Established Camping

Cardens Bluff Campground

17 Reviews

About

National Forest

Cherokee National Forest

Overview

Cardens Bluff Campground has closed for the 2023 season. At nearly 2,000 feet elevation, Cardens Bluff Campground is located on a peninsula overlooking the 6,430-acre Watauga Lake in Carter County, TN. There are 43 sites, primarily for tent camping. There is a bathhouse with showers and flush toilets. No electrical hookups are provided. Day use areas are located nearby for those wanting to take advantage of swimming, boating, and fishing opportunities. Campground Hosts are on site to answer questions and assist with your visit.____

Recreation

Boating is popular for visitors to Cardens Bluff. Numerous campsites provide easy water access for kayaks, canoes and motorized boats. Swimming and fishing are also very popular activities at Cardens Bluff. Watauga Lake provides notably clean water for recreating.__

Facilities

There are 43 campsites within Cardens Bluff Campground. Each section of the campground has flush toilets. In addition, there is an accessible shower house with eight showers for use by registered campers only. __

Natural Features

Watauga Lake is a 6,430-acre hydroelectric reservoir managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority and surrounded by the Cherokee National Forest. Directly across the lake from the campground is the Big Laurel Branch Wilderness area, a rugged, undeveloped mountain range with only the Appalachian National Scenic Trail within its boundaries.

Nearby Attractions

The nearby Rat Branch Boat Launch is an easy quick drive from the campground for campers with motor boats. Shook Branch Swim Area is also nearby on the shores of Watauga Lake. Big Laurel Branch and Pond Mountain Wilderness areas are located north and south of the campground for more rugged, backcountry hiking.

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Unknown
Verizon
Good
AT&T
Unknown
T-Mobile
Good

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Group

Features

For Campers

Trash
Picnic Table
Firewood Available
Phone Service
Drinking Water
Toilets
Pets
Fires

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Holly H.

Guide

Reviewed Mar. 28, 2022

Nice lake!

Booked site 13 online for the last weekend before the season ended in October 2021, but the hosts caught us at check-in and moved us to site 32, which was right next to the water. It was really nice and the kids could go splash around in the lake, which they loved. Several groups game by to launch kayaks.

No firewood on-site, but found a guy selling wood a little drive down the road. Said "everyone from Cardens Bluff comes here." Logs were pretty green and big, but we chopped them down to a more workable size. Pretty hard to start a fire with (it had been raining a lot recently), but we made do.

Lots of yellow jackets! Thankfully no stings :) Bathrooms were nothing to write home about, but functional. Water pump right next to the site. Hosts were chatty and a little wacky, but kind and present.

A nice trip overall!

Site32

Month of VisitNovember

Boone

Traveler

Reviewed Oct. 2, 2021

Ideal getaway to Watauga lake

This campground was perfect to bring a smaller RV to be right next to the Watauga lake Marina.

Bathrooms + a shower house was available.

Gate to enter closes from 10pm - 7am and parking is limited if you have multiple cars.

Overall great place to go with kids.

Site29

Month of VisitSeptember

(7) View All

Paul K.

Scout

Reviewed Aug. 5, 2021

Noisy camp

Campsite was clean and bathrooms were clean. The noise in this campground carries and makes for a restless night. Ok for one night but would not stay again.

Site16

Month of VisitSeptember