Cove Lake State Park RV & Campground Guide
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Cove Lake State Park in eastern Tennessee includes 673 acres of land that surrounds 210-acre Cove Lake. Together with a large campground, the park supports several short hiking trails and a wildlife observation area. The Cumberland Trail runs north of the park connecting ambitious hikers to the surrounding mountains that include Cross Mountain toward the west and Fork Mountain to the north. Cove Lake and Cove Creek offer an abundance of fishing opportunities. Situated a short distance east of Jacksboro and north of Caryville, the park is only 40 miles north of historic Oak Ridge, TN. The neighboring communities provide plenty of shopping, eateries, and intriguing sites to visit.
Spring 37-78 F
Summer 62-87 F
Fall 37-81 F
Winter 28-51 F
RV Resorts & Campsites in Cove Lake State Park
Taking a trip in an RV allows you to explore many areas while providing you with a home base. After a day of hiking or driving around the area, an RV is a welcome comfort adorned with all the home amenities. If you don't own an RV, consider a rental through RVshare.
Cove Lake State Park Campground
Cove Lake State Park Campground offers 106 RV campsites, many of which provide pull-through capability. Rigs up to 40 feet in length are welcome in the campground. Some sites are narrow, so research your chosen site before making a reservation. The park is one of the finer state-operated campgrounds in Tennessee with added amenities like a swimming pool, a boat ramp for lake access, and two warm shower bathhouses. While the hiking trails inside the park are short, they connect to the Cumberland Trail that traverses the Cumberland Mountain range, providing access to many of the mountaintops observed from the park. A camp store provides the essentials every camper needs and the fishing in the lake is exceptional.
Water Hookup: Yes
Electric Hookup: 30/50 amps
Sewer Hookup: No, but a dump station is on the site
Wi-Fi Available: No
Pet-friendly: Yes
Other amenities: Restrooms with flush toilets, fire rings, picnic tables
Fee: $21 to $40 per night
The Ridges at Royal Blue
The Ridges at Royal Blue offers 30 RV campsites, but only two are pull-through. Each campsite is 40 feet in width providing plenty of space to deploy any slide-outs your rig may support and still give you plenty of room to spread out. The maximum length of a campsite is 80 feet, so even the longest rigs find a home at this campground. These sites are situated in an area with easy access to hiking, mountain biking, and ATV trails.
Water Hookup: Yes
Electric Hookup: 30/50 amp
Sewer Hookup: Yes
Wi-Fi Available: Yes
Pet-friendly: Yes
Other amenities: Restrooms with flush toilets, warm showers, fire rings, picnic tables, dump station, laundry facilities
Fee: $50 to $65 per night
Anderson County Park
Anderson County Park offers 12 temporary RV campsites, all of which are back-ins. The maximum length of RV accommodated in this park is 40 feet. Showers, restrooms, and laundry are ADA accessible. The park occupies 196 acres alongside Norris Lake. A boat ramp provides easy access to the lake with excellent fishing. Canoeing, boating, and kayaking are among the favorite activities guests enjoy. A playground, a swimming hole, and a horseshoe pit are available for kids and adults.
Water Hookup: Yes
Electric Hookup: 30/50
Sewer Hookup: No
Wi-Fi Available: No
Pet-friendly: Yes
Other amenities: Restrooms with flush toilets, warm showers, fire rings, picnic tables, a laundry facility, a dump station
Fee: $21 per night
What to Do at
Cove Lake State Park
Inside Cove Lake State Park
Cove Lake State Park offers 7 miles of hiking trails, 3 miles of which are paved to accommodate ADA access, bicycle, and hiking traffic. The Cumberland Trail swings close to the north side of the park, allowing more ambitious hikers the chance to visit distant sites before returning to their campground. The swimming pool at the park is lifeguarded and open during the summer months. A boat ramp allows easy access to Cove Lake and the bluegill, bass, and crappie that populate it. The lake serves as a temporary preserve for migrating bird populations.
Outside Cove Lake State Park
Since its creation in 1936, Cove Lake State Park visitors have enjoyed the park's surrounding area as much as the activities inside the park. While it is the park's beauty that brings visitors, it is the amenities outside the park that makes them return. Whether you are looking for a restaurant, a shop, or a museum, this diverse area satisfies every taste. Restaurants include American, Asian, seafood, and barbeque cuisine. Outdoor sports shops and department stores are available throughout the region, and museums and other attractions such as historic Oak Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are nearby.
Restaurants
Rickard Ridge BBQ
Rickard Ridge BBQ satisfies the barbeque hunger that many travelers crave. Try local favorites like the barbeque baker or the hog heaven meals.
Type: Barbecue
Location: 131 Goose Lane, Caryville, TN 37714
Takumi Japanese Restaurant
The Takumi Japanese Restaurant provides some of the best Japanese and Chinese meals found in the Cove Lake area. Try the chi rami or the shrimp with cashew nuts for a sampling of excellent Asian cuisine.
Type: Asian
Location: 171 John McGhee Boulevard, Caryville, TN 37714
Shoney's
Whether you are looking for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, stop by the Shoney’s - Caryville. Here you find great steak sandwiches or a chicken salad croissant.
Type: American
Location: 116 Main Street, Caryville, TN 37714
Dean’s Restaurant and Bakery
Dean’s Restaurant and Bakery offers simple and familiar American recipes. The locals enjoy this restaurant for its fresh ingredients in dinner meals like the turkey and dressing special or traditional pot roast.
Type: American
Location: 239 Jackson Square, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Red Lobster
Red Lobster specializes in seafood, offering an abundance of different items to taste from the sea. Try the Parrot Isle jumbo coconut shrimp for a filling and delicious meal.
Type: Seafood
Location: 359 South Illinois Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Shopping
Walmart Supercenter
When the time comes that you have a shopping list with a variety of items, visit the Walmart Supercenter in Jacksboro. This large chain store offers everything from apparel to medications to fresh produce.
Location: 2824 Appalachian Highway, Jacksboro, TN 37757
Academy Sports and Outdoors
Drop by Academy Sports and Outdoors to find the gear, bait, and tackle you need to fish Cove Lake State Park. In this shop, you'll find veteran anglers willing to educate travelers about Cove Lake's most successful fishing techniques.
Location: 145 Moss Grove Boulevard, Knoxville, TN 37922
Sightseeing
Museum of Appalachia
The Museum of Appalachia is a repository demonstrating how pioneers lived in the southern reaches of the Appalachian Mountains. The museum is a 65-acre living-history site where civilians live as they did decades ago.
Location: 2819 Andersonville Highway, Clinton, TN 37716
American Museum of Science and Energy
The American Museum of Science and Energy documents the early days of the Manhattan Project, which was the struggle to create viable atomic energy and the atom bombs that ended WWII. The museum is designed to teach children and adults about the modern applications of nuclear power.
Location: 115 Main Street East, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Only 60 miles southeast of Cove Lake State Park is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park is the largest in the United States. It features extensive hiking trails, beautiful views, excellent swimming holes, and fishing in lakes and rivers that run throughout the over 500,000 acres that make up this most-visited national reserve.
Location: 107 Park Headquarters Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
How to Get to
Cove Lake State Park
Cove Lake State Park's approach is most straightforward by following Interstate 75 (I-75) from either the north or the south. When approaching from the south on I-75, take exit 134 toward Jacksboro. Drive for 0.14 miles, and merge onto United States Highway 25 North (US-25 N). Go for 0.47 miles, and then turn right onto Ridge Road. The entrance to Cove Lake State Park is 0.06 miles ahead on the right. When approaching from the north, take the same exit off I-75, and follow the directions above.
Entering Cove Lake State Park
Cove Lake State Park is a day-use area that is open 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
Cove Lake State Park Entry Fee : $0.0
You'll make memories that last a lifetime when you take an RV adventure to Cove Lake State Park. If you don't have an RV of your own, rent one with RVshare! If you share your trip photos on social media, be sure to tag us, or send them to [email protected] for a chance to be featured on our blog.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cove Lake State Park
Cove Lake State Park Campground features 106 RV campsites, some of which provide pull-through capability. The campsites offer water and electrical hookups and can accommodate RVs up to 40 feet in length. There's also an on-site RV dump station.
Cove Lake State Park offers fantastic bird-watching opportunities. Some of the area's many avian species include great blue herons, bald eagles, red-shouldered hawks, wood thrushes, Baltimore orioles, Canada geese, and blue-gray gnatcatchers.
Dogs of all sizes are allowed in the park for no additional fee. Dogs cannot be left unattended and must always be leashed and cleaned up after. Dogs are also not allowed in any buildings around the park.
Cove Lake State Park has a moderate climate with steady rainfall throughout the year. Typically, summers range from 60 to 87 degrees, and winters range from 25 to 51. It occasionally will snow in January and February.
Summer is generally the ideal time to visit Cove Lake State Park. If you visit between May and September, you'll enjoy warm, pleasant temperatures for partaking in outdoor recreational activities.