Spring Creek Primitive Campground, near Mousetail Landing State Park in Tennessee, offers a unique camping experience right by the water. This place is perfect for those who enjoy a more rustic vibe, with sites that provide beautiful views and a chance to connect with nature.

The campground features picnic tables and fire pits at each site, making it easy to gather around for meals and evening campfires. Visitors have praised the clean and well-maintained facilities, including the bathhouse, which is currently undergoing repairs but is expected to reopen with laundry services. As one camper noted, “The sites themselves are really nice,” though they mentioned that privacy can be an issue when the campground is busy.

For outdoor activities, the nearby Tennessee River is great for fishing and paddling, and the hiking trails in the area offer stunning views. Campers have enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere, with some noting that the stars at night are simply breathtaking due to the lack of ambient light. If you’re looking for a quiet getaway with a friendly ranger who’s always ready to help, this campground is worth checking out.

Spring Creek is a 21-site primitive campground on the banks of the Tennessee River. All sites have a fire ring and a BBQ grill.

Spring Creek Primitive Campground — Mousetail Landing State Park

Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Parsons, TN has a lot to offer. Parsons is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Parsons camping trip.

Parsons

The Best Camping Near Parsons, Tennessee

This place is such a treat! I enjoyed the hiking trails, creeks, river and just being there! I can't wait to go back! 

The coolest place 

Camped here twice, both on weekdays, so there were only a few spots taken. Spots are fairly close together, so might feel a little crowded when full. I stayed in the primitive area which is right along the water, so be prepared for some bugs. Also be prepared for a great sunset over the river while river barges drift slowly by! The rangers are super friendly and helpful. There are a couple pretty cool shorter hikes, but nothing super special. Really nice pavilion and playground area near the beach area, which is not super nice, but it’s nice to have the swimming option. Grass hadn’t quite grown in by March, but it was getting close! Recommend the spots closer to the river by the end of the loop. 

Great Weekday Spot

This park is extremely clean and well maintained.  The primitive sites are right on the beautiful tennessee river.  The park  rangers are extremely helpful as well.  Highly recommended 

Primitive

This is a great small campground off the beaten path.  Pay attention to your GPS as there are very few signs.  Well equipped park office, clean bathhouse and great staff.  The sites aren’t water view but close enough to hear the boats.  We’ll come back for sure. 

Steep hills but super clean and lots to do  

Even though it was raining when we camped, the sites were very clean and the park staff and rangers were very helpful and the park over all was very clean and enjoyable. Will definitely be coming back to camp here

Very Beautiful

The campground is right on the river and very quiet and peaceful. Porta-potties are available in the primitive campground and they’re very clean. The staff was helpful and came by to check in on us when they saw we had trouble with a tent pole that had broken. Bug spray is a must here, the mosquitoes are awful that close to the river but that’s the only negative thing we encountered. 

Peaceful

This place is great.  We camped in primitive camping right on the water . Kid caught over 20 fish and had a blast . The ranger took the kids on a fossil hunt . Great family feel to the whole place.

Best camping experience I've had

Great place to stay!! It is very clean and quiet. The ranger is very nice and checks on you during your stay. 

Great place to stay!!

Site 1 was on it own little peninsula with cypress tree, flat ground, and nice views. The whole primitive/tent campground was nice, with all site being on or viewing the water. Clean and nice to walk around. The primitive section js also the boat ramp area and doesn’t have running water facilities 

Nice tent site on the TN River 

We camped here for just 1 night on our way west. 
There are 2 campgrounds. We stayed at the primitive one which was separated from the main park. The sites are on the water but there was not really an access to it. 
The sites have a picnic table and a fire pit. There are plenty of porta-potties but no water spigots. 
The sites were close together. 
At the end of the campground is a little gazebo with a swinging bench to watch the Tennessee river. 
The hiking trails are nice and the dogs had the chance to swim. 
The main bathroom in the other campground was well maintained. 
Overall it was a basic campground that was good for 1 night, but the park was very beautiful. 

Nice campground on the water

We camped at site 16 in the primitive campground.  It was our first time, and we picked that site because it was the end of the road so we figured it would be quiet.  Heads up to other first timers:  there's a lookout at the end of the road with benches, etc. that's quite popular for folks to drive/bike/walk down to. The sites themselves were pretty small, and they are \*extremely\* close together. It felt like we could probably have a conversation through our tent with our neighbors.

  

The park ranger was extremely nice and helpful, and the views from the campsite were pretty. We paddled the long slough water trail; the put in is right down the road from the primitive campsites, which is convenient.

Pretty; No Privacy

**Overall**: Small, shaded and quiet. Way off the beaten path near the Tennessee River. A drive to the nearby Lady’s Bluff Small Wild Area is worthwhile. 

**Getting there:** If you want to get away from the crowded I-40 Interstate and do not mind a 30 minute drive through the gently rolling hills and farmland of rural Tennessee this might be a good stop for you! Be sure to set your GPS before leaving I-40 because at least with ATT you will lose signal.  

**Check in and staff:** Online reservation was easy and the website has photos with a good listing by site of what is there, including whether or not there is a tent pad and the size of same. We needed to change sites at the last minute. The ranger was very kind and helpful. 

**Amenities:** power and water available at main campground but not all site:, spotty cell service with ATT. Does work on the hilltop of the main campground. Washer/dryer available in bath house. Camp store closed for remodeling and paving while we were there. 

**Bathrooms:** older but clean, well kept. Small, one shower. 

**Site:** partial shade, some reasonable separation between sites but some close together. Fellow campers were quiet and courteous. Picnic tables and fire pits clean and in good order.

Small, shaded and quiet!

The primitive campground on the river has some nice waterfront sites, but they don’t have a real boathouse. Only a couple of porta-potties. If I am paying for a campsite, running water to wash my hands would be nice. Expected of it was back country, but it’s not. 

The main campground with power has a bathhouse, but the campsites are on the main road with a couple of loops off of that. I just find it strange that the campground isn’t off the road. I’m not a fan of the layout. 

Lots of nice playgrounds here with a swim beach and nice pavilion style building for events. We enjoyed the one way loop road that goes around the whole park along the river. 

Weird Campground 

We had the pleasure of camping here. We chose the more primitive sites along the water. 100% recommend! Right on the water and the whole campsite area is so far from any ambient light that the stars at night were AMAZING. 

  

Clean sites. You do have to use a porta-john but they are clean and close by.  

  
Park Ranger Mr. Hudson was an amazing ranger. He is very personable, friendly and helpful. He will do his rounds and if you need wood he will go get it for you. Anything else I am sure he would be happy to help.

Amazing Camping and Beautiful Views

We were at site 12 this weekend. We have a 20’ pull behind and the site was plenty big enough for us. The hill to the Rv campground was a pretty steep climb but it’s doable. This was our first time at this campground but it won’t be our last. I can see this being a regular weekend getaway from time to time. The campsites are spaced well apart giving you plenty room and privacy. The water and electric hookups were in an awkward location but were still useable. 

  I give 

Mousetail landing state park 5 stars 

 On a scale of 1-10,, 10 being excellent,, I give it a 9. The drive in after you get in the park can be a little tricky. The bathhouse was clean and well maintained. Will recommend to all of our camping friends and family. This would be a great place to have a camper rally.

Great campground 

The sites themselves here are really nice, but they’re very close together so you only get privacy when it’s empty. Bathhouse currently closed indefinitely for repairs but they’re still charging full price, looks like it does have laundry when it opens. Campground is on top of a big hill so hard to get to anything else in the park without driving.

Decent cell service, if you ask rangers will bring firewood to your site for $8/bundle. 

Photos of Spring Creek Primitive Campground — Mousetail Landing State Park

Real photos from real campers