Camping in Roan Mountain State Park: Big Rigs Beware!

I love camping as much as the next guy or gal, and while Roan Mountain State Park is a lovely gem of a campground, big rigs beware! Camping in Roan Mountain State Park is extremely tent friendly, and there are cabins for you glampers out there, but beware of the narrow and steep roads of this state park.

Just 8 miles from the Appalachian Trail, Roan Mountain State Park offers hiking in the park or just down the road on the famous AT.  For more info on Hiking in Roan Mountain State Park, check out my post linked here!

Alright, back to camping and everything you need to know about camping here.

Bottom line, do your research before you come here and have a wonderful visit amongst the mountains, dense trees, and hiking trails.

Important Links

Roan Mountain State Park website

State Park Camping Reservations – Tent/Camper reservations here!

Roan Mountain State Park Cabin Reservations – Cabin reservations here!

Roan Mountain State Park Map 

Hiking Roan Mountain State Park

Location

Roan Mountain State Park is just 2 hours from Knoxville, 4 hours from Nashville, and if you’re coming from the east, less than an hour from Boone, North Carolina.  It is also just minutes away from the Tennessee-North Carolina state line.  

You can simply enter Roan Mountain State Park Campground into your preferred maps app (Google, Apple, Waze, I’m not here to judge) and it will lead you to the park office.  There is a Campground Check-In Station where you…um…check-in right before you enter the campground.  Wood and other necessities are also in this little shop in case you forgot something.  

Wherever you are coming from, this state park is definitely worth a stop.  Especially in mid-late June.  The Rhododendrons are exploding by mid-to-late June and there is even a Rhododendron festival!  You can find more information about said festival here if that is something you would like to see/do!

Amount of Time to Camp Here

When we camped here we set up late Thursday night when we arrived and stayed through Sunday.  We had 3 full days to explore this awesome state park.  And while we didn’t hike every trail, we had plenty of time to hike a few trails in the park as well as a section of the Appalachian Trail before packing up on Sunday morning.

If you want to hike all of the 12 miles of trail in Roan Mountain State Park, you might want 3 – 4 days depending on your hiking level.  

If you are just there to enjoy the Rhododendron or to simply check out a great Tennessee State Park, then a weekend should be more than enough.  

Or if you are a full time camper and want to take advantage of the cheap state park prices, then 2 weeks would also work.  Oh!  Did I mention that the Wifi is great at this park?  It definitely slowed down when more people came for the weekend, but my husband was able to work his IT job from this wifi!  We were definitely impressed.  

Whatever your camping timeline is, Camping in Roan Mountain State Park is worth the stop!  So if you are interested, let’s take a look at the campground details and how to book.

Campground 

When it comes to Camping in Roan Mountain State Park, there are several options.  You have Tent sites, RV/Camper sites, Group Camping sites and for the glampers, there are Cabins.  

Total there are 106 Tent/Camper sites between loop A and B, 30 Cabins in a separate area of the park, and 4 Group Camping sites.  So whatever fits your form of camping, there are options!  Just make sure you book sooner rather than later, this campground fills up fast!

For example, I booked our stay in March (I’m a planner, what can I say) and many sites were already gone for our dates in the beginning of June.  So book early because when it comes to affordable camping sites, state parks are often the first to book up.  

One final word about this campground (and all campgrounds for that matter!).  Be sure to read the description of the site before you book.  Some are listed as pop-up sites only and you wouldn’t want to book that if you had a 25 foot travel trailer!  Roan Mountain State Park is very good about listing details and photos of each site so you have an idea of what you are getting into.  

Campground Details

• 106 Tent/Camper Sites
• 30 Cabins
• 4 Group Camping Sites
• 6 Bathroom/Shower Houses
• Sites 19 – 38 are TENT ONLY
• Sites 58 – 106 are above the Doe River with VERY narrow roads (Big Rigs Beware!)
• 2 Playgrounds in the camping area

Tent Camping

Tenting is our preferred method of camping (at this time) because it is usually the cheapest.  And always has the least amount of restrictions for campsite selection.

This campground is no different.  Tents can camp anywhere in this park.  Yes there is a “Tent Only” section (sites 19-38), but we camped at site 84 in our tent and had no issues.  Plus there were dozens of other people tenting along this loop.  So don’t limit yourself to just these 20 tent sites! If you are also a fellow tent-camper, feel free to grab my Camping Checklist Freebie to help you remember everything you’ll need!

With the easy access to Bath Houses around the campground, tenting is very doable here.  We were a simple walk away from a clean bathroom with flushable toilets as well as hot showers.  There are 6 Bath Houses throughout the campground, so regardless of where you set up, you’ll be able to access a hot shower.  Woot Woot!

The other great thing about all of these sites is they allow you to park right at the site, except the Group Camping sites, but everywhere else is easy parking access right next to your weekend home.

RV/Camper Sites – Big Rigs Beware!

There are 86 RV/Camper Sites at this campground and they all have electrical hook-up and water hook-up.  So yay for water and having the lights on!

Unfortunately, there is no sewer hook-up in this state park.  But fear not, there is a dump station right near the Campground Check-In Center.  So if you don’t want to use the Bath Houses, feel free to fill your black tank and dump it at the end of the trip.  

Ok, here’s the warning part of this post, so listen up you people who drive/tow a camper bigger than a pop-up or 15 foot travel trailer.

The roads above the Doe River are EXTREMELY narrow and also steep.  2 pictures to be aware of, first is the warning sign posted right by the Campground Check in Center.  It literally warns you about being able to make the turn of this loop and that you should walk it first!

Second photo set is our truck for reference.  We own a 2020 Chevy Colorado.  This midsize truck is about the size of an SUV, and as you can see, our truck takes up nearly the entire road.  You can also see how steep certain sections of this road are.  

Now, we do not tow a camper, so you might find no issues with these roads.  In fact you might be laughing at me as you read this thinking “I can definitely park my camper there no problem!”  Great!  Enjoy camping in Roan Mountain State Park and I hope you have a great time!

But for those of you who struggle with narrow and steep roads, I would suggest booking campsites only in Section A (Sites 1-18 and 39-57).  This section is much flatter and easier to navigate. 

Group Sites

As previously stated, there are 4 group camping sites.  Each site will accommodate about 25 people according to the state park website.  Here are a few things to consider when booking a group site instead of 2 sites together

Pros: Located right along the Doe River, these 4 sites have a large gravel pad where tents must be placed.  Included on each site is a fire ring with grill, a water spigot and multiple picnic tables. Plus you can split the cost of a group site, compared to 2 full sites.  

Cons: No electricity is available here, so make sure to bring those battery packs if you need to charge something! These sites do require a slightly longer walk to the bath houses, but a ¼ mile isn’t terrible considering you have access to running water.  

And a final note for you: All of these sites may be reserved up to 12 months in advance.  In other words, if you have a group trip planned for a certain week/weekend, better book it sooner rather than later!  

Cabins in Roan Mountain State Park

There are 30 cabins to camp…I mean glamp…in.  I only say glamping because they have AC, a full kitchen, a gorgeous bathroom and I mean come on!  Just look at how gorgeous they are!

Anyway, there are a few things you should know before you book a camp here.  

Firstly, there are 2 sizes to choose from.  Cabins 1 – 20 on the map sleep 4 people while the remaining cabins sleep up to 6.  

There are also only 10 cabins that allow dogs.  So if you plan on bringing your dog, please make sure to book as soon as possible as dog-approved cabins have fewer options.  AND there is a $20 pet fee.  Yes, $20 per pet, per day!  Hopefully this prevents you from sticker shock.

Cabin renters must park in the designated parking lots and carry/cart their belongings in.  Fortunately, the cabins provide beds, linens, a combination living/dining area, a fully equipped kitchen with utensils (for 4 or 6 people according to the size you book), a wood burning stove, and rocking chairs for the front porch if you want to enjoy some fresh air.  This being said, hopefully the only things you are carrying from the car are your clothes for the week/weekend and any food or games you bring.  

The largest downsides of these cabins are the price/added fees and lack of Wifi.  There is Wifi access in the Conference Center and the Park Office, but not at the cabin.  And service is spotty here, so take that into consideration.  

But back to these cold hard numbers.  Cabins run over $120 per night for a 4 person cabin, over $150 per night for a 6 person cabin (and this doesn’t include dog fees) compared to just $20 a night for the tent campsites.  

Here is a price comparison: 

• $75 – 4 nights at a tent campsite

• $125 – 4 nights at a camper/RV site

• $605 – 4 nights in a 4 person cabin (before pet cost added in)

• $720 – 4 nights in a 6 person cabin (before pet cost added in)

So depending on your budget and camping comfort level, there is an option for everyone.  

Which leads me to how do you book a cabin or a campsite?

Here is the link for campsite reservations and Here is the link for cabin reservations.  

Now, I’m going to briefly discuss our camping experience so you can have a little extra information.  

Our Camping Experience

While camping in Roan Mountain State Park, we truly enjoyed our long weekend stay.  We tent camped in site 84 and just like most of the campsites, we were situated in the shade most of the day.  The bath house was just a few hundred feet from our site which was nice for bathroom breaks and of course the showers were hot and ready for us after a long day of hiking.  And apparently this campsite was a great place for a nap, just as our dog Luna!

Did I mention the Wifi was good enough that Brian could work from our campsite on Friday?  Sorry, I was just so amazed at the wifi, I can’t stop mentioning it!

Anyway, we bought two bundles of wood ($6 each) from the Campground Check-In Center and had a small fire each night.  Of course, this purchase isn’t a necessity unless you plan to use the fire to cook your meals.  We primarily cook over a Coleman Grill, so the fire was to just relax around.  But if you don’t want to spend the money, there’s no push.  

SIDE NOTE: be aware of the campground’s firewood policy.  As stated on their website, “Tennessee State Parks asks that ALL campfires be made with heat-treated wood or downed wood collected inside the park, near the campsite. Please refrain from bringing untreated wood into the park.”   

One of our favorite features is that we were able to walk straight to various trailheads in this park.  So if you plan on doing some hiking here, be sure to take advantage of this!  We love finding campgrounds where the hiking trails are easily accessible.  

We enjoyed easy meals and the peaceful environment of this campground.  Aside from the narrow roads, there isn’t a single reason I could think of to not stay at this campground.  3 days at this campground was just enough, but we would have been happy to stay longer if we had more time.  

Conclusion

Camping in Roan Mountain State Park can be done in a tent, a cabin, a camper or even a small RV.  The peaceful campground and proximity to great hiking made this an awesome location you won’t want to miss.

In the market for a great camping location in the mountains of Tennessee, be sure to camp in Roan Mountain State Park!

If you still have questions or if you have a comment, I would love to hear from you!  You can comment here or email me at [email protected]

Happy Camping!