Looking for Suggestions for Camping in TN and KY

[Dlynne]

Hi,

We are looking for some suggestions for some good camping spots for the first
week in December this year as we head out from Chicago for a quick getaway
to Tennesse and maybe stopping in Kentucky. Just wondered if anyone has some
suggestions as many parks have limited facilities this time of year. Our Casita does
have a furnace and we can boondock easily. We plan on keeping our Casita winterized.
Just using up some vacation time we never had time to take.

[Chris Z]

Several campgrounds next to Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Sounds wierd but you can spend a whole day wondering around inside there from boat rides to restaurants and lots of really nice Christmas decorations.
Another thought is find a campground close to Mammoth Cave in Ky. It's same temp all year. In fact they have a campground there in the national Park.
Maybe stop in to Nashville, IN. Neat little touristy town.

[CindyL]

We like Jenny Wiley State Park near Prestonburg, KY. I don't know if the theater is open during this time of year, but we stayed there in July, played golf and enjoyed a great musical production at their theater. This is our second time there. The first time we stayed in their hotel and ad a balcony overlooking the lake. You can eat there at their restaurant and birdwatch while you eat. Everything is always kept so clean. We cannot get over the Kentucky park system.

CindyL

[Dlynne]

Thank you for the suggestions. I forgot to mention we will have our Golden Retriever
with us and he usually votes to go hiking so we can tire him out and let him
rest during the evening hours. Will check out those campgrounds and
options for side trips.

[Pete Dumbleton]

Look in your library or on-line for Trailer Life or Woodall's Campground Directories because they usually list open months for parks.

[Donna D.]

For an online resource, check out: http://www.campgroundreviews.com/

[Roger C H]

Just a little hint for those camping with dogs. Keep your dog on a leash. Since hunting has been restricted in many areas there is a preponderance of bears. It is not unusual for a dog to think he is chasing a bear only to find out that the bear is chasing him! and the dog runs back to his owner for protection.

[SherryNPaul]

Tennessee has an amazing system of state parks, with several "resort style" parks (golf course, ampitheater, restaurants, etc.), and many more primitive. We visited quite a few in the last year. From Chicago, it's about 450 miles to the most northern, Paris Landing State Park, or a little further to Nashville. Could be done in one long day of driving. Though the campgrounds are open year round, many facilities are minimal or closed out of season. Link to the website: http://www.state.tn.us/environment/parks/f...k/camping.shtml You can call the individual parks to see what services are available in the winter, etc. All the office people we've talked to have been very helpful and informative.
I'd suggest Land between the Lakes on the way down, but I think all the campgrounds close November 30. We loved Piney Campground last September, even with the frequent visits of not-so-shy skunks....

My favorite so far in Tennessee is probably Fall Creek Falls. Huge park, beautiful waterfalls. The breakfast buffet was reasonable, and very good, too. Campgrounds were crowded in July, but I doubt that's true now.

[Dlynne]

Just a little hint for those camping with dogs. Keep your dog on a leash. Since hunting has been restricted in many areas there is a preponderance of bears. It is not unusual for a dog to think he is chasing a bear only to find out that the bear is chasing him! and the dog runs back to his owner for protection.

Thanks, We keep a short lease on him unless he is in a dog park, etc. We have camped in Alaska
a lot, without the Casita, but, not with him. We want the bears to enjoy their surroundings without seeing us.

[Dlynne]

Tennessee has an amazing system of state parks, with several "resort style" parks (golf course, ampitheater, restaurants, etc.), and many more primitive. We visited quite a few in the last year. From Chicago, it's about 450 miles to the most northern, Paris Landing State Park, or a little further to Nashville. Could be done in one long day of driving. Though the campgrounds are open year round, many facilities are minimal or closed out of season. Link to the website: http://www.state.tn.us/environment/parks/f...k/camping.shtml You can call the individual parks to see what services are available in the winter, etc. All the office people we've talked to have been very helpful and informative.
I'd suggest Land between the Lakes on the way down, but I think all the campgrounds close November 30. We loved Piney Campground last September, even with the frequent visits of not-so-shy skunks....

My favorite so far in Tennessee is probably Fall Creek Falls. Huge park, beautiful waterfalls. The breakfast buffet was reasonable, and very good, too. Campgrounds were crowded in July, but I doubt that's true now.

Thanks for all the information....we have been researching places to camp that have limited facilties and are open during the winter months and we found a few that may work. We just got several inches of very good snowshoeing snow here.