Waterside RV camping in Tennessee

Camp beside rivers, waterfalls, and the Great Smoky Mountains in a lush wonderland for outdoor fun.

93% (4975 reviews)
93% (4975 reviews)

Popular camping styles for Tennessee

Star Hosts in Tennessee

Dog-friendly getaways

7 top waterside RV sites in Tennessee

100%
(1003)

Belle and Beau Acres

17 sites · RVs, Tents33 acres · Baxter, TN
Whether you're looking for peace, relaxation, or riverside adventure, Belle and Beau Acres hits the mark for any nature enthusiast. Location, location! BBA has taken the guess work out of rustic camping. Consistently ranked as a Best of Tennessee Hipcamp and situated in a convenient spot for Upper Cumberland waterfalls, hiking, kayaking, lake life and more. A short list of what to expect on site includes: PRIVACY - ADVENTURE - GETAWAY Quick response time/last minute requests accepted Spacious, shady, leaf-bed campsites 360 degree views of relaxing nature 27 Foot Waterfall (365 days of flow) Rock shelter under Ledge Waterfall Two shallow lazy rivers for soaking Hiking trails onsite Multiple spring-fed creeks Countless water cascades for exploring Star gazing over wide pastures Old forests for ample shade and hammock hanging Cellular reception at campsites (usually at least 1 bar) Please read the site descriptions carefully to match your style of camping with the appropriate campsite. BBA guests frequently camp with a tent, vehicle, smaller camper, hammock tent, roof top tent, pop-up camper and similar styles depending on their selection. Most of the photos in this listing are taken onsite. Please keep in mind this is primitive and wild Tennessee landscape that may also contain poisonous plants and wildlife in or around campsites. Access to fresh water fun is a short down-hill hike for all guests, with the exception of our hike-in campsites which are positioned alongside the river. Each spot has been strategically selected to provide as much privacy as possible, and comfortably accommodates groups with two vehicles. We provide a rock fire pit and heavy duty cast iron grill grate. You provide everything else, including drinking water and personal toilet waste bags if you plan to use our system. The hike-in sites come with extra seating. Every guest must be included on your reservation, and adult guests may be required to provide identification. Thank you! COMMUNITY COMFORT STATION: There is a comfort station with an outdoor shower stall for hanging your own solar shower bag. The comfort station also includes a changing room which doubles as a private place to use your portable camping toilet. A toilet seat and bucket system is provided but guests will need to use their own waste disposal bags, available at most camping supply stores. The backside of the comfort station has a rain barrel (not potable) collection system for extinguishing fires. OFF-ROAD CONDITIONS: Due to the primitive nature of our location, all reservations should expect hilly terrain and potential bumpy or soggy road access, especially after heavy rain. We ask all guests to help us minimize impacts by driving with care. We do not recommend vehicles with low ground clearance or low profile tires. An important note, guests always have the choice to park their vehicles at the entrance. We close road access December-March and guests are required to hike in from the entrance of the property, less than a mile distance total. When the road is open in Spring or unusually wet seasons, we recommend AWD or 4WD as a precaution. Belle and Beau Acres is a farm homestead with a personal campground, conveniently located less than five minutes from I40. Expect nothing short of 360 degree views of relaxing nature, privacy, and spontaneous adventure when recreating at this agritourism location. Central to the most beautiful middle Tennessee destinations, BBA is the perfect home base for day excursions to at least 10 nearby state parks and lakes. Conveniently located on the Eastern Highland Rim between Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga in the lower Appalachian mountains, this area sits at the Upper Cumberland Plateau and is part of Tennessee's largest micropolitan area of Cookeville. Visit popular nearby attractions such as Cummins Falls, Burgess Falls, Fancher Falls, Greeter Falls, Fall Creek Falls, Blue Hole, Rock Island, Center Hill Lake, Dale Hollow Lake, Caney Fork River, Standing Stone State Park, Virgin Falls, Rock Island, Cordell Hull, and Edgar Evins State Park. The choices are endless! The Klein family purchased their home in 2015 after grieving the sudden loss of a beloved family member and realizing that life is truly too short. They traded their bustling city life for a more permanent connection to nature. This small family of four lives at the entrance of their 33 acre old ranch, hosting primitive camping and leaning into a homesteading lifestyle. It wasn't until the family started shaping the land for their personal use until they realized the abundant beauty that surrounds the home. Hidden away and inaccessible were gorgeous rocky cliffs, rivers and even a waterfall! Hipcamp has provided an opportunity for them to carefully share this experience with others. On the land, they enjoy cooling off in the spring water, growing organic food, foraging for wild edibles, hiking, and exploring their onsite rivers and natural springs. Your host Christine is creative and loves working in her onsite fiber studio while her husband David is often found tending to his young fruit and nut orchard and organic crops. Their son Elliott is a student at Tennessee Tech University and their daughter Freya is a student at Upperman High School. David, Elliott, and Freya enjoy playing music together professionally in their band My Heart Your Heart.
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$40
 / night
98%
(119)

Blue Heron Landing

6 sites · RVs, Tents358 acres · Lobelville, TN
Blue Heron Campground was once home to the Cherokee Indians. Property is surrounded on all sides by water and has a mile and a half shoreline on the Tennessee river. Just to the North begins a designated 20 mile Wildlife Refuge following the river. It is 340 acres to roam and has rich farmland that has also grazed cattle. People's landing is now the swim beach and sand boat ramp. It was a port of commerce when the main types of transportation, prior to good roads, were the steamboats, ferry boats, and trains.  Just north of People's landing used to be a post office and small store at Daniel's Landing.The Tennessee River is one of only three rivers that flow North in the United States.People can now use it for camping, fishing or just watching the boats and barges  go by. Enjoy! Learn more about this land:Blue Heron Campground is primitive camping with no services located 10 miles west of Lobelville, Tennessee. There is a marina for supplies within 3 miles. You can camp right on the shoreline of the Tennessee river and enjoy the river for fishing or swimming. Take a 20 mile day trip to Loretta Lynn's ranch or go 70 miles to Nashville. Enjoy 358 acres to hike and explore open meadows and forest. Enjoy the birds and the boats going by. Hopefully a beautiful sunset over the river to end the day.
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$25
 / night
100%
(77)

The Ponderosa

4 sites · Tents5 acres · South Pittsburg, TN
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT!! We are CLOSING THE POOL ON SEPT 17TH, 2023. 2024 WILL BRING IN A NEW POOL LINER!! YAY!! PLANS TO RE-OPEN POOL FOR 2024 IS MAY!! NO HOT TUB! We lost our hot tub last year due to overuse of patrons from pool partiers. We rent our pool out on weekends but if you would like to have it while you are here let us know and we will rent it to you. $300 all day We look forward to seeing everyone! See Lodge cast iron factory. Enjoy our small town. We're close to Rock City and the Chattanooga choo choo and other great sites in Chattanooga Tn. Enjoy our swimming pool that opens in Late May but closes on the first cold snap, usually end of Sept every fall. Many amenities such as bathhouse, free Wi-Fi, grill, corn hole game and fire pit with wood. South Pittsburg, Tn is the home of Lodge Cast iron! Every year there is a National Cornbread Festival. Bring a tent and stay with us! POSITIVES OF STAYING WITH US 1. We will treat you like family. 2. We supply firewood. 3. We supply gas for the grill. 4. The pool is yours at no charge if there is no party scheduled. 5. We have free coffee in our pool area kitchen. A small refrigerator and a microwave. 6. HOT SHOWERS!! shampoo, conditioner, soap, towels and washcloths provided. 7. Bathroom and sink 8. Back porch to relax on if you choose to. 9. Free Wi-Fi 10. Kayaking in area. 11. Hiking trails all over the Jasper Highlands! very close to us. 12. We have two horses you can pet and spend time with, but don't turn your back on the brown one! she will bite your butt! lol! (This should've been in the negatives, lol!!) Here are the NEGATIVES OF STAYING AT THE PONDEROSA 1. We have 5 German shepherds in a kennel that will welcome you upon your arrival with barking. They settle down eventually. 2. We have a nosy Monkey named Daisy Mae who watches our campers and pool parties continually. 3. We rent our pool out so it may not always be available to you when you're here and the bathroom is shared with them during your stay. 4. Our property is across the street from a scrap metal yard that opens too early.
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$25
 / night
98%
(23)

Camping at The Farm On Federal

6 sites · RVs, Tents15 acres · Ocoee, TN
The Farm on Federal is a beautiful 15 acre property in the heart of Ocoee, Tennessee! Park your RV, camper, camper van or even tent camp on our beautiful forested farm. You will have access to many different kinds of sites on our property. We offer full hookup RV sites as well as camper van and car camping sites and even rustic tent campsites! We raise rotationally-grazed, beyond-organic, forest-fed and pasture raised chicken eggs, meat chickens, and pork. Peak into our small-scale farming operation! You will be in the middle of Ocoee - close to all kinds of water adventures on the Ocoee or Hiwassee River and Parksville Lake, or land adventures like hiking, mountain biking and much more in the Cherokee National Forest. Also located only 15 minutes from downtown Cleveland and 45 minutes from downtown Chattanooga. We offer fast Wifi, fire wood, fresh farm products, as well as from scratch sourdough products/baked goods/other tasty treats and much more! For more information, you can view our website. Other Things to Note: While we have well behaved and calm animals, this is not a petting zoo. Please do not approach the animals. Also, all fences are hot, meaning electrified and on... do not touch!
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$15
 / night
100%
(16)

The Forest Retreat

20 sites · RVs, Tents136 acres · Waverly, TN
Learn more about this land:Enjoy the wonders of the Tennessee countryside, the site is located on the edge of the Tennessee River within 20 minutes of Waverly TN. A public boat ramp is a little further down Bear Creek Road (1 mile) where you can put your boats into the water and enjoy the over 250sq mile lake. The Forest Retreat is a great location to enjoy camping in a pine forest area and enjoy the wildlife that surrounds the 130+ acre area.
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$20
 / night
Booked 1 time

Sherwood Acres

2 sites · RVs, Tents1 acre · Clifton, TN
Beautiful brand new campsite right on the Tennessee river in Clifton, Tennessee. Located in White Oak Landing, a gated community with awesome other RV'ers. There's a community boat ramp, boat storage area, or keep it on your lot, picnic pavilion, recreation area. And within just a short boat ride or drive there’s Fisherdale, and Clifton Marinas. Ross Creek Landing Golf Course Is a quick 10 min drive. Shopping/town isn’t too far. I have two graveled sites on one lot, one is pull in and one back in. Suitable for all size RV's, $680 a month. 50/30 amp, sewer, water, electric and trash included! All pets welcome. No restrictions on breads. Internet included for longer stays. Please contact me for more information. Thank you
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$45
 / night
100%
(1)

Backyard Farms Off Grid Adventure

2 sites · RVs, Tents70 acres · Celina, TN
we are only the second owners of this propertyLearn more about this land:We have trails that are being cut, Dale Hollow Lake and Dam less than 1 mi away, rough woods, caves, and creeks to explore. This exploration is for the adventurer.
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$15
 / night

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Waterside RV camping in Tennessee guide

Overview

The geology of the Volunteer State is surprisingly dramatic. The landscape soars from the delta lowlands of the Mississippi River east to the rugged heights of the Cumberland Plateau before climbing the forested slopes of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The varied terrain is well-suited for active campers, from paddlers and rock climbers to fishers and firefly hunters. And hikers? They’re happy everywhere. Tent and RV sites are abundant, and a growing array of glamping options—yurts, retro trailers, and treehouses—keep the camping scene fresh. And in music-loving Tennessee, a live jam is never far away, be it blues, bluegrass, or Bonnaroo.

Where to go

West Tennessee

Bordered by the Mississippi and anchored by Memphis, West Tennessee works best for campers seeking music, history, and low-key outdoor thrills. Tents and RVs are welcome at Pickwick Landing State Park, known for its lake and watersports, while birdwatchers may prefer driving north to Reelfoot Lake State Park, where bald eagles are plentiful. Shiloh National Military Park spotlights a pivotal battle in the Civil War.

Middle Tennessee

Marked by cliffs, waterfalls, wild rivers, dark skies, and lush forests, Middle Tennessee is a geologic drama queen. Packed with state parks along the steep edges of the Cumberland Plateau, it’s also a top destination for camping and active travelers. Visit Nashville, home to honky-tonks, hot chicken, and Vanderbilt, then hit Fall Creek Falls, a deep-green state park loaded with waterfalls. Stay in cabins constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in Cumberland Mountain State Park or CCC Pickett Memorial State Park—where you can go stargazing. The Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area draws adventurous paddlers, and campers can even sleep beside the 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway, a historic trade route that stretches from the Mississippi River to Nashville.

East Tennessee

Prefer urban adventures? Knoxville and Chattanooga await. Knoxville is best known as the state capital, but mountain bikers love the city’s urban wilderness and its 50-mile network of trails. Chattanooga is a convenient base for rock climbing and whitewater rafting. The craft beer scene in both cities impresses too. For hiking and solitude head north to Frozen Head State Park. Families with varied interests may prefer Big Ridge State Park, which offers trails, lake swimming, and volleyball and basketball courts.

Great Smoky Mountains

The most visited national park in the United StatesGreat Smoky Mountains National Park sprawls across eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail bounces along the boundary line between the two states. The park has nine developed campgrounds and numerous backcountry shelters. Tent sites, RV parks, cabins, and glamping destinations punctuate the foothills region, which is anchored by Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

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