Tennessee, I think I love you! After an overnight stay at The Fairgrounds Nashville, we set off for Jefferson City, TN for our next campground reservation. We are in awe at the beauty, cleanliness, and serenity found here at the Cherokee Dam Campground.
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Table of Contents
Location
Cherokee Dam Campground is located in northeast Tennessee on Cherokee Lake. It’s about 45 minutes northeast of Knoxville and about an hour due north of Gatlinburg.
Fees and Campsites
This campground has 39 RV campsites with 50-amp electricity and water hookups. Only two of the sites have sewer hookups, but there is a dump station available in the campground for your convenience. Sites are gravel, but roads through the campground are paved. There are picnic tables and fire pits at each site. Nightly rates run from $25-$27. You can look here for other specifics regarding campground fees and discounts.
Most sites have amazing views of the lake and mountains. We are at site #34 and just look at this view!
I definitely think we reserved one of the best spots in the campground. The kids are able to walk right down to the lake to fish, we are a short walk to the bathhouse, and we’ve got the best view, hands down! As soon as the kids got out of the truck when we arrived, Abi said:
It’s so pretty here!
I agree, sweet girl, I agree. Tennessee, I think my child loves you too.
For those that rely on cell/internet to work, we are having no trouble getting signal. Both AT&T and Verizon signals are strong.
Bathhouse
Yes, we have a shower in our RV, but when you have no sewer hookups, you tend to take showers at the campground bathhouse to minimize filling up your gray tank. There are two bathhouses each with a single shower stall in both the men’s side as well as the women’s side.
I can’t speak for the men’s shower, but I didn’t want to leave the women’s shower. It was spotless (aka NO BUGS) and had amazingly hot water and a handheld showerhead. There was no automatic shut off like you’ll find in many campgrounds. It was large and had plenty of hooks to hold a towel, clean clothes, and dirty clothes so they didn’t have to be hung over the door or thrown on the floor. Oh yes, and it had a door…not a shower curtain.
Other than Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, I’d say this campground has the best bathhouse yet!
Things To Do
While there are no impressive hiking spots like you would find in state or national parks, there is a 1.8-mile trail you can hike or bike. The first half is a paved trail leading from the swimming area at the lake to the Cherokee Dam. It seems to always be quite busy with walkers and runners looking for some exercise. Once you reach the dam, you can take steps down to a non-paved trail for the return to the swimming area, or you can just return via the paved trail.
About halfway along the paved trail is a short pedestrian trail. It’s off to the right, non-paved, and winds through some trees. It’s quite beautiful through there, especially in the evening when the sun is starting to set. There is also a small parking lot at the end of this trail where you can park if you’re just looking to walk a shorter distance to the dam.
Cherokee Dam Campground is on a lake, so it goes without saying that there is fishing, boating, and swimming. While we don’t have a need to check out the boat ramp, I grabbed a picture anyway hoping it may help one of you. My kids have mostly enjoyed fishing at the back of our site and going over to the swimming beach for a midday swim.
Overall, we truly love being at this campground. The camp host and other campers have been very friendly, the amenities are great, the weather has been nice, and we’ve enjoyed the serenity and beauty of the lake and trees around us. And to add on to the kids’ enjoyment…more fireflies to catch!
I really would like to try camping, my husband would like to plan this when Laia is a bit bigger, looks nice and quiet time to spend with your wonderful family! I will bookmark this for future reference! Love it!