Chattanooga, TN, is gorgeous! But don’t take my word for it. Use this RV camping resource guide to pick your favorite from one of these campgrounds in Chattanooga, and plan your trip to the scenic city of today.
Nestled against the Georgia border in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Chattanooga, TN, is the perfect destination for a family RV camping vacation in Tennessee. Whether you love hiking, camping, fishing, or all of those, these campgrounds got you covered.
If you have family members that prefer tent camping or renting Smoky Mountains cabins, several of these campgrounds in Chattanooga have tent sites and cabins, too!
Keep scrolling to see what we have in store for you!
Where Can You Camp For Free in Tennessee?
I get it. Everybody loves camping for free. I mean, who doesn’t? Free camping, or ‘boondocking’ as RVers call it, means camping without the comfort of a campground’s amenities and water and electricity hookups.
On the brighter side, that means more peace and serenity for you and the whole family as you have the whole place to yourself, away from the crowd. It also means you have to be ready to provide for your own.
If you’re boondocking with your RV, you have to keep in mind to do an ocular before you go to the site to check if your RV can fit on the roads on the way there. This way, you’ll save yourself from the big hassle of just knowing on the spot that you can’t drive your RV to the campsite.
Here are some of the best free camping in Tennessee.
- Meriwether Lewis Campground in Hohenwald, TN
- Jackson Island Campground in Spring City, TN
- Rhea Springs Recreation Area Campground in Spring City, TN
Be sure always to be safe when free camping by coming prepared!
RV Campgrounds in Chattanooga
Visiting Chattanooga, Tennessee, is an annual tradition for many families because it combines outdoor adventure, natural attractions, and family-friendly activities. Here are the Best RV Campgrounds in Chattanooga you should know about!
As the name implies, Raccoon Mountain Caverns & Campground is more than just a campground! It’s also home to underground caverns that are open for tours.
This is the perfect spot for a Chattanooga campground with on-site amenities. Between the caverns, panning for gems, and swimming in the saltwater pool, the amenities at this campground will occupy you for days, while the attractions of Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain are just 15 minutes away.
- Cost: $55-$65 per night, dynamic pricing based on the day of the week and season
- Reservations: Available online
- Size Allowance: Sites are up to 72’ long
- Tent Camping: Primitive sites available, no tents allowed on RV sites
- Cabins: 9 cabins available for rent
- Hookups: Water/Sewer/Electric (20/30/50)
- Dump Station: fees apply
- On-Site Amenities include bathhouse facilities with private showers, a fitness center, a 24-hour laundry room, a dog park, a playground, lawn games, and an outdoor saltwater pool. Full hookup sites also include free wireless internet access.
Located on the shores of Chickamauga Lake, Chester Frost Park near Chattanooga is beautifully situated, with tons of outdoor activities available, as well as the convenience of Chattanooga just 25 minutes away.
If you want full-service camping but still want to be immersed in nature, this is one of the best RV parks near Chattanooga, TN.
A wide variety of campsites offers the choice of waterfront campsites, inland campsites, tent sites with utilities, and primitive tent sites.
- Cost: $21-$30 (discounts available for seniors, military, and residents)
- Reservations: Available online
- Size Allowance: up to 69’
- Tent Camping: Yes
- Cabins: No
- Hookups: Water and Electric (30/50 amp)
- Dump Station: Yes
- On-Site Amenities include a boat ramp, fishing piers, laundry facilities, playgrounds, volleyball, showers, and WiFi.
Just across the lake from Chester Frost Park is Harrison Bay State Park, another excellent spot for camping near Chattanooga.
The distance to Chattanooga, Tennessee, is just 30 minutes, but you might never want to leave the campground!
You won’t find as many amenities in this state park as you would in a commercial campground, but this is truly nature at its finest.
Chickamauga Lake is the perfect spot for boaters of all types; kayakers will love exploring the bays and islands around the shore of the lake, while fishermen will pine for days trying to catch another 15-lb record-breaking largemouth as the one caught here in 2015.
- Cost: $23-$34
- Reservations: Available online
- Size Allowance: up to 65’
- Tent Camping: 27 tent-only sites
- Cabins: No
- Hookups: Water and Electric (20/30/50)
- Dump Station: Yes
- On-Site Amenities include WiFi, a bathhouse in each section, firewood for purchase, playgrounds, and a Camp Store with camping essentials and souvenirs.
If you are looking for a KOA near Chattanooga, TN, this is it! All of the amenities you’ve come to expect from a KOA Holiday Campground, with the fun activities of Chattanooga just 20 minutes away.
Located in the foothills of Georgia’s Appalachian Mountains, Lookout Mountain/ Chattanooga West KOA is surrounded by beautiful hardwood forests, meaning most campsites are nicely shaded.
This is the closest KOA campground near Chattanooga, Ruby Falls, and the Chattanooga area Civil War sites.
- Cost: $45-$75 per night, dynamic pricing based on the day of the week and season
- Reservations: Available online
- Size Allowance: up to 70’
- Tent Camping: 17 tent-only sites
- Cabins: Camping cabins and deluxe cabins with full baths
- Hookups: Water and Electric (30/50)
- Dump Station: Yes
- On-Site Amenities include free WiFi, a seasonal outdoor pool, a dog park, a laundry facility, hiking trails, tetherball, horseshoes, a jumping pad, disc golf, gemstone panning, and an on-site store for groceries, camping supplies, and souvenirs.
Good Sam has recognized Holiday Travel Park Chattanooga as a top family campground for seven years.
This Chattanooga RV campground has all the amenities and a family-friendly atmosphere, all just 15 minutes from Chattanooga.
Like many RV campgrounds near Chattanooga, Tennessee, this one is open year-round, with various campsites and amenities to suit all campers.
The campground is located on a Civil War battlefield, making this the best Chattanooga RV park for history buffs!
- Cost: $36-$51 (discounts available for seniors, military, and Good Sam members)
- Reservations: Available online
- Size Allowance: up to 70’
- Tent Camping: Yes
- Cabins: Two fully-equipped cottages plus several rustic camping cabins
- Hookups: Water/Sewer/Electric (30/50)
- Dump Station: Yes
- On-Site Amenities include an outdoor pool, dog park, shuffleboard, horseshoes, a bathhouse, free WiFi, laundry room, and a grocery store.
For some of the most scenic camping near Chattanooga, TN, head across the state line to this Georgia State Park.
While the distance to Chattanooga, Tennessee, is about 45 minutes, it’s worth the drive for the natural beauty of this area.
Cloud Canyon State Park is all about natural beauty: you’ll find canyons, cliffs, caves, waterfalls, and hiking and biking trails to explore it all.
The park has a wide variety of accommodation options to suit all campers and non-camping family members who are tagging along.
- Cost: $8-$38 plus a State Parks Pass
- Reservations: Available online
- Size Allowance: Up to 50 feet
- Tent Camping: 30 walk-in campsites and 13 backcountry campsites
- Cabins: 16 cottages and ten yurts
- Hookups: Water/Electric (30/50)
- Dump Station: Yes
- On-Site Amenities include hiking trails, mountain biking trails, horse trails, bike rentals, fishing, geocaching, disc golf, and caving (by permit only.) They also have showers, laundry, and a playground.
Battlefield Campground & RV park is a KOA campground near Chattanooga, TN, and is another good choice among all the RV campgrounds near Chattanooga.
Located on the outskirts of Ringgold, you’ll have easy access to many nearby restaurants and shopping, including Cabela’s and Costco.
You’ll even be within walking distance of a Subway sandwich shop and the Georgia Winery.
Downtown Chattanooga is just 15 minutes away, and the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park is only 10 minutes from the campground.
- Cost: starting at $46.40
- Reservations: Available online
- Size Allowance: Big rig sites
- Tent Camping: 7 tent-only sites
- Cabins: 7 camping cabins
- Hookups: Water/Sewer/Electric (30/50)
- Dump Station: Yes
- On-Site Amenities include horseshoes, a swimming pool, outdoor games, a playground, laundry, and nature trails.
Blue Water Resort is more than just one of the best campgrounds near Chattanooga, TN. It’s one of the best destinations in Southeastern Tennessee.
This is a full-scale resort, where RV camping is just one of many options, making it the perfect spot for a multigenerational trip to Chattanooga.
Blue Water Resort has a lodge with rooms, several homes, and cabins for rent, plus fully-equipped RV sites.
With Chattanooga just 45 minutes away, you will never want to leave this fantastic resort.
- Cost: $49-$69
- Reservations: Available online
- Size Allowance: up to 40’
- Tent Camping: No
- Cabins: Lake House, River House, and Deluxe Cabin
- Hookups: Water/Sewer/Electric (30/50)
- Dump Station: Yes
- On-Site Amenities include free WiFi, a swimming pool, a stocked fishing pond, a putting green, a marina, a boat launch, a laundry room, and pontoon boat rentals.
At about one hour away, Mountain Glen RV Park & Campgrounds isn’t the closest campground to Chattanooga, but if you are exploring the entire region north of Chattanooga, this is the perfect campground.
This Chattanooga RV Park is just minutes away from Fall Creek Falls State Park and about 30 minutes from McMinnville, Tennessee, where you’ll find the Cumberland Caverns and the Falcon Rest Mansion and Gardens.
If you are looking for Chattanooga RV rentals, you can rent a fully-equipped RV here at just $80 per night.
- Cost: Starting at $22/ night
- Reservations: Available online
- Size Allowance: up to 90’
- Tent Camping: 8 tent-only sites
- Cabins: No
- Hookups: Water/Sewer/Electric (20/30/50)
- Dump Station: Yes
- On-Site Amenities include free WiFi, private bathrooms, laundry, a game room, horseshoes, a playground, cornhole, and ping-pong tables. There’s also a stocked fishing pond on the property.
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RV Campers You Can Rent Near Chattanooga
If you would love to experience an RV campground vacation near Chattanooga, TN, but don’t own your own RV camper, then RVshare can help you out. Here are five gorgeous RV campers you can rent near the Chattanooga area to give your family a fabulous RV camping experience.
- 2020 Forest River RV Salem Cruise Lite– 29ft. Travel Trailer, sleeps 7
- 2017 Travel Trailer Hybrid– 18 ft., sleeps 6
- Forest River RV Salem– 2021 model, sleeps 6
- Heartland Pioneer QB 300– 35 ft Cozy Farmhouse Pioneer, sleeps 8
More RV Camping Resources
- RV Checklists For Every Need
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- Camping Meals You Will Love To Prep
- RV Camping Organization Hacks For The Whole Camper
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