Camper submitted image from The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions - 1

View Photos

Camper submitted image from The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions - 2
Official
Unlock Planning Tools in App

Established Camping

The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions

The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions is located in the Cherokee National Forest, featuring forested terrain with a mix of trees and open spaces. Weather in this area typically sees highs around 85°F in summer and lows near 25°F in winter. Nearby attractions include the Appalachian Trail and Watauga Lake, offering opportunities for hiking and water activities.

Description

US Forest Service

Cherokee National Forest

Overview

The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions is open for the 2024 season. The Laurels has been a popular area since the early days in East Tennessee. It was a common evening stopover for farmers from North Carolina taking produce to markets in Johnson City. The site is named for the native Rhododendron that thrives in the area, locally called "laurel." The Civilian Conservation Corps helped construct the current facilities in the early 1930's. Today, it is a popular day-use area, providing a nice shady place for family picnics and group gatherings.____

Recreation

The Laurels has two pavilions, each with picnic tables and grills. An old foot path meanders through the nearby woods.

Facilities

The Laurels includes two picnic pavilions, numerous tables, grills, a bear-proof dumpster, and connected by foot paths. There is a vault toilet on site. There is no potable water.

Natural Features

Honeycomb Creek flows through the picnic area and is enjoyed by kids of all ages on warm summer days.

Suggest an Edit

Location

The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions is located in Tennessee

Detail location of campground

Directions

The Laurels is located on TN Hwy 361 near Sciota Road in Carter County. From Johnson City, take I-26 E to Okalona exit. Turn left, drive under I-26 to TN 359. Turn right onto TN 359. Travel 1.4 miles, then turn right onto TN 361 for 3.7 miles to The Laurels.__

Coordinates

36.24885556 N
82.26833333 W

Open in Google Maps

Is The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions sold out?

Quickly grab cancellations!

Learn More
Presented byT Mobile

Access

Have you camped here? Help us improve this campground page.

Add Access Type

Connectivity

Presented byT-Mobile SatelliteT-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoorsLearn More
  • signal strength bars
    T-Mobile
    No Coverage
  • signal strength bars
    VerizonLTE
    Some Coverage
  • signal strength bars
    AT&TLTE
    Some Coverage

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • Group

Features

For Campers

  • Trash
  • Phone Service
  • Drinking Water
  • Pets

Contact

General Info

Drive Time


2025 Detourist Giveaway

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Reviews

Add Review

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

0%
50%
0%
0%
50%

2.5

out of 5

2 Reviews

Reviewed Aug. 9, 2019

Wonderful Place

Spent a lot of time here in my younger days. Great place to take kids for picnic and to play in the Creek.

Reviewed Sep. 30, 2017

No camping

This is just a picnic site with toilets and water. There is camping nearby at Little Oak and Rock Creek. Beautiful area!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there cell phone reception at The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions?

According to campers on TheDyrt.com, there is some coverage for AT&T, no coverage for T-Mobile, and some coverage for Verizon.

How hard is it to get a campsite at The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions?

Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions, try setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts

Why is it so hard to get a campsite at The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions?

There are 2 campsites at The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts