Best Dog-Friendly Camping in Tennessee

Campers venturing across Tennessee have access to hiking, boating, fishing, biking, rock climbing and picnicking across 56 state parks, enough variety to satisfy any adventurer’s soul. With terrifically high Appalachian peaks and plunging caverns, Tennessee travelers can get a sense of the sublime landscape that inspired music legends from Nashville to Memphis by camping in Tennessee.

East Tennessee is home to a part of the oldest mountain range in the world, the Great Smoky Mountains. As the name suggests, the peaks are often shrouded in fog, but that doesn’t make the view from Clingmans Dome any less spectacular. At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome towers as the highest point in Tennessee and the third highest point east of the Mississippi River. Make sure to say hi to the hardcore hikers, many people hiking the entire Appalachian Trail will stop at this unforgettable lookout.

A clear day at the dome observatory provides views as far as 100 miles. But explorers camping in Tennessee should plan on hiking their way up to the point, the roadway that leads to the observatory closes during inclement weather and from Dec. 1 to March 31 every year.

If you’re camping with the kids and they’re looking for more occupation than your campsite offers, many of the natural attractions in Tennessee are also family friendly. Lookout Mountain is only minutes from Chattanooga and offers several world-famous sites like Rock City and the See Seven States point.

All the mountain peak trails may leave the heights-averse camper less than enthused. But Tennessee has something for everyone. Also at Lookout Mountain, but plummeting beneath ground level, is where you’ll find Ruby Falls, the largest and deepest underground waterfall in the nation.

Scenic views and dramatic natural landscapes are part and parcel for any Tennessee camping adventure, as long as you know where to look. Camping in Tennessee can be done right with The Dyrt to guide you along your trails!

Best Dog-Friendly Sites in Tennessee (619)

    1. Fall Creek Falls State Park Campground

    145 Reviews
    Spencer, TN
    Website
    +1 (423) 881-5298

    $8 - $32 / night

    "Our site was surrounded by trees and felt very private."

    "The Tennessee countryside is an enjoyable backdrop to this meandering road trip and you are very close to several other excellent Tennessee SPs."

    2. Elkmont Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

    123 Reviews
    Gatlinburg, TN
    Website
    +1 (865) 430-5560

    $30 / night

    "Pets are allowed in the campground, but not on the trails.

    This campground has great access to hiking and fishing, as well as wildlife viewing."

    "I had the most fantastic campsite right next to the river in Elkmont."

    3. Cades Cove Campground

    98 Reviews
    Townsend, TN
    Website
    +1 (865) 448-4103

    $30 / night

    "You can easily bike through the loop, or drive. Nice spot to see wildlife as well. Cades Cove is well known for spotting bears, deer and turkey."

    "Pros:

    • beautiful and scenic
    • Near great trails
    • lots of wildlife - saw a bear!"

    4. Greenbrier Campground

    70 Reviews
    Gatlinburg, TN
    Website

    $35 - $258 / night

    " Greenbriar campground is located in Pittman Center, west of Gatlinburg, adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains. The campground is certainly one of the nicest camping spots I’ve n the area."

    "The dog park is near this area as well as a swimming area on the river. It’s a short walk to the office/store and all the activities they offer."

    5. Cosby Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

    70 Reviews
    Cosby, TN
    Website
    +1 (423) 487-2683

    $50 / night

    "Drive in is a nice paved road, got our information on where our sites where from the Camp Host, Who was super informative."

    "Cosby is about half an hour outside of Gatlinburg and worth every minute.

    A16 was big and shady. There were a few steps down to it. Plenty of trees and distance to the nearest neighbors."

    6. Montgomery Bell State Park Campground

    65 Reviews
    Burns, TN
    Website
    +1 (615) 797-9052

    "Camping at the Wild Cat Backcountry site is AWESOME!! It's about a 1.7 mile hike which is not too bad!! Totally secluded and enjoyable!"

    "Campground Review: Montgomery Bell State Park The Four Mile Campground is nestled in a hollow offering shade and creekage on one side plus several of the trailheads start nearby and you are close"

    7. Edgar Evins State Park Campground

    56 Reviews
    Lancaster, TN
    Website

    "I'm from New England and relocated to Tennessee in 2016. The first time I went camping at Edgar Evans, I had no idea what was going on!"

    "The park is a gorgeous property with a lake and hiking trails. There are ADA sights. The hills are steep and some of the sights have angle ramps."

    8. Harrison Bay State Park Campground

    56 Reviews
    Harrison, TN
    Website
    +1 (423) 344-6214

    $22 - $28 / night

    "Harrison Bay is a huge park, with four camping loops (3 for RVs, 1 for tents), and a large marina, located on the Chickamauga Reservoir of the Tennessee River."

    "This is a great family campground and Tennessee State Park located on Chickamauga Lake of the Tennessee River. Good playground for the Grandkids and bicycle paths."

    9. Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg KOA Campground

    54 Reviews
    Pigeon Forge, TN
    Website
    +1 (865) 453-7903

    "Very kid friendly, pet friendly (Kamp K9), lots in the area to go do and see. Pools, hot tub, kitchen, firewood for sale, fishing access, snack bar, cable tv, and WiFi."

    "Also adjacent to a massive open field park that’s great for the kids or dogs. Super close to Dollywood."

    10. Rock Island State Park Campground

    50 Reviews
    Rock Island, TN
    Website
    +1 (931) 686-2471

    "Rock Island State Park is situated in the middle of Tennessee. The park itself is surrounded by beautiful forest and some pretty great and easy hiking trails. The falls themselves are a sight to see."

    "Off I24 near Murfreesboro, Tn and a leisurely drive through the Tennessee countryside. Small towns, pickups and cows. Watch for stop signs, I almost missed one while looking at the scenery."

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Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews in Tennessee

4693 Reviews of 619 Tennessee Campgrounds


  • D
    Sep. 11, 2021

    Chattanooga North-Cleveland KOA

    Clean, Quiet, Friendly

    Friendly Staff, Clean Bathrooms, Convenient Location. No honeywagon for water and electric only sites, but dump station in campground. Some very nice private sites and none of the sites except maybe a few look very small or tight- pretty spread out. Lots of tent sites. You definitely hear the highway here, but not a big concern for us. Pet friendly with a very nice dog park. Pool for the kids. Playground is little more than a residential style wood swingset, but it kept the kids entertained.

  • Mary D.
    Sep. 18, 2019

    Sweetwater KOA

    Great owners make all the difference!

    Convenient location just off Interstate 75. Quiet wooded area with plenty of activities for the kids. Swimming pool, fishing pond, playground, jump pad. We don't have pets, but there is a small dog park area. Lots of planned weekend activities. Bathrooms are very clean and well-maintained. My husband is disabled and we are very appreciative of the separate handicap facilities. You don't have that in a lot of campgrounds. We like the sites best towards the front of the park close to the pool. The owners are very hands-on and involved and you can tell. We have camped all over the country but this is our favorite local getaway when we have a free weekend.

  • Nate H.
    Sep. 30, 2020

    Greenbrier Campground

    Best Around

     Greenbriar campground is located in Pittman Center, west of Gatlinburg, adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains. The campground is certainly one of the nicest camping spots I’ve n the area. The campground is very large, and has multiple camping options. They have tent and rv spots, as well as cabins, but I also saw some teepee style tent cabins. The campground is very wooded, so you feel like you are getting a legitimate Smoky Mountain camping experience. The pigeon river runs through the campground, and is great for fishing, or swimming/tubing in summer. There is a dog park also, and the campground is pet friendly. This campground has so many things to do, and it is very popular, so if you want to camp here, I would suggest booking early, because spots are booked months in advance. The campground is very quiet at night, with just the sounds of nature. There is a camp store, with firewood, and you’ll want to enjoy a campfire, even in the middle of summer. I Highly recommend Greenbriar Campground for camping in the Smokies.

  • Lori H.
    Jun. 15, 2020

    Escapees Raccoon Valley RV Park

    True RV park right off 1-75

    Raccoon Valley RV park is literally just an RV park. The park was very clean and well maintained, and would be a nice place to park for a night as part of a longer trip. The RV park is just right off 1-75, just north of Knoxville, so it would be easy to hop on and off the interstate. The property is just a large gravel parking lot, with a few trees scattered throughout. Not really my kind of camping, but nearly all the spots were full.

    The park has a large laundry facility, and a dog park for people traveling/camping with pets. I did see some benches located in the perimeter of the property in shady spots for relaxing.

    I assume some of the guests are long term residents, but the sites were all so neat and clean, without built on structures and such that I’ve seen at most places. This RV park will be perfect for some!

  • @HomegrownRV 😎.
    Oct. 19, 2023

    Rvino - The Broken Banjo

    Relaxing but small spaces

    Pros: The staff are all incredibly friendly. We loved interacting with them (especially Eric!) during our stay. The laundry and bathrooms are very clean and spacious. The staff will come around and collect your trash for you (which isn’t necessary but a nice plus!) The location is directly off the highway and close to stores if you need a late night run for anything. The dog park was cute and offered a lot of extras. The heated pool was nicely taken care of and would be fantastic for the summer season. The camp store had lots of necessities and cute decor plus a dvd rental library and a pizza place onsite!

    Cons: There was a massive cell phone tower within walking distance from our RV. Literally on the property of the RV park behind their utility shed and next to the playground. The highway traffic is quite loud. The campsites are very close together! The playground and fun type amenities in the back of the park weren’t kept up very well it seemed. A lot of the stuff was missing or broken.

    For more detailed reviews and photos, follow us on TikTok and Instagram @HomegrownRV!

  • Jaime W.
    Nov. 30, 2019

    Raccoon Mountain Caverns and Campground

    Nice campground

    We enjoyed our stay at Raccoon Mountain. Sites were a good size. Not right on top of each other. The caverns were pretty cool. Having the dog park close by was a bonus. We would definitely stay here again.

  • Candy H.
    Jun. 5, 2021

    Crossville / I-40 KOA

    Nice KOA

    Lots of green grass. The dog park is very well kept. There is a road close by but not a major freeway. It’s one of the quieter KOA’s I have stayed at. Pool is small but very clean. The store is well stocked and you can get hand dipped ice cream.

  • Malaney H.
    Aug. 29, 2018

    Raccoon Mountain Caverns and Campground

    Beautiful Park in the Mountains

    This campground is beautiful in the middle of the mountains. It is unique as well, in that there is a cavern entrance right on site. You are able to do a quick 45 minute knowledge tour or you can do a muddy tour, which is longer and takes you further into the cavern.

    There are RV and tent sites available as well as large group sites. The bathhouse a nice size and very well kept. There is also a laundry facility on site, which is nice for those the want to go in the mud rooms on the long tour. There are two different stores, one is for the camping reservations, and the other is for the caverns. They are doing renovations, so the cavern store is in a little trailer right now (August 2018).

    The people were very nice and helpful. We stayed during the rainy season, so the lady in charge that day, made sure to drive around and warn us that in an emergency situation, we would either go in the cave for shelter, or the bathhouse, which is made of brick. It was nice to know she cared so much to drive to each site and warn us. Luckily, we only got a small shower the next morning, so we had no weather issues.

    Lastly, and very important to us, was the on site dog park. My dog was very happy to run and chase her ball off of a leash. Its large and well maintained with a small dog ramp inside.

    Side note, there are about 12 cats that roam the facility. The are very friendly and will not hesitate to jump in your car or trailer so keep an eye out for them!!

  • NThe Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 31, 2021

    Baileyton KOA Holiday

    Country Time

    Sites: 60 Pull thrus 

    RV-Tent-Cabins 15-30-50 amp service 

    Hot showers, pool, pets allowed, toilets, laundry, small grocery store This is only of couple of miles off I40 in the rolling hills of Tennessee, very quiet and well maintained. Sites ae a bit close together but not on top of each other. Gravel pads, fire rings, picnic table, trash. Beautiful green space and dog walk area. Enjoy the hiking. 

    LNT 

    Travel safe


Guide to Tennessee

Tennessee offers a variety of pet-friendly camping options, allowing you to enjoy the great outdoors with your furry companions. From scenic parks to well-equipped campgrounds, there’s something for every pet owner.

Pet owners like the amenities available at these campgrounds

  • The Fall Creek Falls State Park Campground features electric hookups, drinking water, and clean restrooms, making it a comfortable stay for both pets and their owners.
  • At Greenbrier Campground, you’ll find spacious sites with picnic tables and fire pits, perfect for enjoying meals outdoors with your pet.
  • The Cades Cove Campground offers a serene environment with access to nearby trails, ensuring your pet has plenty of space to explore.

Tips for camping with dogs near Tennessee

Dog-friendly activities while camping near Tennessee

  • Enjoy hiking with your dog on the trails at Cosby Campground, where you can explore the beautiful scenery together.
  • Take your pet for a swim in the nearby lake at Rock Island State Park Campground, which offers a great spot for both you and your dog to cool off.
  • Participate in family-friendly activities at Anchor Down RV Resort, where you can enjoy water sports and other fun events that welcome pets.