Map showing campground location near Maynardville, Tennessee

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Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED

SUMMARY PRESENTED BY

Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping sits along the shoreline of Norris Lake in Union County, Tennessee, operating as a fee-based dispersed area with gravel road access, multiple pull-through spots, and walk-in sites closer to the water. As of October 2024, the campground is permanently closed to the public following a closure due to vandalism and unauthorized activity. Campers who drove significant distances arrived to find an iron gate and a sign reading "CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC DUE TO VANDALISM AND UNAUTHORIZED ACTIVITY," so anyone considering a visit should verify current status before making the trip.

When the site was open, the layout gave campers a range of options. Fire rings dot the area near the lake, and the gravel road running through the grounds provides pull-up access for vehicles as well as parking areas with short trails leading to waterside spots. The area can fill up quickly on summer weekends, with Saturday evenings in July drawing enough visitors that finding a site required timing or patience.

Cleanliness was a recurring concern in reviews. Trash on the ground, including broken glass near some sites, was reported despite garbage cans and porta-potties being on-site. Hannah P. noted "a decent amount of trash" across the grounds. Noise from other campers, including late-night music and vehicles on the gravel road, also came up across multiple visits.

Nearby alternatives worth considering include Beach Island Resort & Marina and Cedar Grove Marina & Campground, both on Norris Lake, as well as Chuck Swan State Forest to the west for those looking for managed forest camping in the region.

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Map & DirectionsPalmers Junction Dispersed Camping is located in Tennessee near Maynardville

Dispersed Camping

Coordinates

36.349099 N
83.743516 W

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Connectivity

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Excellent Coverage
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VerizonLTE
Some Coverage
Verified by 2 users
Last on 7/5/26
AT&TLTE
Some Coverage
Verified by 2 users
Last on 7/23/26

Connectivity

Presented by

T-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoorsLearn More

T-Mobile5G
Excellent Coverage
Verified by 2 users
Last on 7/23/26
VerizonLTE
Some Coverage
Verified by 2 users
Last on 7/5/26
AT&TLTE
Some Coverage
Verified by 2 users
Last on 7/23/26

Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.
Boat-In
Sites accessible by watercraft.

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Dispersed
Group

Features

For Campers

ADA Access
Trash
Phone Service
Toilets
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Pull-Through Sites

Enjoy dispersed camping on government land and leave no trace. Pack in and pack out. No (or limited) services at this camping area. Permit may be required.

PERMIT might be REQUIRED

We curate permit requirements across the US for our PRO members. Try PRO to see if Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED needs a permit.

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Drive Time

39 min from Knoxville, TN
53 min from Morristown, TN
1 hr 33 min from Kingsport, TN
1 hr 41 min from Johnson City, TN

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Reviews6 Camper Reviews - Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping

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5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

3.5

out of 5

6 Reviews

Beautiful dispersed camping area with numerous site options, but plagued by maintenance issues and inconsiderate campers. Facilities were poorly maintained and litter was a consistent problem. Now permanently closed due to vandalism.

SUMMARY PRESENTED BY

A D.

Scout

Reviewed Oct. 7, 2024

CLOSED.

I rode all the way over here from Greeneville to check out the area in order to bring a group of friends camping next weekend.

BUT the entire campground is closed. When I pulled up to the iron gate and saw the sign, it read "CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC DUE TO VANDALISM AND UNAUTHORIZED ACTIVITY"

Month of VisitOctober

Tripp A.

Scout

Reviewed Oct. 5, 2024

Closed to Public

I drove over an hour to get here to find that it is “closed to public for vandalism”. I was very upset by this but obviously nothing I could do. Just wish I knew how to check before driving all the way. But the drive! Woah! So beautiful, I wish there was a way I could find out when it opens back up because I was very much looking forward to camping here.

Siteunavailable

Month of VisitOctober

JC J.

Scout

Reviewed May. 19, 2024

Pretty sweet

Great location. Not crowded. But could use a cleaning. PortaJons are nasty.

Sitenot sure towards the back

Month of VisitMay

hannah P.

Guide

Reviewed May. 13, 2024

Not too shabby for the south

Lots of lil cozy pull offs on an easy gravel road. Lots of longer term people staying it seemed like (or just really full send camping friends lol). Many fire rings and spots by the lake. Unfortunately the other reviews are right - A decent amount of trash. There are trash cans and porta potties. I’ve seen worse porta potties at festivals but there were a few stinky ones.

Month of VisitMay

(5) View All

Amin A.

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 27, 2023

Better than I expected

So we weren't sure what we would end up finding here. I will say that there are a lot of places to camp, many many many options away from the porta potties. If you get within about 20-30 feet of those they are a bit stinky. The one camp site we chose was a great place, tons of space and well manicured. A lot of options for pull up to your campsite or park and walk to campsite spots.

My only complaints are about the campers that stay there. The litter isn't horrible, but it's not great. It is a leave no trace place. Apparently some people have difficulty with throwing away their trash.

When we stayed last night there was a person that kept peeling out up and down the gravel road (3/4 times) in a diesel truck at 10:00 at night. Not very courteous to all of us at the campground.

And I was awakened at 2:00 a.m. by our camping neighbors when they were playing loud music. Also not cool, thankfully they stopped shortly after

Overall we were very pleased with this campground, beautiful views, it was hard choosing one spot. We will be coming back, and hopefully we won't have loud campers next time.

SiteFirst one on the left, very last one in that section.

Month of VisitAugust

(4) View All

Karli P.

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 23, 2023

So Much Potential!

We arrived at this dispersed campground at around 7:30 on a Saturday evening in July. It was pretty packed but since we were planning on leaving early the next morning, we took a family’s offer of taking over their spot as they left.

We use a roof top tent so unfortunately we weren’t able to camp at the actual site, instead we set up on an almost level gravel parking area that had a private trail to the actual camp site. There were garbage cans and a port-a-potty set up right there, which is why this site lost some stars. Even though these facilities were provided, people didn’t use the garbages and there was a lot of garbage on the ground, including broken glass that made us worry about our pup’s paws. Also, the port-a-potty was pretty yucky..neither my husband nor I were willing to use it.

Now, I want to reiterate that this is a geographically beautiful spot! Humans just need to take better care of it 💚

Month of VisitJuly

Enjoy dispersed camping on government land and leave no trace. Pack in and pack out. No (or limited) services at this camping area. Permit may be required.

PERMIT might be REQUIRED

We curate permit requirements across the US for our PRO members. Try PRO to see if Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED needs a permit.

Try PRO for Free

Drive Time

39 min from Knoxville, TN
53 min from Morristown, TN
1 hr 33 min from Kingsport, TN
1 hr 41 min from Johnson City, TN

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are fires allowed at Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED?

Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

Does Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED have wifi?

No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED does not have wifi.

Is there cell phone reception at Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED?

According to campers on TheDyrt.com, there is some coverage for AT&T, excellent coverage for T-Mobile, and some coverage for Verizon.

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Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED

Description

Map & DirectionsPalmers Junction Dispersed Camping is located in Tennessee near Maynardville

Coordinates

Connectivity

Connectivity

Access

Site Types

Features

For Campers

For Vehicles

DISPERSED CAMPING

PERMIT might be REQUIRED

Drive Time

2026 Explorer Giveaway

Reviews6 Camper Reviews - Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping

3.5

CLOSED.

Closed to Public

Pretty sweet

Not too shabby for the south

Better than I expected

So Much Potential!

Are fires allowed at Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED?

Does Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED have wifi?

Is there cell phone reception at Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED?