Best Tent Camping: Southern Appalachian and Smoky Mountains. Johnny Molloy

Service is catching on. It realizes there are two divergent groups that use campgrounds: tent campers and RVers. Here at Bandy Creek Campground, the park service has designated a tent-only loop. This is a good thing, because having a recommended campground in the Big South Fork completes the outdoor package.

      Protected since 1974, the Big South Fork features wild rivers, steep gorges, thick forests, and remnants of human history atop the Cumberland Plateau. A well-developed trail system with paths leaving directly from the campground makes exploring the Big South Fork easy. There are also mountain biking, paddling, fishing, and rafting opportunities.

      Bandy Creek Campground is a large complex with a total of four camping loops. A recreational area and the park’s visitor center are nearby. Loop A is the only loop reserved exclusively for tent campers. It is separated from the rest of the campground, being off to the left after you pass the campground registration booth. My most recent stay was in A, at campsite 14. Most of the camping area is wooded. A few sites back up to a field and the recreation complex, which includes a swimming pool and a playground for young campers. Since Bandy Creek is atop the plateau, the forest is mixed hardwood with oaks, tulip trees, and Virginia pine. The campsites themselves are mostly open, bordered by dense woodland. A miniloop extends from Loop A and contains four out-of-the-way sites. Beyond the first miniloop, campsites with paved parking areas extend on either side of the road as it rises slightly, passing one of the two most complete washhouses I’ve ever encountered. The buildings are designed to complement the local architecture and have a water fountain, piped water, flush toilets, showers, and even a two-basin sink for washing dishes.

      Farther on, the road divides and arrives at one of the two bad sites in the campground: site 32 is adjacent to the water tower, while site 2 backs up to the swimming pool. As Loop A swings around, there is a miniloop off of it. This loop contains seven wooded sites that are the most private in the campground. The main road passes the second washhouse. Three other water pumps are dispersed among the 49 well-kept sites. The rest of the campground contains 96 sites. Only Loop D, with 52 sites, is open during the winter, for tents and RVs. The pool is open from June to Labor Day, but the rest of this park is ready to be explored year-round.

      Hiking is very popular. And why not? Trails lace the immediate area. The John Litton–General Slavens Loop traverses 6 miles of surrounding countryside. It descends to the valley where the John Litton Farm stands, passes a large rock house, and climbs back up to the campground via Fall Branch Falls. If you prefer a trail with more human and natural history, take the Oscar Blevins Loop. It is a moderate, 3.6-mile loop that passes the Blevins Farm, some large trees, and more of the steep bluffs that characterize the Cumberland Plateau. Another hiking option is the easy Bandy Creek Campground Loop. It is a short, 1.3-mile family hike that offers a good introduction to the area. Want more trails? Stop by the visitor center, and they can point you in the right direction. If you don’t feel like walking, ride a horse. The nearby Bandy Creek Stables offer guided rides for a fee. Water enthusiasts should drive the short distance to Leatherwood Ford and the Big South Fork for aquatic recreation. There the river flows through a scenic gorge with steep cliffs soaring to the sky. Exciting rapids and decent fishing can be found both upstream and down. Check the visitor center for river conditions. Mountain biking is growing in popularity too. Obviously you won’t be spending much time relaxing at the campground. There is simply too much to see and do. Come see the Big South Fork and you will have spent your time well.

      GETTING THERE

      From I-75, take Exit 141 (Oneida/Huntsville). Turn onto TN 63 West, and drive 4.4 miles. Keep left to continue onto TN 297 West, and drive 15.8 miles. Turn right onto US 27 North, and drive 5.4 miles. Turn left onto Verdun Road, and drive 0.8 mile. Turn right and then immediately left to continue on Verdun Road; then drive another 0.6 mile. Turn left onto TN 297 West, and drive 7.2 miles. Turn right at the sign for Bandy Creek Campground.

      GPS COORDINATES N36° 29.259' W84° 41.440'

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      Chilhowee Campground

      Beauty: Privacy: Spaciousness: Quiet: Security: Cleanliness:

      KEY INFORMATION

      CONTACT: 423-338-3300, www.fs.usda.gov/cherokee; reservations: 877-444-6777, recreation.gov

      OPEN: April–November; limited sites open year-round

      SITES: 61

      EACH SITE HAS: Picnic table, grill, lantern post

      WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Some sites

      ASSIGNMENT: First-come, first-served and by reservation

      REGISTRATION: Self-register on-site

      FACILITIES: Flush toilets, warm showers, drinking water

      PARKING: At campsites and walk-in parking area only

      FEES: $12/night nonelectric sites, $15–$20/night electric sites

      ELEVATION: 2,600'

      RESTRICTIONS:

      PETS: On leash only

      QUIET HOURS: 10 p.m.–6 a.m.

      FIRES: In fire grates only

      ALCOHOL: Prohibited

      VEHICLES: No overnight parking in day-use lot

      OTHER: Maximum 5 people/site; 14-day stay limit

      This mountaintop campground offers plenty to keep campers busy and happy.

      A scenic trail heads southeast from the campground to Benton Falls.

      The Chilhowee experience starts on the road to the campground. Forest Service Road 77 is a U.S. Forest Service–designated scenic byway that climbs 7 miles to the campground. Don’t rush the trip—pull off at one of the cleared overlooks, and enjoy the view of Parksville Lake below and the mountains and valleys undulating in the distance. Once you’ve made the pull to the top and seen the campground, it’s the nearby activities that will keep you up there for a while.

      This mountaintop campground is a cool retreat on hot summer days. Popular with families, many of whom return year after year, Chilhowee fills up on weekends and holidays. Although there are 25 sites with electric hookups, tent camping is the norm here; the steep drive up the mountain discourages most RVs and trailers. The campground itself is spread across three distinct areas. Loops A and B are the oldest and highest, built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, but have been retrofitted with electrical hookups. They are nestled beneath a hardwood forest in a dip on the mountain. Water spigots are well placed and accessible to all campers. Two comfort stations with flush toilets are available for each sex, but only Loop B has showers. A campground host keeps the area clean, safe, and secure. Loops C, D, E, and F are newer and more spacious. They are placed according to the mountainous terrain and have more ground cover for privacy beneath the piney woods. Two comfort stations serve the four loops, but only Loop F has showers. Loop E has electrical hookups. Water is easily accessible in these loops.

      The third area, for overflow camping, is in an open, grassy field ringed by woods. It has one comfort