Established Camping

Cherokee National Forest Chilhowee Campground

2 Reviews

About

USDA Forest Service

Cherokee National Forest

Overview

Located in the Chilhowee Recreation Area, Chilhowee Group Camp offers camping for up to 75 individuals. Nearby McKamy Lake offers a swim area with a sandy beach and fishing from the bank. On the drive up to the campground, stop at one of the many observation overlooks to enjoy the beautiful mountains. Wildlife is abundant in this area, so have your camera ready and tread lightly.

Recreation

Within the recreation area are approximately 25 miles of hiking and biking trails including the Chilhowee Trails System. Chilhowee Group camp is an excellent location for wildlife viewing and accessing a nearby scenic waterfall. Fishing is available on the seven-acre McKamy Lake. Boats are allowed, but gasoline motors are not.

Facilities

The group camp includes a large open area with picnic tables and a grill as well as an RV site with electric hook up. Camp sites are scattered through the trees surrounding the RV site. Within the group site itself, a waterless vault toilet is available year-round. During the warmer months, (typically April-October), a bathhouse with flushing toilets and showers is available nearby. Both the beach and many trails are located within a short walking distance of the site. Drinking water is available near the entrance to the group site.

Natural Features

The campground is located near the top of Chilhowee Mountain at an elevation of 2,000 feet. It is in a mixed hardwood and pine forest and the lake is a short walk from the group camp.

Nearby Attractions

In addition to the immediate local activities, world class whitewater rafting opportunities are nearby on the Ocoee and Hiwassee Rivers.

Charges & Cancellations

Goup areas must be cancelled more than 14 days from reservation date to get refund. The $8.00 service fee will still be charged for the reservation

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site

Stay Connected

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

Site Types

Tent Sites
Group

Features

For Campers

Trash
Phone Service
Drinking Water
Toilets
Fires

For Vehicles

Sanitary Dump

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Ken O.

Scout

Reviewed Jul. 27, 2022

A beautiful and quiet place

We visited this campground in July 2022. We arrived on Monday evening and stayed 3 nights. I wish we could have stayed longer. We stayed in A loop, site 7. Our site was clean, shaded and level. We had plenty of space for our 6 x 12 converted cargo trailer camper and Outback, a pop up screen house for the dogs, and could have easily fit a tent or canopy as well. The site had lots of shade, as did most of the ones we saw in A loop. The campsite was crushed stone chips, and I suspect it would drain well after a storm. Most of the sites were well spaced and level. There is not a lot of screening vegetation between the sites, but the distance afforded a sense of privacy. Conversations rarely extended past the campsite, and overall this is easily the quietest campsite (with electric, showers, and lake access) that we have encountered to date. We stayed during the week, so I can't say whether the noise level picks up on the weekends.

The lake is beautiful and quiet. The bathrooms could be a little cleaner, and there was no soap in either bathroom during our stay. Fortunately, we brought some with us.

We will definitely be back.

SiteA7

Month of VisitAugust

Dan N.

Ranger

Reviewed Aug. 31, 2016

Group camping in Cherokee National Forest

Mountaintop campground with exceptional views, mountain lake/beach, waterfall, and hiking trails. We went in the spring for a work retreat. We had about 50 people, which filled the site nicely but wasn’t cramped. We had good access to the rest of the park facilities but as a group we had a lot of privacy: our own power hookups, picnic area, bath house, water.