the dyrt
Group
RV Sites
Tent Sites
Fires Unknown
Pets Unknown
Drinking Water
About Thunder Rock Campground
Thunder Rock Campground is located 1.8 miles northwest of the Ocoee Whitewater Center, just behind TVA Ocoee Powerhouse Number 3. Nestled alongside the Ocoee River, this facility provides 37 regular campsites for popups and RVs less than 20 feet with no elctricity , ONLY site 9 is an electric site for less than 20 feet at 30 amp, and one group campsite. Thunder Rock is a popular destination for both whitewater and trail enthusiasts.
Recreation
Trailhead parking is available for the nearby Tanasi trail system, which includes approximately 30 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. This system can be reached via Thunder Rock Express, Dry Pond Lead, or the Rhododendron Trail. Thunder Rock also provides access to the Benton-McKaye Trail.
Facilities
Picnic tables, grills, and lantern posts are located at each campsite. Water hydrants are located throughout the campground. Bathhouses provide flush toilets and warm showers. The campground host is located at the campground entrance next to the main bathhouse.
Thunder Rock Campground Map and Guide
Natural Features
The Cherokee National Forest is located in eastern Tennessee and stretches from Chattanooga to Bristol along the North Carolina border. The 650,000-acre swath of land is Tennessee's only national forest. It lies in the heart of the Southern Appalachians and is home to more than 20,000 species of plants and animals, as well as many rivers, creeks and lakes.
Nearby Attractions
The nearby Ocoee River put-in and Ocoee Whitewater Center, home of the 1996 Olympic Canoe/Kayak-Slalom Competition, makes this an ideal location for rafters and kayakers alike.
Charges & Cancellations
All sites have a $18.00 cancellation and reservation fee.
ADA Access: N
Sites
38
Fee Info
Standard Electric site fee = $20 per night (or $15 per night with a discount pass)
Price
$12.00 - $20.00
Operator
National Forest
Access
Drive In
Features
ADA Accessible
Drinking Water
No Electric Hookups
Picnic Table
Toilets
Trash Available
Contact
Location
Thunder Rock Campground is located in Tennessee
Directions
From the Ocoee Ranger Station, turn left onto Highway 64 eastbound and travel 10.9 miles to the TVA Ocoee Powerhouse Number 3. Turn right and cross the bridge to reach the campground on the right.
7 Reviews of Thunder Rock Campground
Beautiful riverside campground
I was able to easily camp here in my van for the night. Right off of the Upper Ocoee River near the Olympic Section, so it was a little noisy with highway 64 traffic.
This is a smaller tent only campground located along the Ocoee River
The campground was very clean and well maintained. There is a bath house with showers and an area to hose off bikes as well. There's no approved place to wash dishes, the bath house and water pump both specifically say not to clean dishes in the area. My guess is this is due to the possibility of attracting black bears, there are several bear proof trash cans available for use. The campground backs up to the river and a really great hiking trail. There's no ranger station or check in, it's self filled envelopes or registering online.
Great Campsite
I took my son camping, river rafting, and ziplining last Labor Day weekend. We had a great time! The bathrooms got a tad dirty but there was a ton of people there that weekend. Other than that it was amazing.
Great kayaker campground
One of my favorite campgrounds when paddling the Ocoee River. Nice clean bathrooms and campsites right along the water.
Riverside... but busy road
The campground was alright. The majority of the sights were right on the riverside, but the neighboring road has heavy traffic. The camp host was also not at the campground when I "checked in" either…
Thunder Rock
This campground is right on the road, which is a shame because it is central to mountain biking, hiking, and rafting on the Ocoee River. Semi trucks brake down the mountain ALL night long, and even though the river is loud and beautiful, the cars and trucks are louder. We tent camp, so this might not be as helpful of a review for RV people. Other than the road, it was great to mountain bike straight from the campsite to the Tanasi trail system. Hiking trail heads were also directly from the campground. We used the group site, and there was plenty of room, but super close to other campers. Not very primitive here.
This is a National Forest campground
Alcohol is not permitted. Overall a great place to stay, economical, clean, good facilities. Right on the Ocoee River - whitewater kayakers can put on the river right from their campsite.
