

Bathrooms : Shockingly clean! Large bathrooms. Laundry area located in the same building. Dumpster outside of the building.

Cons : I can’t even explain the amount of mosquitoes at this site - of course because you’re directly on the water, but the mosquitoes are insane. We had trouble locating the campground by the address on the reservation. We ended up finding it by putting in Blue Bank Resort which is located right next door.

This was our first trip to Reelfoot Lake. We wanted to be close to the lake when we made our reservation so we picked this site because it was available for the days we were able to go. After arriving we felt like we had the best spot for sitting and looking out over the lake. It was only available for two days but it worked for us. The area was clean, but more people for a Wednesday/Thursday then expected. The bathroom was also very tidy with great water pressure and temperature.

We arrived in the evening and almost didn’t stay the night. Actually, we were schedule to stay two nights and left around 9 the next morning. The mosquitoes, gnats, and flies were so overwhelming that we couldn’t go outside and even spent most the evening killing bugs inside the camper with no lights on. I’m sure it would be beautiful in the winter, but I would not step anywhere close in the summer months.

We enjoyed a nice weekend at Reelfoot. It rained the week before so the sites were very muddy. There’s a nice playground for the kids. The higher number sites are by the highway so there’s a lot of noise.

Great place to camp! Lots of shade. Bathhouse is nice.

Is very nice I wish there was a clear view of the lake from more campsites.

This was a 1 night stay, just passing through. Glad we found this gem. Mid week in October, so the campground was 1/4 full. Our site was just steps away from the beautiful lake. Water, power and nicely shaded. Sparkling clean bathrooms and showers (with heat lamps!). Took a short drive to the Wildlife Refuge. Quick walk to the Blue Bank Fish House for a great dinner. Would stay here again.

Exceptional canoeing and wildlife! This park is like nothing else, it’s a flooded forest. You can kayak among this and other lovely bayou environments, lakes, etc. I love this park and have enjoyed it in all seasons. You will need a watercraft of some sort or you will be kicking yourself for not being able to enjoy it fully. You can rent canoes and boats nearby but not at the park itself. Nice easy hiking trails too. Close to town for restaurants and necessities.

There are two campgrounds. This review is for South Campground. This campground has more amenities than the other campground, including a playground, showers, etc. The camping spots are fairly close together here.

Yay: Nature center, amazing kayaking, great wildlife!

Nay: Sites a little small/close. You have to drive to see most of the park.

**Surprise: take one of the many ranger-led tours by land or boat!! We did a bird watching tour that was incredible, we got close to so many different species.  **

Exceptional canoeing and wildlife! This park is like nothing else, it’s a flooded forest. You can kayak among this and other lovely bayou environments, lakes, etc. I love this park and have enjoyed it in all seasons. You will need a watercraft of some sort or you will be kicking yourself for not being able to enjoy it fully. You can rent canoes and boats nearby but not at the park itself. Nice easy hiking trails too. Close to town for restaurants and necessities.

There are two campgrounds. This review is for Airport/North Campground. This is the smaller of the two, which is great for seclusion but it also has fewer amenities and is further from the park offices. There are no showers but you can drive to the other campground to use those. Each site is much more spacious.

Yay: Amazing kayaking, great wildlife!

Nay: there are only about a dozen sites here, but they are reservable. Not as close to the water as at South Campground. You have to drive to see most of the park.

**Surprise: take one of the many ranger-led tours by land or boat!! We did a bird watching tour that was incredible, we got close to so many different species. **

What a fun day! We did some hiking here, but the real draw was the unique cypress trees in the lake. We did a little boat trip on a pontoon, which was pretty great! The northern campground is smaller and was less busy when we visited. The sites are decently spread-out but have little seclusion due to the lack of tree cover and such things. South campground looked a bit more wooded, but there were many more sites. (some even right on the water!). Such a distinctive place- we said we would do some kayaking if we ventured here again.

It needs to be updated and they need to tell you when you call about all the fee along with the price.

We stayed at the air park camp ground it was quite and nice.

Pretty awesome place the visitors center is really cool lots of bald eagles 🦅 snakes 🐍 and fish 🐟 to check out!

Close doesn't begin to describe the camp sites! Spots are crammed into every conceivable space at any imaginable angle. Some sites are "waterfront" but you can't access the water nor see the sunsets for the reeds and Cyprus trees. Decently level asphalt pads with electric and water.