US Army Corps of Engineers · Tennessee campground guide
The numbers
Fee range
$22–$30/night
Season open
April through October
RV size limit
Up to 50 ft
Reservation window
6 months ahead via Recreation.gov
The insider read
TVA-managed Cherokee Lake (one of the 'Great Lakes of TN'). Trout-stocked tailwater. Quiet alternative to busy Smokies-area camps.
Original analysis from PickRV — synthesised from public sources you can verify, pulling the operational details competitor guides typically skip.
Verify at tva.comOn site
Book it right
PickRV doesn't handle campground bookings — reserve direct through the official channel so policies and cancellations flow through one record.
Opens recreation.gov
Every fact above is sourced from the managing agency's canonical page. Cross-check fee, season, and size limit before you depend on them.
Match the campground's size limit and hookup level to a vehicle category, then plan the rest of the trip.
Keep exploring
Near Burns
StateInsider tip · Closest state-park camp to Nashville (45 min). Iron-ore history; old furnace ruins on grounds.
Near Jamestown
StateInsider tip · Tennessee's first International Dark Sky Park. Sandstone arches + natural bridges. Adjacent Big South Fork for additional hiking.
Near Pigeon Forge
PrivateInsider tip · Closest full-hookup camp to Dollywood (5 min) + Smokies. Free trolley to the strip. Books a year+ out for July/Aug.
Near Townsend
NPSInsider tip · Most popular GSMNP campground. Cades Cove loop drive is the highlight — Wed mornings vehicle-free for bikers/walkers (May-Sept). Bear sightings routine.
Your next step
Cherokee Dam Campground (Cherokee Lake · USACE) takes rigs up to 50 ft, so what you arrive in decides whether the loop works at all. If you don't own one, the same trip runs on a motorhome rented in Tennessee.
Nothing in Tennessee is bookable today — PickRV opens for bookings on October 25. Dated requests are what we take to owners, so give us the window you actually want — you get one email the day a rig covers it, and nothing else.
Nearby & related
Sourced costs, campground directories, and the places worth a detour — the next layer of Tennessee trip planning.
Before you go
Tennessee rules
Verified 2026-05-10
