Boating

Yeary Valley Farms

4 RV Sites, 4 Tiny Houses

Yeary Valley Farms in Speedwell, Tennessee, offers four full-hookup RV sites and four tiny houses on a working farm in the Appalachian highlands, with 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 45 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. Themed cabin rentals, farm animals, and a pond make this a farm stay rather than a conventional campground. Four back-in sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 50-amp, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits. Four tiny houses and individually themed cabins serve guests without a rig — the themed units are much of the appeal here. At four RV sites, availability is genuinely limited, so book well ahead. Pets are welcome. The farm setting carries the experience, with farm animals on the property and a pond for fishing. Hiking, boating, and stargazing run from the area, and the dark rural sky at this elevation is worth an evening on its own. The position is unusually good for outdoor recreation. Norris Lake — Tennessee's finest fishing lake — has a public boat launch two miles away, and the Royal Blue Wildlife Management Area's extensive ATV and UTV trail network is 12 miles out. Off-roading is nearby, which draws a steady share of guests. The farm sits right off Highway 63 in Speedwell, with Flat Hollow Marina, Blue Springs Hollow Boat Dock, Powell Valley Resort, a Sunoco fuel station, and a Dollar General all within short distance. Summer lake season and fall riding weather drive demand. With four RV sites and four tiny houses, reserve as far ahead as you can.

from $40/night

Mammoth Ridge RV Park

20 RV Sites

Mammoth Ridge RV Park and Campground in Greeneville, Tennessee, offers full-hookup RV sites on a lake with its own beach, a dog park, a general store and golf cart rentals. Sites take rigs up to 75 feet with electric hookups, which accommodates most large coaches traveling the Nolichucky valley between Morristown and Johnson City. Full-hookup RV sites with electric service accommodate rigs to 75 feet, and a dump station is on site. RV storage is available for guests leaving a rig between visits. Bathrooms, showers and laundry cover the practical side of a stay, a general store stocks basics and firewood, and WiFi reaches the sites. The lake is the property's center of gravity. A beach gives swimmers direct access, and fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking and paddle boats put guests on the water without leaving the campground. Walking trails and biking routes run the grounds, volleyball and gaga ball serve the younger crowd, and a covered pavilion handles group gatherings. A fenced dog park is on site and pets are welcome. Golf cart rentals make the property easy to move around, and a golf course is nearby. One practical note: this is bear country despite the populated setting, so store food accordingly. Greeneville is the home of Andrew Johnson, and the National Historic Site downtown preserves his homestead, tailor shop and cemetery. The Nolichucky River Gorge lies 20 miles south in the Cherokee National Forest, where a 14-mile canyon carries Class III–IV whitewater, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park's Cosby entrance is a 45-mile drive southwest. The campground runs spring through fall. Cherokee National Forest wildflowers peak April into May, and October foliage on the northeast Tennessee ridgelines is the busiest window of the year — with the Roan Mountain rhododendron bloom, 40 miles northeast, drawing heavily from mid-June into early July. Reserve ahead for both.

from $60/night

Knoxville Campground

43 RV Sites

Knoxville Campground in Clinton, TN, offers 43 full-hookup RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 83 feet. Sites are grouped by amp service and orientation: back-in 30-amp, back-in 30/50-amp, back-in water-and-electric 30-amp, pull-thru 30-amp, and pull-thru 30/50-amp. Sites carry water, sewer, and electric with a fire pit and picnic table. The park is rated big rig friendly and the 83-foot maximum accommodates long coaches with a toad. Laundry, a bathhouse with showers, a dump station, propane fills, and firewood cover the practical side, with WiFi across the grounds. Pets are welcome, with a dog park. Recreation includes an outdoor pool, a game room and arcade, a fitness center, a clubhouse, volleyball, horseshoes, a playground, and walking trails, with lake and boating access nearby. Clinton sits about 10 miles north of Knoxville off Interstate 75 in Anderson County, near Norris Dam and the Museum of Appalachia. Rates and site-type availability are on the booking page. Late arrivals should note the campground's after-hours policy, which is covered in the park's FAQ — worth reading before a long driving day.

from $58/night

Cumberland Falls RV Resort

25 RV Sites

Cumberland Falls RV Resort in Parkers Lake, Kentucky, offers 25 full-hookup RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 45 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, at the gateway to one of the Appalachians' most extraordinary natural wonders. Premium WiFi, golf cart rentals, a lake, and a fishing pier serve guests exploring the Daniel Boone National Forest. Twenty-five sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp in back-in and pull-through configurations, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. A general store, restrooms, showers, firewood, and both standard and premium WiFi handle the practical side. Pets are welcome. A lake and fishing pier sit on the property, with a river and creek running nearby. Sports courts, pickleball, horseshoes, corn hole, walking trails, a pavilion, and a dog park fill the grounds, with golf cart rentals to cross the property and planned activities through the season. Hiking, whitewater rafting, canoeing, kayaking, stargazing, and birding all run from the area, with boating and a casino nearby. Cumberland Falls is the reason to come. The 125-foot-wide curtain of the Cumberland River plunges 68 feet through a sandstone gorge and produces a moonbow visible by full moon light — a phenomenon found in only a handful of locations worldwide. The state resort park, the Daniel Boone National Forest, and the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area all converge here, with SomerSplash Waterpark and Wildcat Off-Road Park nearby. Full moon weekends draw moonbow viewers specifically. Reserve well ahead for those dates and for October foliage.

from $69/night

Camp Margaritaville RV Resort & Lodge - Pigeon Forge

91 RV Sites

Camp Margaritaville RV Resort and Lodge in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, offers 91 full-hookup back-in RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 60 feet at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains. Super, premium, deluxe, family, and standard categories join a lazy river, pool, hot tub, and bar minutes from Dollywood. Ninety-one back-in sites span standard, family, deluxe, premium, and super categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 60 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. The five-tier structure gives real range, and the family category is sized for groups. Cabins round out the lodging. A general store, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. Check-in is 2pm; arriving earlier may mean waiting, and an early check-in fee applies where the site is ready. A lazy river is the anchor, with an outdoor pool and hot tub and sauna alongside. A craft room, arcade, billiards, ping pong, tennis, pickleball, a playground, pavilion, dog park, snack bar, and bar fill the grounds, with live music, boating, and planned activities through the season. The Margaritaville brand's tropical energy against a Smoky Mountain backdrop is an odd combination that works. Pets are welcome. Dollywood and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park entrance are both minutes away. Summer and fall foliage drive the heaviest demand in Pigeon Forge. Reserve well ahead for June through October.

from $42 $36/night

Firefly Hills

13 RV Sites

Firefly Hills in Beattyville, KY, offers 13 full-hookup back-in RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 70 feet. Every site is a back-in carrying water, sewer, and electric with site-delivered WiFi and a fire pit. The park is rated big rig friendly, open all year, and explicitly LGBTIQA+ friendly. Laundry, a bathhouse with showers, a general store, firewood, a community fire pit, and RV storage cover the practical side. Pets are welcome, with a dog park and a playground. A pond, walking trails, pickleball, and gaga ball fill the wooded grounds, with hiking and kayaking close by. Beattyville sits in Lee County in the eastern Kentucky mountains, minutes from some of the most concentrated outdoor terrain in the Appalachian South: Red River Gorge, Natural Bridge State Park, Clifty Wilderness, Daniel Boone National Forest, Muir Valley, and Hollerwood Offroad Adventure Park. Rates and availability are on the booking page. Climbing season at the Gorge fills this park — reserve well ahead for spring and fall.

from $47/night

Lakeview RV Resort

87 RV Sites

Lakeview RV Resort in Bluff City, Tennessee, offers 87 full-hookup RV sites overlooking Boone Lake with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 50 feet, open all year. Standard, cable-equipped, and wide back-in categories join a storm shelter, fishing pier, boat docks, and outdoor pool. Eighty-seven back-in sites run in standard, with-cable, and wide with-cable categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp, sized to 50 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. The wide category is worth requesting for larger rigs or guests who want elbow room. Cabins round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills, restrooms, and firewood handle the practical side, with a storm shelter on site — a genuine safety feature in the Tennessee Valley. Site rates vary by category and date. An outdoor pool anchors the warm months, with a lake, pond, fishing pier, boat docks, and boat rentals giving direct water access for fishing, boating, canoeing, and kayaking. A recreation center, playground, pavilion, dog park, horseshoes, corn hole, biking, and on-site dining fill the rest, with planned activities through the season. Pets are welcome. The elevated viewshed over Boone Lake against the Blue Ridge is the resort's signature. Bluff City sits on US-11E between Johnson City and Kingsport, with the lake's bass and walleye fishery and the South Holston River tailwater close by. Year-round operation makes this viable across seasons. Summer and October foliage are the peaks — reserve ahead.

from $55/night

Escape With Us RV Resort

26 RV Sites

Escape With Us RV Resort in Somerset, Kentucky, offers 26 full-hookup RV sites in the Lake Cumberland corridor, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 50 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. A premium pull-through category with a private deck joins premium and standard back-in tiers, with a dog park, playground, boat storage, and food trucks. Twenty-six sites span back-in, premium back-in, and premium pull-thru with deck categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric, sized to 50 feet, with fire pits. The pull-through with a private deck is a genuine find — outdoor living space built into the site rather than something you set up yourself. A laundry, restrooms, showers, firewood, boat storage, and food trucks handle the practical side. A dog park, playground, and inflatable water toys fill the grounds. The amenity set is deliberately focused, and the thoughtful details — the deck, the boat storage, the food trucks — are what distinguish this from the region's more functional waterfront parks. Pets are welcome. Pulaski County sits on Lake Cumberland, one of the largest reservoirs east of the Mississippi with more than 1,200 miles of shoreline and a houseboating culture that defines the region. The striped bass fishery is among the best in the country, Cumberland Falls — the only regularly occurring moonbow in the Western Hemisphere — is close, and the Daniel Boone National Forest surrounds much of the area. Summer lake season drives the heaviest demand on Lake Cumberland and fills the corridor. Reserve well ahead for Memorial Day through Labor Day, with the spring and fall striper runs offering easier availability.

from $39/night

Off the Hook RV Campground

5 RV Sites

Off the Hook RV Campground in Nancy, KY, offers 5 full-hookup RV sites with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 50 feet. Sites come in two premium categories, 20/30/50-amp back-in and 20/30/50-amp pull-through, both carrying electric, water, and sewer with site-delivered WiFi, a fire pit, and a picnic table, and ADA-accessible sites are available. Every site takes all three amp services, and the campground is rated big rig friendly. Laundry, a bathhouse with showers, a craft room, and a community fire pit cover the rest. If you're arriving after hours, call ahead for check-in instructions. Pets are welcome, and there's a playground. A pond, live music, birding, fishing, and picnicking fill the grounds, with a lake and boating nearby. Nancy sits in Pulaski County in south-central Kentucky's Lake Cumberland corridor, where a 101-mile reservoir on the Cumberland River forms the largest Army Corps lake east of the Mississippi by surface area. Rates and availability are on the booking page. Five sites on Lake Cumberland — call ahead, and call again if you'll be late.

from $25/night

Black House Mountain Campground

Black House Mountain Campground in Jamestown, Tennessee, offers full-hookup RV sites and cabins on a big-rig-friendly property in Fentress County, with a general store, showers, and WiFi on the Cumberland Plateau. Off-road riders can reach the Pickett Forest trailhead 4.5 miles up Black House Mountain Road, directly across from the campground. Full-hookup RV sites and cabin accommodations serve both RV travelers and guests without a rig, on a layout sized for big rigs. A general store stocks basics, firewood is available, and restrooms, showers, and WiFi cover the practical side. The setting is forest and mountain, with walking trails running the property and picnicking areas across the grounds. The off-road access is the distinguishing practical feature — the Pickett Forest trailhead sits 4.5 miles up the road opposite the campground, so 4x4 and ATV guests can ride from camp rather than trailering out. Boating and creek access are nearby. Pets are welcome. The surrounding landscape is the most spectacular canyon country on the Cumberland Plateau. Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area, Pickett State Park, and the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area are all close, holding deep sandstone gorges, carved slot canyons, and natural arches and bridges in a concentration unmatched elsewhere in the Tennessee plateau. To reach the campground from Jamestown, take Highway 127 to Pickett Park Highway (154N) and travel northeast for 9.8 miles; the campground is on the right. The campground serves the Cumberland Plateau season, with fall color in October the most spectacular window and summer carrying the heaviest river and trail traffic. Reserve ahead for both.

Black Bear Resort

Black Bear Resort in Hampton, Tennessee, offers cottages, cabins, a bunkhouse, tent sites, and RV camping four-tenths of a mile from the Dennis Cove Trailhead, with a breakfast cafe, laundry, and shuttle service to Appalachian Trail access points. It is an Appalachian Trail Passport stamp location, and the section-hiker infrastructure is what the resort has built its identity around. Accommodations span the range. Cottages and cabins provide enclosed lodging, a bunkhouse offers hostel-style dormitory space for thru-hikers and groups, and tent sites and RV sites cover the rest. Laundry and restrooms serve guests coming off multi-day sections, and the on-site dining room handles meals — the breakfast cafe in particular is a fixture for hikers heading out. Pets are welcome. Walking trails run from the property, and the resort's shuttle service to multiple AT trailheads is the practical amenity that sets it apart in this corridor. Hiking, fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, and biking are all accessible from camp, and a playground serves families. Firewood is available on site. The Dennis Cove Trailhead, four-tenths of a mile away, enters the Appalachian Trail near Laurel Fork waterfall. Watauga Lake's 6,430 acres provide warmwater and tailwater fishing across the Big Creek inlet, the Laurel Creek embayment, and the Watauga River below the dam. The Roan Highlands' rhododendron balds bloom in June, visible for miles from the surrounding ridges. The resort serves the Carter County mountain season. Thru-hiker traffic peaks in spring as northbound hikers come through, and the June rhododendron bloom and October foliage draw the general visitor market. Reserve ahead for all three.

Cove Ridge Marina & Resort

5 RV Sites, 1 Cabin, 2 Houses

Cove Ridge Marina and Resort in Butler, Tennessee, offers five full-hookup back-in RV sites and three cabin and house units in a private cove on Watauga Lake, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 72 feet, behind a gated entrance. A single back-in category joins a marina, boat rentals, boat storage, on-site dining, and food trucks. Five back-in sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with site WiFi, sized to 72 feet. One consistent category and no guesswork, and 72 feet accommodates a long coach with a tow — genuinely generous for mountain lakeshore terrain. Three cabins and houses round out the lodging. A general store, restrooms, boat storage, on-site dining, and food trucks handle the practical side. The marina anchors the property, with boat rentals opening the lake for boating, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, and fishing. A playground fills the rest. Pets are welcome. Watauga Lake is Tennessee's highest-elevation major lake at roughly 1,959 feet, and it is genuinely striking — flanked by the ridges of the Cherokee National Forest, with water clarity that rivals mountain lakes much farther west and almost no shoreline development because the forest owns most of it. The private cove position means protected water and quiet even on a busy summer weekend. The Appalachian Trail crosses the lake at the dam, Roan Mountain and the Doe River Gorge are close, and Bristol and Johnson City are within a short drive. Summer lake season drives the heaviest demand, with fall foliage in the Cherokee National Forest drawing a strong second wave. Reserve well ahead.