Fishing

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

Forest Grove RV Resort

188 RV Sites

Forest Grove RV Resort in Dandridge, Tennessee, offers 188 full-hookup RV sites across 206 acres between Cherokee Lake and Douglas Lake, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 60 feet. Basic and standard back-in categories join a splash pad, outdoor pool, and pond in East Tennessee's lake country. One hundred eighty-eight back-in sites run in basic and standard categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with site WiFi, sized to 60 feet, with picnic tables. The sites are spacious across the 206-acre property. A general store, propane fills and exchange, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. A splash pad and outdoor pool anchor the summer, with sports courts, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, corn hole, and an arcade filling the grounds. A pond supports fishing, with walking trails, hiking, a playground, pavilion, and dog park besides. The forest setting across 206 acres gives genuine space between sites. Pets are welcome. Dandridge sits in Jefferson County between two of the region's best fishing lakes — Cherokee and Douglas — with the broader Great Smoky Mountains corridor within reach. That combination of serious recreational infrastructure and direct lake proximity is what has built the resort's reputation in East Tennessee. The resort serves the Tennessee lake season. Summer fishing and boating drive the heaviest demand, with October foliage in the Smokies bringing a second wave and the shoulder seasons offering the most comfortable conditions. Reserve ahead for warm-weather weekends and fall color.

from $55/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

Buddy Bear in the Smokies RV Campground

25 RV Sites, 1 Cabin, 3 Cottages

Buddy Bear in the Smokies in Sevierville, Tennessee, puts guests in the heart of the Smoky Mountain tourism corridor — a full-service campground with RV sites and cabin accommodations, a swimming pool, Wi-Fi, paddleboarding and kayaking, and mountain views in a community whose geographic position between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Pigeon Forge's entertainment district gives every guest the double access to one of America's most visited national parks and one of its most densely programmed tourism strips. Sevierville's position at the mouth of the mountain corridor makes it the natural first stop on any Smokies visit, and Buddy Bear's combination of outdoor amenities and community atmosphere gives guests a camp to return to that rivals the attractions themselves in evening appeal. RV sites with full hookups and cabin rentals cover the accommodation range for groups, families, and couples whose Smokies plans require either their own rig or a turnkey lodging option. The swimming pool provides the midday recreation anchor on warm mountain days when a cool dip between excursions is more appealing than another trail, and the paddleboard and kayak access gives guests a water activity option within the campground that complements the mountain hiking and park visitation that define the broader Smokies itinerary. The campground's community orientation — the evening gathering culture that the owners cultivate as an explicit part of the experience — creates the social dimension that transforms a campground from an infrastructure provider to a genuine destination community. Pets are welcome. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited National Park in the United States with over 12 million annual visitors, encompasses 522,000 acres of Appalachian highland ecosystems spanning the Tennessee-North Carolina border — the world's most biologically diverse temperate deciduous forest, where over 19,000 documented species of plants and animals inhabit an elevation range from 875 to 6,643 feet. The synchronous firefly display in the park's Elkmont area each June is one of the rarest and most sought-after wildlife events in North America, and the park's salamander diversity, spring wildflower profusion, and October hardwood foliage represent three additional world-class natural events accessible from Sevierville. Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, repeatedly recognized as the top theme park in the United States by Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards, provides the regional entertainment anchor that sustains the Smokies corridor's visitor economy alongside the national park — a park whose combination of Appalachian heritage music and craft demonstrations, nationally recognized roller coasters, and genuine Southern hospitality gives it a cultural authenticity rare in the theme park industry. Soaky Mountain Waterpark, adjacent to Dollywood, provides the aquatic complement for summer visits. Buddy Bear in the Smokies operates year-round in Sevierville's mild Appalachian climate, with spring wildflower season from late March through May and October foliage driving the two most competitive booking windows. Dollywood's season typically runs March through December with peak programming in summer, and the combination of the park, the national park, and Sevierville's Christmas holiday programming sustains strong visitor demand well beyond the summer peak. Reserve cabins and hookup sites well ahead for the June firefly season, October foliage, and any major Dollywood festival weekend.

The Ridge Outdoor Resort

140 RV Sites, 6 Tiny Houses

The Ridge Outdoor Resort in Sevierville, Tennessee, offers 133 full-hookup RV sites and six tiny houses across more than 50 acres three miles from Pigeon Forge, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted up to 83 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. Back-in and pull-through categories join a pool, hot tub, fitness center, and pickleball courts. One hundred thirty-three sites run in back-in and pull-through categories, both carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 83 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Eighty-three feet is exceptional in the Smokies, where terrain usually limits length, and two straightforward categories keep booking simple. Six tiny houses round out the lodging. A laundry, dump station, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. An outdoor pool and hot tub and sauna anchor the property, with a fitness center, sports courts, pickleball, basketball, gaga ball, golf cart rentals, a pond, playground, and dog park filling the grounds. Fishing and swimming run on site. Pets are welcome. Fifty acres is a lot of room for 133 sites, and the spacing shows — this is a luxury outdoor resort rather than a dense campground, with mountain scenery in every direction. Pigeon Forge is three miles off, which puts Dollywood, the Parkway, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park entrance all within a short drive while keeping the resort itself out of the traffic. Summer and fall foliage drive the heaviest demand in the Smokies, with the Christmas season drawing a strong third wave. Reserve well ahead for June through October.

from $75/night

Uncle Jim's River Cove Campground

81 RV Sites, 5 Tent Sites, 3 Onsite RV/Trailers

Uncle Jim's River Cove Campground in Sevierville, Tennessee, offers 84 full-hookup RV sites and five tent sites on the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted up to 98 feet. On-river, river loop, mountain view loop, and buddy site categories join a beach, playground, and pickleball courts. Eighty-four sites span full-hookup on-river, full-hookup river loop, full-hookup mountain view loop, and full-hookup mountain view loop buddy categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 98 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits. Ninety-eight feet is exceptional for the Smokies, where terrain usually limits length. Every site gets a fire pit, charcoal grill, and picnic table. The buddy sites suit two rigs traveling together. Five tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, restrooms, showers, and an indoor bathhouse handle the practical side. The river carries the recreation, with a beach, swimming, fishing, and inflatable water toys. Sports courts, pickleball, basketball, gaga ball, a playground, dog park, and picnicking fill the grounds. Pets are welcome, and there is a dog park for them. The address is 2575 Pittman Center Road, in the Sevier County countryside between Sevierville's commercial corridor and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park's Greenbrier entrance — close to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg without sitting in the traffic. Summer and fall foliage drive demand hard. Reserve well ahead for June through October.

from $49/night

Creekside RV Park - TN

106 RV Sites

Creekside RV Park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, offers 106 full-hookup RV sites along Walden's Creek, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 45 feet behind a gated entrance. Creekside categories at both amperages join standard full-hookup and pull-through tiers, with a lazy river, outdoor pool, zip line, and mini-golf. One hundred six sites span 30-amp full hookup, 30-amp creekside full hookup, 50/30-amp full hookup, creekside full hookup 30/50-amp, and pull-thru full hookup categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. The creekside categories put you on the water and are worth requesting early. A general store, laundry, dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. Rates run by season — roughly $55 for 30-amp and $60 for 50-amp in early spring, rising to $60 and $65 through the summer, with separate fall pricing. A lazy river and outdoor pool anchor the summer, with a zip line, mini-golf, pavilion, walking trails, and on-site dining filling the grounds. The creek supports fishing, canoeing, and kayaking, with hiking, biking, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, live music, and productive birding nearby. A golf course and skiing are close. Four miles from Dollywood puts the resort inside the most entertainment-dense corridor in the southern Appalachians, with the national park's 521,000 acres just beyond. Summer and fall foliage drive demand hard. Reserve well ahead.

from $55/night

Holy Smokies RV Park and Glamping

14 RV Sites

Along the calm waters of Walden's Creek in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Holy Smokies RV Park and Glamping provides a tucked-away, creek-side retreat that delivers the full Smoky Mountains camping experience while maintaining walkable distance from the entertainment corridor that has made Pigeon Forge one of the most visited resort destinations in the American South. The combination of full hookup RV sites, stylish glamping tents, and a fully furnished camper rental—each positioned to emphasize the creek's natural soundtrack over the road noise—gives guests a variety of accommodation styles without compromising the peaceful character that makes the property work as a genuine escape from the traffic and commercial density of the Parkway. RV sites with full hookups and level pads accommodate a range of rig sizes, and the property's creek-side layout gives even the most straightforward site a natural dimension that generic RV pads can't replicate. Glamping tents offer a step up in comfort and visual character for guests who want a designed outdoor experience, and a recently remodeled furnished camper rental provides a fully self-contained option with a queen bed, pull-out couch, kitchen equipped with microwave, oven, stove, and Keurig coffee maker, toilet, and shower. A pristine bathhouse with new facilities, complimentary WiFi, on-site laundry, and a community fire pit complete the property's infrastructure. The staff's attentiveness and the park's consistently clean, well-maintained condition are among the most frequently mentioned qualities by returning guests. Walden's Creek provides the campground's defining natural character. The creek's gentle current, shaded by rhododendron and hemlock along the bank, creates a microclimate that stays noticeably cooler than the surrounding Pigeon Forge commercial zone even on the hottest summer afternoons—the kind of woodland creek atmosphere that earns the term "hideaway" without overpromising. Bird life along the creek corridor includes the common summer residents of the Smokies foothills: wood thrushes, Louisiana waterthrushes, belted kingfishers, and the occasional great blue heron working the creek margins in the early morning. Dollywood, the best-reviewed theme park in the country by multiple major industry rankings, is just minutes from the campground—accessible without the complicated logistics of arriving from farther out the Seaway Trail. The Island in Pigeon Forge, with its observation wheel, restaurants, shops, and evening fountain shows, provides the family entertainment anchor that the Parkway corridor is built around. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park entrance at Gatlinburg is a short drive for hiking, wildlife viewing, and the scenic drives through the park that constitute one of the most rewarding outdoor experiences available from the Pigeon Forge base. Waterfalls, historic mills, and the diversity of the Appalachian ecosystem await guests who step onto a park trail. Holy Smokies RV Park and Glamping is open year-round, and the Pigeon Forge calendar generates demand across all four seasons—from summer theme park visits to fall foliage on the Smokies' world-famous color displays to the winter holiday programming at Dollywood that fills the corridor from Thanksgiving through New Year's. Book your creek-side site early for fall and summer, and let Walden's Creek provide the natural counterpoint to everything the Parkway has to offer.

from $36/night

Pigeon Forge RV Resort

182 RV Sites

Pigeon Forge RV Resort in Tennessee offers 182 RV sites in the heart of the Sevier County resort corridor, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, cable TV, ADA-accessible sites, and rigs accepted to 65 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, open all year. Signature, Deluxe, Deluxe Micro, and creekfront partial-hookup categories join a pool, mini-golf, and 13 private bathrooms. One hundred eighty-two sites span creekfront grass partial hookup, deluxe back-in full hookup, deluxe micro back-in full hookup, deluxe pull-through full hookup, and Signature back-in full hookup categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 65 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Two things worth knowing: the creekfront category is partial hookup rather than full, and the Deluxe Micro tier right-sizes for compact rigs. Accessible sites are available. A general store, laundry, dump station, and firewood handle the practical side. The bathhouse has 13 private bathrooms, each with its own shower. Four people are included per site, each additional person is $7 per day, and eight is the maximum. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with mini-golf, volleyball, golf cart rentals, a pond, creek, playground, pavilion, community fire pit, dog park, and snack bar filling the grounds. Fishing, hiking, biking, and live music round it out. Dollywood, the Parkway, and the park's busiest entrance are all at hand. Summer and fall foliage drive demand hard. Reserve well ahead.

from $51/night

Camp Riverslanding

64 RV Sites, 1 Glamping Site, 7 Onsite RV/Trailers, 1 House

Camp Riverslanding in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, offers 71 full-hookup back-in RV sites, a house, and a glamping site on the Little Pigeon River, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 50 feet. Riverside Signature and premium categories join named RV rentals, with a heated pool, splash pad, community fire pit, and library. Seventy-one back-in sites run in 30/50-amp premium and 30/50-amp riverside Signature categories, both carrying water, sewer, and electric with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 50 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. The riverside Signature sites put you directly on the water — the reason most guests book here. Named RV rentals including The Hideaway and Bear Tracks, a house, and a glamping site round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. A heated pool and splash pad anchor the summer, with a game room, recreation center, barn, library, playground, community fire pit, dog park, horseshoes, corn hole, and on-site dining filling the rest. Fishing, swimming, picnicking, and planned activities round it out, and the property operates as a wedding venue. Directions from Knoxville: take I-40 east toward Asheville, exit 407 toward Gatlinburg, Sevierville, and Pigeon Forge, right onto Winfield Dunn Parkway/Highway 66 south for about nine miles, then right. The property sits among the trees on the river a few miles from Dollywood, in the heart of the Smoky Mountain corridor. Summer and fall foliage drive demand hard. Reserve well ahead for June through October.

from $40/night

Roamstead

27 RV Sites, 21 Cabins, 6 Tent Sites, 9 Yurts, 1 Airstream

The eastern edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park receives far less visitor traffic than the Gatlinburg corridor on its western side, and Roamstead in Cosby, Tennessee takes full advantage of that quieter position — placing guests beside the national park boundary in a setting that delivers the Smokies experience with significantly less parking-lot stress than the more developed gateways. Modern cabins, cozy yurts, and RV and tent sites fill the property with accommodation variety that serves solo travelers, couples, and families equally well. The resort's heated saltwater pool is the social centerpiece for days when hiking gives way to relaxation, and the lodge provides food, cocktails, and a gathering space that gives the property a hospitality dimension beyond the typical campground experience. Jeep and outdoor equipment access, campfire areas for evening s'mores, and the general atmosphere of a mountain retreat that takes its outdoor surroundings seriously round out a property that competes directly with boutique cabin properties at a fraction of the per-night cost. Pets are welcome, and the overall vibe is that of a mountain basecamp designed for people who actually use it as one. The Cosby area of the Smokies rewards guests who seek out its less-publicized character. Cosby Creek and its tributaries hold wild rainbow and brook trout, and the fly-fishing conditions here — away from the Gatlinburg crowd — are as close to solitary as you get within the national park boundary. The Cosby Campground area trail network puts guests on paths to Hen Wallow Falls and the Big Creek drainage within a short drive, and the whitewater on the nearby Pigeon River provides guided rafting experiences ranked among the best in the Southeast. Dollywood, the Dolly Parton-themed theme park in Pigeon Forge, is a short drive from Roamstead and consistently earns recognition as one of the best-operated regional theme parks in the country — the combination of mountain scenery, live music, and genuine Appalachian cultural programming sets it apart from standard amusement parks in ways that even visitors skeptical of theme parks appreciate. The Pigeon Forge entertainment corridor adds dinner theaters, go-karts, and a dense family attraction cluster to the day-trip roster. Gatlinburg's artisan shops, craft distilleries, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park visitor center are another short drive further, and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail — one of the park's most scenic one-way auto routes — passes through old-growth forest and historic homesteads accessible directly from Gatlinburg's main strip. Roamstead is open through the Great Smoky Mountains touring season, with spring wildflower blooms (April through May) and fall foliage (October) representing the two most spectacular and most competitive periods to book. Summer stays are fully operational with the pool and full programming active, and the Cosby area's cooler east-side temperatures compared to the Gatlinburg corridor make July and August more comfortable at elevation. Reserve cabins and yurts well ahead for fall foliage — the window fills quickly as the most sought-after Smokies camping experience of the year.

from $34/night