Gibson Cove Campground

Recently upgraded sites to gravel pads with water and electric. Whether you have waterfront or on the other side of the campground road you will have a lovely water view because of the spacing of the sites. All sites have some shade and grass. If you want lots of privacy, then this open campground might not be for you.

Some sites are larger than others and are easier to get into. The campsites face east and run south to north. Rule of thumb - sites whose entrance face north have their curbside to the lake and those that face south have their street side facing the lake. Sites 1,3, and 5 tend to be small and awkward to get into. Better suited for a small RV. Sites after 22 are on a hillside and look out over the lake. There are more trees there too and a few that may have more screening from others.

We were here in mid April and there were only a few people camping so it was very quiet. The campground is off the highway, so little traffic on the county road. Little light pollution- one light at boat ramp and one at the bathhouse. The 1.5 mile rec path has a few lights along it.

At a busy time you might find the lower numbered sites too close to the boat ramp or perhaps entertaining. There are two sites on the hillside that are close to the rec path.

The rec path connects the two camping areas and goes to the dam. It is popular with local folks. There is easy access to the lake for kayaks and canoes, besides the boat ramp. In the day use area there is a playground and a sandy beach. It’s about a half mile or less. About a mile away is a golf course.
This is a resort area and there is lots to do and see.

Hopefully the park will improve the signage and web exposure. If you type in Gibson Cove Campground you will come up empty on Apple Maps, Reserve America and other pages. Or, you will be redirected to Clay County Recreation Area, which this is one of the three campgrounds in the park. Signage to the park is lacking as well as signage within the park. Persevere and you will have a wonderful spot to camp. Read my review at the Clay County Recreation Area on Campendium too for additional info.

We had a really great stay at Gibson Cove. Site 32 was right at the end of the campground so it was quite and surrounded by forest on the one side.

Would definitely stay here again.

Spacious sites well located to take advantage of the space to provide privacy. Campground was full with families with lots of children. The quiet was exceptional because of the layout. At sunset, everyone watched the full moon rise over the mountains and be reflected in Lake Chatuge and even the kids were in awe. 3/4 mile hike on paved trail through the woods to Chatuge Dam. The lake front sites are 1-21 with some of those not lake front.

When we arrived at Gibson Cove (site 9) we were a little confused. The description was a back-in site, but it appeared to be more of an unfinished pull-through site. The only way we could get into this site was to pull through the site, unhook, and park our truck behind the RV. Also, the site was extremely unlevel side to side making for an interesting time setting up our 5th wheel. Once we were set up though, we really enjoyed the site due to the unobstructed lake view and a large area between our campsite and the lake. The site was definitely tricky, but we are glad we decided to make it work!

As nice as a typical state park with some pleasant additions. We only stayed one night, but enjoyed it. We usually don’t like the crowds of parks but this was better than most. Even though full, not much noise -- just kids playing in the lake and the geese. Several people had their boats pulled up along side of their site.
The sites appear to be well staggered so as to give most a great view of the lake. I will say spend the extra 5$ to get lake side, the sunrise is great.
We were in site #20 which may have only been available because it was small (~25'). Power and water were good, the showers are not new, but good, clean and warm. There is a clean dump station, potable water fill, and dumpster, easy to access, on the way out.

We originally selected gc 10 as our site. However, it would not fit our 32 ft travel trailer. It took some time, but we were able to switch to gc28. This site was lakefront and fit our camper well. We enjoyed the trail to the dam and walking around the campground when it was not raining. It was close enough to town to get what we needed but remote enough to enjoy the silence and view. We were glad we chose this campground for our first time out and would go again.

Cannot say enough about this place - the view of the mountains over the lake is worth the price of admission for sure! We were in site 17 and had a few people right behind us but they were super friendly so no issue - I HIGHLY recommend checking this place out and walking the Chatuge Dam walkabout for some exercise!!