Cherokee National Forest Guide

Camping in Cherokee National Forest

The Cherokee National Forest provides diverse camping options amidst its expansive trails, scenic byways, and whitewater rivers. In addition to the forest’s campgrounds, you can also explore top campgrounds in Tennessee in nearby cities like Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Johnson City. These private campgrounds cater to various needs, from basic sites to RV facilities. Locate dump stations near Cherokee National Forest easily through RVshare to ensure a hassle-free camping experience.

Some campgrounds near Cherokee National Forest are:

Paid Campgrounds

• Indian Boundary Recreation Area

  $15–$20 per night

• Chilhowee Recreation Area

  $12–$20 per night, day-use $3/day per car

• Rock Creek Campground

  Tent sites $12 per night, electric sites $20–$40 per night, day-use $2/day per car

• Little Oak Campground

  $10–$12 per night

• Backbone Rock Recreation Area

  $10-$20 per night

• Dennis Cove Recreation Area

  $10-$20 per night

Budget-Friendly Campgrounds

• Old Forge Recreation Area

  $7 per night

• Jake Best Campground

  $6 per night

• North River Corridor

  Free

• Tumbling Creek Campground

  Free

• Lost Creek Campground

  Free

Campgrounds by Lakes/Rivers for Fishing and Water Activities

• Cardens Bluff Campground

  $12 per night

• Parksville Lake Campground

  $12–$30 per night

• Davis Branch Dispersed Camping

  $10 per night

• Paint Creek Corridor

  $10 per night

• Rocky Top Campground and RV Park

  If you are looking for an adults-only campground in the Cherokee National Forest region, then Rocky Top Campground and RV Park is the place for you. Children are not allowed in this campground under any circumstances. The campground provides 35 spacious RV campsites, nine of which have pull-through capability. Each campsite is 25 feet in width, which allows you to deploy your slide-outs. The pull-through sites are 65 feet in length, while the back-ins are 60 feet long. A game room, pavilion, and sauna are available for the use of guests. A camp store provides access to groceries, firewood, LP gas, gasoline, and diesel. 

  • Water Hookup: Yes

  • Electric Hookup: 20/30/50 amps

  • Sewer Hookup: Yes

  • Wi-Fi Available: Yes

  • Pet-friendly: Yes

  • Other Amenities: Picnic tables, fire rings, restrooms with flush toilets, warm showers, laundry facilities

  • Fee: $43 per night

• Woodsmoke Campground

  Woodsmoke Campground, located within Cherokee National Forest near the small town of Unicoi, TN, provides 27 RV back-in campsites. The sites are 24 feet in width, letting you deploy your slide-outs. Upon arrival, guests are escorted to their campsite to ensure they are parked correctly and hooked into the system. The restrooms and bathhouses are ADA approved. Nature trails run through the forested areas of the campground. If needed, an RV maintenance service is available for guests.

  • Water Hookup: Yes

  • Electric Hookup: 30/50 amp

  • Sewer Hookup: Yes

  • Wi-Fi Available: Yes

  • Pet-friendly: Yes

  • Other Amenities: Fire rings, picnic tables, warm showers, restrooms with flush toilets

  • Fee: $40 per night

• Stoney Creek RV Park

  Stoney Creek RV Park offers 13 RV campsites, of which four are pull-throughs. All the campsites are 20 feet in width and 50 feet in length. Located inside Elizabethton, TN, the park offers easy access to restaurants, museums, and Cherokee National Forest. 

  • Water Hookup: Yes

  • Electric Hookup: 30/50 amps

  • Sewer Hookup: Yes

  • Wi-Fi Available: Yes

  • Pet-friendly: Yes

  • Other Amenities: Restrooms with flush toilets, fire rings, picnic tables, warm showers, dump station

  • Fee: $20 to $25 per night