We called the morning of the day of our arrival to inquire about site availability - not a problem, we were told. When we arrived, we were assigned to site 70, and told that if we weren't happy with it to pick another site and call back to the office to let them know. We were quite pleased with 70.

Sites 15-21, along the bank of Shoal Creek, could handle small RV's.

Sites 24-30 are also along the stream, but are strictly tent sites.

Sites 31-34.

Sites 36-40 are really best suited to vans and pick-up truck campers.

Sites 43-54 are about the longest ones, but even at that they're really not suited to big rigs.

A modern bathhouse with hot showers is located in the middle of Campground #1.

Right beside Campground #1 is a small day-use area with several pavilions and a nice play area for the kids.

Campground #2 is a little over a mile further into the park. It's up on a hill and has no nice stream-side sites like Campground #1.

Sites 59-61. Once the leaves are fully out, all these sites will be nicely shaded.

Sites 62 and 63 - the tent is on 62.

Sites 67-69.

Sites 71-73.

Site 76, like most of the sites, slopes quite a bit toward the back.

Sites 81-83.

Sites 88-90.

Sites 92-32.

Site 94 is located in the center of a small loop of sites.

Sites 97 and 98 are located on a bit of a hill and really slope down at the rear.

Site 107 is a designated handicapped-accessible site near one of the two bathhouses. We were very impressed with them - well-designed, very clean, excellent showerheads and lots of hot water.

If you have young children, site 102 might be a good pick since it is right beside the play area and a pavilion with a fireplace.

About a mile past Campground #2 is an area with the park restaurant and swimming pool. Nearby is this small fall on Shoal Creek with a drop of about two feet.

The David Crockett Museum is here as well.

The museum is home to several injured birds of prey, including this red-tailed hawk sitting proudly on his perch. It brought tears to my eyes, though, as I thought about how much happier he would be soaring over the countryside.

A small dam in Shoal Creek holds back the waters of David Crockett Lake. Small boats can be rented here.

Across the lake from the docks is an active eagle's nest. To help locate it, the park has set up this post with tubes aimed right at the nest.

There are seven modern cottages up on a hillside overlooking the lake.

Passing through the park is the infamous Trail of Tears - more than two miles of the original (1838-39) Bell Route of the Trail of Tears is located in the park. In 1838, the United States government forcibly removed more than 16,000 Cherokee Indian people from their homelands in Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, and Georgia, and sent them to Indian Territory (today known as Oklahoma). All those plodding feet wore down the trail in many places. The impact to the Cherokee was devastating. Hundreds of Cherokee died during their trip west, and thousands more perished from the consequences of relocation. This tragic chapter in American and Cherokee history became known as the Trail of Tears, and culminated the implementation of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which mandated the removal of most American Indian tribes east of the Mississippi River to lands in the West. (Courtesy National Park Service)

Amenities

Campground #1 - Open Apr 15 - Nov 15

54 sites: E/W, 8 Primitive sites: No hookups

Campground #2 - Open all year

53 sites: E(30/20)/W

Senior Discount

Dump station, showers

Verizon 3G coverage

Park office coordinates: 35.245105 N, 87.351568 W

Elevation: 815'