Rock Island State park

[jacob]

My wife and I are looking to camp several days next month and were looking for some places to day hike and be back at camp to sleep overnight. About as far east in TN as we have camped is Mousetail. Saw this place online and looked interesting to explore. Not looking for primitive camping so any of those suggestions can be weeded out. Any personal input on this place or other similar campgrounds are appreciated. Thanks guys...

[gregintenn]

Fall creek falls is beautiful.

[Guest Razz]

Fall creek falls is beautiful.

...and CROWDED!

[whiskey]

Rock Island is pretty, but the hike to the swimming hole/beach is not a cake walk. Fall Creek Falls is awesome, but like stated, it's usually crowded. Big South Fork has a nice campground, RV style. The day hiking would be great at Big South Fork. You can see caves, huge overlooks, mountain streams. Tims Ford State Parks is nice. Hiking wouldn't compare to the others though. South Cumberland has some great hiking, but not sure about the RV camping.

[jtluttrell]

Cloadland Canyon is beautiful in the fall. http://www.gastateparks.org/CloudlandCanyon/

[jacob]

Rock Island is pretty, but the hike to the swimming hole/beach is not a cake walk. Fall Creek Falls is awesome, but like stated, it's usually crowded. Big South Fork has a nice campground, RV style. The day hiking would be great at Big South Fork. You can see caves, huge overlooks, mountain streams. Tims Ford State Parks is nice. Hiking wouldn't compare to the others though. South Cumberland has some great hiking, but not sure about the RV camping.

not so much worried about the hiking, just looking for a more "user friendly" camping area since i don't think my wife is ready to primitive camp for several days straight...looked at BSF and FCF also and will check out Tims Ford....thanks for the info...

[Moped]

Sounds like Bandy Creek would work well for you! My family and I have camped there several times and we have always enjoyed it. It can get crowded at times. Another place to consider is Picket State Park on the West side of BSF. It's a nice state park with a lake for swimming and canoeing. There are cabins there as well, should you not feel like camping. Also many of the things to do at BSF are located really close by, like across the road! Other things to see are Alvin C. York's grist mill near by. It should be a pretty area for leaf viewing near the end of October.

If you feeling like driving a little further, to the Smokies, but don't want to deal with the crowd at Elkmont or Cades Cove, Look Rock Campground is on the Foothills Parkway. We drove over there last sunday to check out Abrams Creek Campground and ran across this place. It has paved roads and bathrooms, looks really nice and there was not a soul in the whole place.except for the Host. He looked really bored too. The one problem with it is you will have to drive to whatever you want to do, but the views are beautiful and again, if leaf viewing is your thing, that could be a real diamond in the rough in October.

We decided to hit Abrams Creek here around the end of the month. It's rustic and small and really set up for tent camping, which is what we do. There are only 16 sites, but there is a bath house and water. There are also some good hiking trails and fishing if you are into that sort of thing. Good luck with your quest for a camping area!

Seems like we are getting a lot of camping threads on this sub-forum. It makes me wonder if we don't need a Camping and Hiking Sub-forum. Thoughts?

[jacob]

I think that type of sub forum would do well. We are looking to tent camp, but are looking for facilities (showers, etc) and not just a dirt square and a fire pit. Hopefully we can progress to that at some point, but it ain't happenin' any time soon...

[monkeylizard]

I was just at Chickasaw State Park this weekend. It has a tent-only area. The campsites were good and well spaced so you're not on top of your neighbor. Better spacing than at Mouse Tail Landing S.P. The bathhouse (toilets and showers) get a C-. They are in need of upgrading and were not particularly clean. Hiking in the park is limited, but it's adjacent to Chickasaw State Forest with lots of trails. A plus is that they have horse-back riding available. It's not available in many other parks and can be a nice break from regular trail hiking.

Frozen Head State Park is in east TN. About 200yards away from the regular RV/tent camp area is a primitive tent only area. It just has a portable toilet, but like I said, 200 yards away to the main site with a very well maintained and regularly cleaned bathhouse. The tent-only area is setup along a creek bank. It's awesome, and not too busy except for long weekends like Labor Day.

Edited September 17, 2012 by monkeylizard

[peejman]

A big group of my family spent a weekend at the cabins at Rock Island a couple years ago. Hot as blazes in July, but otherwise a nice place.

[Guest ochretoe]

http://www.tn.gov/environment/parks/

Take a look around, I'm sure you will find what you are looking for. I just spent several days at Cumberland Mountain SP and Harrison Bay SP. Both had nice campgrounds. If you want the best camping and hiking in Tennessee with the best trained Rangers and most secure setting then go to Meeman-Shelby Forest SP. It's just North of Memphis on the Mississippi River. The scum stay away and in a few of weeks the colors will rival the North East. (sorry, had to pitch a shameless plug)

[jacob]

i've already been looking at that website. i've camped shelby forest enough since i've lived in memphis most of my life. hunted chickasaw as a kid. we will probably hit up something along or south of the I40 corridor, but east of nashville this time around. basically just looking for input from people that would have already been to some of these places, mainly for input on the bathhouses, etc. thanks for everyone's input, it is appreciated