The Best in Tent Camping: Tennessee: A Guide for Car Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos

by Johnny Molloy

Overview

From river wetlands in the east to weathered mountains in the west, camping in Tennessee has never been better. The Best in Tent Camping: Tennessee is a guidebook for tent campers who like quiet, scenic, and serene campsites. It's the perfect resource if you blanch at the thought of pitching a tent on a concrete slab, trying to sleep through the blare of another camper's music, or waking to find your tent surrounded by a convoy of RVs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780897328210
Publisher:	Menasha Ridge Press
Publication date:	06/15/2011
Series:	Best Tent Camping
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Johnny Molloy is an outdoor writer based in Tennessee. He has averaged over one hundred nights in the wild per year since the early 1980's, backpacking and canoe camping throughout our country. He has written numerous books covering much of the U.S. from Florida to Wisconsin to Colorado and articles for magazines and Web sites.

Read an Excerpt

Many people argue that Dale Hollow Lake is the prettiest lake in Tennessee, if not the South. Backed against the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau, the impoundment is bordered by hills, coves, islands and fingers forming an interlude of land and water that is very easy on the eyes. The lower Obey River Valley was flooded to create this lake on Tennessee's northern border, so far north that it extends into Kentucky, with the Bluegrass State claiming it as part of its own. And who can blame them? Fortunately for us, when the Army Corps of Engineers created Dale Hollow Lake, they also created many recreation areas, and Lillydale is among the best, especially for us Tennessee tent campers.
What makes Lillydale so good? For starters it is a well built and well maintained facility. The campsites are very large and well separated from one another. They are in good shape and campground hosts are on site full time to make sure things run smoothly. But I think the best reason to stay here are the walk-in tent campsites located on an island in Dale Hollow Lake! More about them later.
The balance of the campground is located on a hilly peninsula that juts into Dale Hollow Lake. Descend past the toll house and the expanse of the campground opens before you. Lake vistas are everywhere! The first camping area is on the right and has campsite #1-#16. These are of special note as they are the best of the campsites for tent campers. Shade is limited by young trees. At some of the sites, you park your car then walk down steps to lakefront camps that overlook the water below. Reservations should be made for #8-#15 here. However, bring a sun shelter as shade is lacking. The next area, #16-#46,is also good for tent campers that want to be near their car. It is higher on the peninsula and has many lakefront sites with million dollar views. As is normally the case, the lakefront sites go first.

Table of Contents

(1) Big Hill Pond State Park
(2) Chickasaw State Park
(3) Fort Pillow State Park
(4) Meeman-Shelby State Park
(5) Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park
(6) Natchez Trace State Park
(7) Pickwick State Park
(8) Anderson Road
(9) Bledsoe Creek State Park
(10) Cedars of Lebanon State Park
(11) David Crockett State Park
(12) Edgar Evins State Park
(13) Fall Creek Falls State Park
(14) Gatlin Point
(15) Harpeth River Bridge
(16) Henry Horton State Park
(17) Lillydale
(18) Meriwether Lewis Monument
(19) Montgomery Bell State Park
(20) Mousetail Landing State Park
(21) Old Stone Fort State Park
(22) Piney
(23) Ragland Bottoms
(24)
Rock Island State Park
(25) Rushing Creek
(26) Abrams Creek
(27) Bandy Creek
(28) Cardens Bluff
(29) Chilhowee
(30) Cosby
(31) Dennis Cove
(32) Foster Falls Recreation Area
(33) Franklin State Forest
(34) Frozen Head State Park
(35) Hiwassee-Ocoee Scenic River State Park
(36) Holly Flats
(37) Indian Boundary
(38) Jake Best
(39) Little Oak
(40) Nolichucky Gorge
(41) Norris Dam State Park
(42) North River
(43) Obed Wild & Scenic River
(44) Old Forge
(45) Paint Creek
(46) Pickett State Park
(47) Prentice Cooper State Forest
(48) Rock Creek
(49) Round Mountain
(50) Sylco