Cheaha State Park is about what you'd expect from any other state park, with plenty of trails and foliage. The camp store is a lot bigger than I expected, with lots of firewood available, and snacks, drinks, and gifts/souvenirs for sale. The staff was helpful and knowledgeable, and there were three cashier stations as the store seemed to have a pretty constant flow of customers each time we went. Outside at the parking lot, there was even an EV charging station - I don't know much about those but I can say it's not one of the fast chargers. As far as the trails go, this is on top of a mountain, so be sure to pay attention to the topology on the trail maps to be sure you're not under-prepared for steep climbs.

The campsites were ok. While the wind proved to be the biggest issue we had during our trip (nearly tearing our tent from the ground with us in it during the first night!), the main issue we found was that the ground was really rocky and uneven, making tent tethering rather difficult. There were plenty of trees around to tether to, though, so if you have a larger tent with lots of guy lines, I recommend making use of them as tether points. Out second night was much better in that regard, as we made adjustments specifically to combat the harsh wind and our tent fared much better. Each campsite had some kind of fire pit, though they all appeared to be different: some had your basic stone fire ring, some had like a Home Depot-style metal fire pits, some had big iron stove contraptions. Be wary of all the fallen leaves in the fall and winter, though! Clear out any leaves immediately surrounding your fire pit before starting any campfires.

The bathroom facility (at least for the upper campground) was pretty spartan, but mostly clean with plenty of TP available. No showers or hot water. Some spider webs, but we didn't encounter any bugs or critters holed up inside. The only cleanliness issue we encountered was when other campers left the toilets in bad condition. The bathroom did have an electric heater inside, though, which was rather nice when escaping from the wind chill.

The upper campground is near the highest point of the mountain and is in walking distance for most sites. Don't expect any real views, though, as most of the area is covered in trees. Site 120 actually had a fantastic, unobstructed view and would be ideal for sunrise, so try to get that one if it's available. The fire tower at the top is open to the public for most of the day, but its views are pretty lackluster surprisingly - there is a big antenna with support wires that get in the way, and the glass windows are pretty dirty. The best view is actually down toward the camp store at the event hall and really is quite phenomenal. There is a nice overlook with seating available, and the view is unobstructed by any man-made feature or any foliage overgrowth.

I might recommend visiting in the spring or summer. Not only would it be better considering the park's available water features, but the foliage would be green and keep things cool. We visited in early November, thinking the fall colors would be a big draw. The colors from the overlook were amazing, but inside the campground the views were just dead, brown leaves. Additionally, the combination of the wind and the dry fallen leaves made lots of LOUD noise in the overnight hours.

We camped at Colter Bay the last week of May into the first of June. While the campgrounds had plenty of RVs in it, we camped in our tent. The campgrounds in general has a ton of trees, so even though our next door neighbors were in a big RV, we couldn’t even see them from our tent. We couldn’t even see our minivan. Another benefit to the trees was cover from the wind - when we camped here, the nighttime temperatures were in the 30s. Not having to deal with the wind made it more bearable.

The loops are single-lane, one-way roads and are simple enough to navigate. Each loop has its own bathroom facility, and the bathroom facilities are close enough to each other that in the rare event yours is full, the next one down is only a short walk away. The camp store is amazingly well stocked, it’s practically a miniature grocery store with a lot of different items. You can even get ice cream there, and it has a gift shop attached that is equally well stocked with a wide variety of gifts. Even more amazing, there’s no need to worry if you forget that crucial bit of camping or hiking gear - the gift shop also had a pretty good selection of gear available.

Also in the Colter Bay Area was a pair of restaurants that had a nice, cozy summer camp kind of feel to them, and their availability was nice especially on the nights we were too tired from hiking to cook. The only “down side” I would say is that the shower facility was next to the camp store and not more central to the camp site loops, but it had great water pressure and nice, hot water so it was a nice way to cap your day of hiking with a hot shower and a hot meal at the restaurant.

Overall, the campgrounds were exceptionally clean, easy to navigate, well-supplied, and staffed with friendly people. I would absolutely camp here again, and I highly recommend it.

This is a great little campground in the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee. We stayed right by the river at two neighboring campsites (14 and 15), and it was amazing to wake up to the sights and sounds of the river. The bath house was a little bit of a hike, but it was only a few minutes walking distance away. The only downside is that it’s right beside a highway, so you hear traffic all day and night. But as you’d expect, it’s a bit quieter at night (it rained the first night of our stay, and the rain was louder than the traffic, to put things in perspective). I would absolutely come back here!

Lake Guntersville State Park campground is just about as idyllic as it gets. It definitely has that “summer camp” kind of feel to it as opposed to the typical “we have some land you can camp on” vibe most places have. The camp store was very well stocked, and at the time we camped there wasn’t a limit on firewood so we were able to keep our fire going despite it being damp wood. The restroom facilities were immaculate (with A/C!) and clearly cleaned multiple times a day. The primitive campgrounds themselves were first come first serve and not assigned, but we lucked out with one of the best sites available, even on a Saturday arrival. Our closest neighbor was at least 100 feet away. The only logistical downside to the primitive sites is that they don’t have picnic tables, so be sure to bring your own if you do any sort of cooktop cooking. Outside of what the campgrounds lacks, our biggest problem ended up being ANTS. Once they discovered the scent of my cooktop, there was no getting rid of them, and there were a LOT. It even made sitting around the campfire a constant game of picking them off your legs. I’m not sure if there’s much the campgrounds can do about it, though. But the ants pretty much stayed to the cooktop and never got into our tent or anything. The view we had was absolutely second to none, though, and absolutely made the ants a very minimal gripe in the end. I would absolutely visit again!

For a first outing with our new camping gear, our weekend at Raccoon Mountain campground was a great success. However, the terrain of the property makes it so all the campsites are in relatively close quarters, and with RV parking taking up most of the property, the primitive site experience just wasn’t as nice and relaxing as we had hoped for. Plus, the road going through the primitive area was gravel and steep, so it can be difficult to drive on if you don’t have 4-wheel drive. The staff was very nice, though, and they brought firewood directly to your site if purchased. The on-site bathroom facilities, at least on the men’s side was pretty dirty, and could have used more regular servicing throughout the day, considering the number of people using it. I’m far from discouraged about this campsite, but I’m not exactly wowed either. I’d return to see if I would have a different experience!