⭐⭐⭐☆☆
I really wanted to love Raccoon Mountain Campground because it had been on my list for years. In fact, I had almost booked a trip here with my son about 10 years ago. After finally getting the chance to stay here during our road trip, I'd say it was an okay experience, but not somewhere I'd personally be eager to return for tent camping.
The biggest advantage is definitely the location. It's only about 15 minutes from downtown Chattanooga, making it a convenient base if you plan to spend most of your time exploring the city. The campground also has a pool and offers access to the nearby caverns (for an additional fee), which is a nice option if that's something you're interested in.
We stayed only one night, and unfortunately, our campsite wasn't my favorite. We were placed off by ourselves in a corner near the campground entrance road. While traffic wasn't constant overnight, our tent was still very close to the road. The site was elevated, uneven, and rocky, making it difficult to move around safely—especially in the dark. Even while fully awake, I tripped several times stepping off the ledge to get to the car or campfire. It also felt tighter than many of the other available tent sites we passed.
The bathhouse was definitely a highlight. It was clean, air-conditioned, and had plenty of bathrooms and hot showers.
The unexpected star of our stay was the campground cat! We affectionately nicknamed her "Lolita,". If we come back its to check on the Campground kitty.