Long Branch COE

Corps of Engineers Tennessee

Visited April 2011

Long Branch COE Campground is located just below the Center Hill Dam on the Caney Fork River in central TN. A very pleasant facility with lots of grass and some shade trees near most sites.

You don't often get a good bird's-eye view of a campground as you approach, but this is what you see from the road... — You don't often get a good bird's-eye view of a campground as you approach, but this is what you see from the road across the dam just above the campground.

Greetings from

Long Branch COE

You don't often get a good bird's-eye view of a campground as you approach, but this is what you see from the road across the dam just above the campground.

Ribbit! The WxToad

Around the campground

Sites are fairly similar here, we chose 40 for its sunny setting.

This is looking back down the west side of the campground, showing sites 30-38.

There is a small loop with several sites centered around a small pavilion. There's even a circular fireplace in the center of it. Sites49-51 are to the right.

Site 25 was our first choice, but there was a problem with the electrical box and we decided we did not want to risk... — Site 25 was our first choice, but there was a problem with the electrical box and we decided we did not want to risk hooking up to it. In fact, voltage throughout the campground was on the high side, reading 130 volts at every site.

Site 24 and those beyond are all back-in sites with the river just behind. There's a fence along the top of the embankment, restricting access to just a couple of stairways.

Sites 21 and 19 are on the inside of the loop.

Sites on the right are along the river, those on the left in the center of the loop.

There are two bathhouses, one at each end of the campground loop. They are clean, heated and offer hot showers.

Center Hill Dam was completed in 1949. Looking for some info on the dam, I came across this story from 2007; "Problems with seepage at Center Hill Dam have been a problem since its completion, according to an article in the Cookeville Herald Citizen. An independent team of engineers has reviewed plans for the repair of Center Hill Dam. A recommendation was made to immediately reduce water levels in Center Hill Lake to reduce pressure on the dam. A six year rehabilitation of the dam is expected to cost $240 million dollars." I hope tonight isn't the night.

The Caney Fork River below the dam was quite high at the time of our stay.

There were several small waterfalls coming out of the rock ledge just below the dam.

Nearby campgrounds

Cumberland Gap NHP - Wilderness CampgroundVA · 36 miles away

Meadow Park City LakeTN · 43 miles away

Old Stone Fort State Archaeological ParkTN · 44 miles away

Barton Springs TVATN · 50 miles away

Back on the roadSee all 402 campgrounds