5 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Tent campers exploring the Blue Ridge Mountain region near Shady Valley, Tennessee can find several dispersed and established campgrounds within a short drive. Washington & Jefferson National Forest Dispersed Sites offer free tent camping along Bear Creek, while Little Stony Creek Road Dispersed Area provides waterfront sites on the edge of Watauga Lake. Both areas are within Cherokee National Forest, approximately 10-15 miles from Shady Valley.
Most tent sites in this region require basic preparation as amenities are minimal. Dispersed camping areas typically have fire rings but lack drinking water, picnic tables, and toilet facilities. Campers should bring water filters for creek access points or pack in all necessary water. Sites at Little Stony Creek feature level ground with some shade, though road noise can be significant on busy weekends. The Washington & Jefferson sites offer more seclusion with large, shaded spots along a beautiful tree-lined road surrounded by mountains. According to one visitor, "Most campsites are large, very shaded, along a beautiful tree-lined road, and surrounded by mountains."
The tent camping experience in this area combines mountain views with water access. Many sites provide opportunities for fishing, hiking, and paddling, with the Appalachian Trail and Virginia Creeper Trail located nearby. Blue Bear Mountain Camp offers more established tent sites with bathroom facilities for those seeking additional amenities while maintaining a natural setting. Seasonal considerations include potential crowds during summer months and variable weather conditions in spring and fall. A recent review noted that "folks tend to leave a ton of trash around" at some dispersed sites, so practicing Leave No Trace principles is essential. The closest towns for supplies are Damascus, Virginia (about 12 miles from Washington & Jefferson sites) and Butler, Tennessee near Little Stony Creek, both offering basic groceries and gas.
"It offers RV, drive in and hike in tent sites and also teepee camping."
"We had a neighbor nice enough to give us his site because he was leaving early and I would have stayed another night there. It was C3 backed into the woods on level ground. It made for a cozy morning."
from $25 - $136 / night
"The Appalachian Trail and Virginia Creeper Trail are just minutes away, as well as some easy whitewater paddling fun on the White Top Laurel Creek."
"Only downside was the spot I set up camp was very close to the road and headlights from passing cars would light up the spot. However the road was quiet most of the night."
"Most cabins also have covered porches, exterior picnic tables, and exterior fire rings. The Creekside Campground loop has water and electric hookups, picnic tables, and fire rings."
"It has 11 car camping platforms for tent only camping . There is no electric or water at each site. There is a bath house for the 11 sites."
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $27 / night
"Excellent parking spot with plenty of room to set up a 3-person tent. Also, delivery of homemade pizza. I recommend the Jalapeno & Cheese."
"Very attentive and has some great stories to share. The property is well kept and the provided toilet & shower were a very welcome after a couple days in the tent."
from $20 - $45 / night
"Stayed a night out here while traveling, scary narrow rocky trails, but beautiful streams and mountains"
"Primitive camping and a perfect uphill 1.9 mile hike to the top of the world! If you're going in the winter I recommend hiking poles for hiking in the snow."
"This park is just north of Boone, NC near the Tennessee state line. Great primitive sites at the bottom of the 5,520 ft mountain."
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $17 - $47 / night
from $30 / night
"Lansing, NC is located in Ashe County and has some very good fly fishing nearby. The campground is run by the city of Lansing and is located 1 mile north of Lansing, just off highway 1353."
from $20 - $25 / night
GuideThis is an amazing campsite in Norton, VA. It’s really well maintained and the views are beautiful. It was empty on the late fall weekend that we were there. There are electrical hookups and bathhouses
Take a quick drive up and check out Flag Rock, the Woodbooger statue and High Knob while you’re there!
FYI - The campground is closed from 10/31/26 until 5/15/2027.
GuideWe have a lovely evening camping off Forest Service Road 982. The road was gravel and windy, narrow and steep embankments, we went a few miles up before turning around to choose a spot. No supernatural activity to report sleeping in the Appalachian Mountains. Also saw no ginseng. It was a great spot, slept to the sound of the babbling brook and one single cricket nearby. Would recommend if you’re in the area looking for primitive dispersed camping. Finding dry downed firewood was difficult. If you have a hard time w your fire starting skills-I’d recommend bringing your own wood. I got it started eventually-but was definitely effort, skill and time consuming!
Short drive to Brown Mountain overlook was good view of mountains.
GuideMother nature is amazing and helps relieve stress from the ones who never deserved to be around you to take and cover it up. So I'll run to God's beauty, and enjoy my fire at the same time. Come on baby light my fire! ;)
TravelerEasy to get to, cheap, good bathrooms.
ScoutLet me first start by saying that this campground is absolutely beautiful. I have lived in this area my entire life and the Doe is one of my favorites. I am a avid camper and have camped all over this area. I decided to give this place a try, I own a small pop-up camper and knew it was going to get cold 10/20/2026-10/22/2026, so me and my sister rented the RV at Doe River. #1 check in is not until 3pm, I always order a load of wood from a local guy who delivers to camp sites, I do all my cooking in a Dutch oven over the fire or burgers and dogs in the fire, what is a camping trip without a nice warm fire. The owner came over to my campsite and asked if I had ordered this wood and I replied yes, she then asked what I was going to do with it all, I replied I am going to burn it. So, I told Carl (the wood guy) where to stack it, the owner then said that I need to leave it in my truck bc if I didn't use it all I would have to put it back on my truck and take it home with me, I said really? It's just a unspoken rule that if you don't use all your wood that you pay it forward and leave it for the next camper?? She said absolutely not, So we moved the wood from his truck and into mine. She then asked again why I needed so much wood and that most ppl just buy small bundles from her. And just like that I understood! Carl the wood man and his wife also made a comment about how rude she was about the wood. It does not end there, Not only does she have camaras on some of the out blds which I get, but I don't get why they are pointing directly at camp sites, We felt like we were in a fish bowl the entire time. Every single time we went to the bathroom she showed up abt 5 mins later, There is a camara right above the bathroom door, One on the pavilion, and one on each side of the bathhouse, at the entrances and who know where else. So much for privacy in the great outdoors. I didn't even feel comfortable hiking, we felt like we were being watched constantly. She was constantly there, walking her dog which was not friendly and so big she could hardly control him on the leash which was really scary, she also was driving through several times throughout the day. Then came the kicker, about 1 o'clock in the morning we were freezing, I had turned the heat on in the camper before going to bed and heard it come on, Well the propane ran out between 11pm and 1am, I called her at least 10 times we had every blanket and was still freezing, We decided we would go to the bath house bc it had a mini split hanging on the wall, Out of luck there, it was set on air conditioning with no way to change it, so we found a blow dryer trying to get warm, still the entire time trying to call the owners, We finally ended up in our car until the husband arrived. He acted so annoyed at us and said all u have to do is fip the switch on the propane tanks outside! We had never stayed in a travel trailer before and according to them all we had to do was show up and start glamping!! So, I was supposed to know to go outside at 1 am and switch over propane tanks?? No, It should have been FULL when I got there!!! With attitude he said,"Its Basic Camping" No sir it's not, what I do is basic camping, I was told on the phone that I was glamping, She, the owner also said we should have called 911 when we could not get hold of them so that Carter County police officers could come and wake them up!!! Not sure if that is putting our tax dollars to good use?? Like I said it is truly a beautiful place and has great potential, we left that second night at 11pm because again the heat was not working, we have not asked for any refund we just took the loss. it would be to much of a hassle. We just know better next time. With owners like that they can keep it. Windy Wells/Debra Price
ScoutMy husband and I arrived at Doe River Landing for 3 nights and enjoyed everything the resort offered. While there we read the 2 reviews posted by Kylie T, and by Andrew W, who gave the resort a 1 star rating. Not knowing the facts that caused the rating by them, and occurred prior to us, we approach the owner and asked.
The owner showed us videos from their security cameras. These adults has stated in Kylie T review and confirm by Andrew W review that they were a group of 20 adults and "every single one of us is over 21 and family". So why are these adults playing "hide and seek" under the pavilion as they stated? Andrew W stated, "It was not blocked off", yet they had to crawl on the ground and around bushes to get under the pavilion. When the owner yelled at them approximately 10 adults that were under the pavilion crawled out which was captured on the security cameras. Andrew W stated in his review the owner called them hooligans, which is rowdy, destructive persons and from the security cameras, that description is correct. There was no mention of damages in their reviews such as the Adirondack chair they broke or possible damage to the water pipes and electric wires under the pavilion, which the owner was currently checking.
Once we read these two reviews by Kylie T and Andrew W and saw the owners security videos, we felt future customers deserved to know another opinion based on our findings.
These entitled adults justified their review of a 1 star by stating they paid money to use the campground.
I would ask these adults "why do you think it is OK to treat someone else's property in this destructive way?"
GuideSeems to be a well established campground in an off the beaten path location. Roads alternately paved and gravel. The campsite is gravel in a wooded setting. Fair amount of space between sites. The bathhouse is clean but dated.
ScoutWe brought our whole family out and rented almost every cabin on the property, plus the event center, for the weekend— we gave this place a lot of business. And honestly, the stay itself was great— nice place, no complaints about the cabins. The owner is the problem. He came flying in in his blue F-150 doing 20–30 mph where the posted speed limit is 5, and started screaming at us over something that could've been handled with a simple conversation. His exact words:"Where are your parents? This is a family establishment. I will not have hooligans running around here." Every single one of us is over 21 and family. All we were doing was playing hide and seek— which isn't against any of the property's rules— and there were no other guests to disturb, since we had the entire area rented. He still threatened to call the police, even though it wasn't even quiet hours. Before anyone could get a word in, he peeled out so fast the gravel sprayed up at us and our cars. Then on his way out he drove the wrong way down the property's one-way road, so apparently the rules only apply to guests. It's sad, because the property itself is great, and we were never anything but nice to the owners the whole weekend. To be treated in such an unprofessional manner— screamed at, threatened, and never given so much as an apology afterward— put a real dent in the weekend. We won't be back
ScoutOur group of about 20 rented nearly every cabin at Doe River Landing for my friend's wedding weekend, with the reception held on site. The cabins were nice and well-equipped, and the only other guests were in a cabin half a mile away through the woods. Unfortunately, the hosts ruined the stay. One night, some of us were playing hide and seek in an area that wasn't blocked off or against any rule. The host's husband came speeding in at roughly 30 mph(the posted limit is 5), jumped out of his truck screaming that he"will not have child hooligans running around the campground," told us to"go back to the motel we crawled out of," and demanded to see our parents— despite all of us being adults in our twenties. He then peeled out so aggressively he sprayed gravel at us and our cars. It wasn't even quiet hours, and we weren't disturbing anyone. Afterward, the host called us again, passive-aggressive, and questioned our ages— even though you have to be 21 just to rent a cabin there. The property is lovely, but the hosts' behavior put a real damper on what should have been a joyful wedding celebration. It's a shame they treat people paying good money this way. We won't be back.
Tent camping options in the Cherokee National Forest near Shady Valley, Tennessee range from 4,000 to 5,500 feet in elevation, offering significantly cooler summer temperatures than surrounding lowlands. This mountainous region straddles the Tennessee-North Carolina-Virginia borders and contains over 20 dispersed camping areas along creeks, lakes and ridgelines. Most dispersed sites require 4-wheel drive or high-clearance vehicles to access during wet conditions.
Hiking the Appalachian Trail sections: Access points near Blue Bear Mountain Camp connect to the famous long-distance trail. One camper noted, "There are trails to walk/hike, mountain view to see, bathhouse with 3 bathroom/showers, and one with just a bathroom."
Fishing for trout: Multiple streams offer fishing opportunities in the national forest areas. At Blue Bear Mountain Camp, one visitor shared, "Once you get there, there is a nice creek and we caught a trout in the pond right away."
Kayaking Watauga Lake: Launch your boat at access points near Little Stony Creek Road Dispersed Area for paddling adventures. A camper explained, "Just on the edge of Watauga Lake sits this free dispersed camping area... A handful of sites have direct water access, and are more private."
Mountain biking: The Virginia Creeper Trail starts in nearby Damascus and offers 34 miles of converted rail trail. A 10-mile section passes through Cherokee National Forest with moderate grades suitable for intermediate riders.
Cool mountain temperatures: The high elevation provides natural air conditioning during summer months. At Elk Knob State Park Campground, campers appreciate that "This trip was in fall and the leaves were beautiful, but this park stays open year round and I would love to go back in the winter."
Secluded sites: Most dispersed camping areas offer privacy from neighbors. A camper at Dark Ridge HideOut shared, "The view of our site named Crooked Tree #5 was wonderful. Beautiful night sky with an opening view to the mountains."
Clean facilities: Where available, maintained bathrooms are appreciated. A visitor to Blue Bear Mountain Camp mentioned, "This is by far the cleanest bathhouse I have ever seen. They show great attention to this campground and make sure all their campers are happy."
Creek sounds: Many sites position tents near running water. At Washington & Jefferson National Forest Dispersed Sites, one camper mentioned, "Right next to the road, so first time campers would feel safe. The creek's sound is pleasant."
Road noise concerns: Some of the best tent camping near Shady Valley sits near highways. At Little Stony Creek Road Dispersed Area, a camper warned, "Lots of road noise-- you're sitting in a valley bordered by highway on 3 sides, and the echo is serious."
Limited cell service: Most camping areas have no connectivity. A camper at Washington & Jefferson National Forest Dispersed Sites confirmed, "Absolutely no verizon service."
Trash issues: Many dispersed sites require cleanup before camping. One visitor noted, "The only major problem is that folks tend to leave a ton of trash around, so we spent about an hour cleaning the entire campground. Please Leave No Trace!"
Water access: No potable water exists at most dispersed sites. Pack in all drinking water or bring filtration systems for creek water. Pack out all waste and trash.
Choose established campgrounds: For camping with children, sites with amenities reduce stress. At Mountaineer Campground, "You get a fire pit, a trashcan, a stand alone cooking grate and a porta-potty (located by the entrance)."
Consider drive-in access: Some sites require hiking gear in. At Blue Bear Mountain Camp, a camper with children noted, "I wish there was a playground for the kids but overall it was very nice. Close to Boone."
Pack entertainment: Limited developed recreation facilities exist at most sites. Bring games, books, and activities for children as many dispersed camping areas offer no structured recreation.
Weather preparation: Mountain weather changes quickly with significant temperature drops at night, even in summer. Pack extra layers and rain gear for unexpected weather shifts.
Limited RV access: Most dispersed camping in this region accommodates tents only. For Bellebrook Acres, small trailers under 20 feet can access the 10 primitive sites, but larger RVs will struggle with narrow forest roads.
Mountain driving challenges: Access roads often feature steep grades and tight turns. A camper at Blue Bear Mountain Camp warned, "The state maintained gravel road used to access campground was narrow and would be difficult to get a large camper up there, although there were lots of large ones there."
Water filling stations: No hookups exist at most sites. One RVer at Blue Bear Mountain Camp explained, "They do not have water hookups- you fill your camper tank with water at the office area. They have spots with electric hookups."
Leveling requirements: Bring extra leveling blocks as most sites sit on uneven terrain. Even established campgrounds require significant leveling for trailers and small RVs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Shady Valley, TN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Shady Valley, TN is Blue Bear Mountain Camp with a 4.8-star rating from 27 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Shady Valley, TN?
TheDyrt.com has all 55 tent camping locations near Shady Valley, TN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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