Jackson Island Campground

Off-season, mid-February, there were only a few other campers, so plenty of room to space out for privacy. I did have a dog walker come upon me in the morning but he was friendly enough. Great views lakeside. No amenities of any kind, but quiet and beautiful - not sure what it would look like in the high season. Some sites were pretty full of garbage, but some were clean. Road is paved up to entrance, then turns dirt, but easily navigable. I'm just in a van, some turnarounds might be tricky for large RVs but nearer the entrance should be fine (there was one very large one there).

Nice & quiet, large spots! Nice and spread out too. I got here in mid March & it’s nice to have places like this available for full timers like me that purposely want to miss the crowds of the seasons. Some trash here and there, but I just pick it up & call humans humans. I will say this: it’s the first place I decided to stay more than one night in a long time. I had great cell service & a gas station a mile away! PS I did plan to use my generator (it’s 30degrees at night & my 5 year old falls asleep in an electric blanket) however, I would have been the only one out of 10 separate groups using one.... so we didn’t use it. I also noticed everyone got real quiet and seemed like they all were sleeping real early by 9pm.

Nice large campsites, beautiful views. Only complaint is we had some people come in at 3:30 in the morning making noise setting up their campsite. Very quiet other than that. Porta-Potties Near each campsite.

We stayed for 2 nights and were pleasantly surprised to find large sites - each with its own spectacular view! Easy to maneuver for big rigs and very quiet atmosphere. Law enforcement drove through about twice a day. Large dumpster and porta-potties available.

This is a great backup to plan around Rhea Springs. I think Rhea Springs is a nicer (largely due to the bath house.). This is also a great area though! See my video review on the Gimpy Camper. A lot of people use construction generators here (when I was there anyway.)

This is a great little place to kick back for a few days off the beaten path it was really easy to get into gravel path all the way around. The only nuisance is that people were constantly just driving through the area which made little sense considering how remote it was...we were not worried, just surprised. If I ever drive back through the area I will definitely stay here again I highly recommend it. great lake and beaches for every campsite.

Great spot, too bad people don’t respect it. Site resembled a concert aftermath. Trash, piles of dog food (both pre and post digested), tent stakes in ground, yellow rope strung in trees, etc. Generator ran all night till it ran out of gas at 5:35, I know because the train whistle had just woken me for the 3rd time of the night as it passed multiple street crossings not far away. I’m sure this would be a great place to enjoy during the off season, but the combination of free + lake + people = avoid for the summer.

This TVA managed campground is a wonderful, FREE place to stay. Jackson Island is not actually an island but is instead a peninsula on Watts Bar Lake. We arrived on a Tuesday and were surprised at how many people were there. Toward the front of the campground there is plenty of space for big rigs and this part was full when we showed up. The back of the campground is more elevated than the front and we found a great spot overlooking the water. There were a few tent campers near us but we had plenty of space. Some sites were very littered with all kinds of disgusting trash. The porta-potties were pretty ripe. Never the less, the lake is beautiful and vast, great for swimming, boating and fishing. We took a day trip to the Chestnut Hill Winery (40 min drive but worth it). Setty and I will certainly be back at Jackson Island.

We love boondocking by the water and this was perfect! For the most part it was peaceful. We stayed from Friday afternoon until Thursday morning the following week. Police patrol through multiple times a day/night.
Many friendly chatty others camping out there. We even saw a local ride through on his horse & stopped to let my kids pet it. We were able to swim & fish.
We had excellent phone service through AT&T. Our Verizon jet pack had great service as well.
Limit is 14 days to stay.
We are in a 40 foot motorhome towing an enclosed trailer and we had plenty of room to fit here.

Only major downside to this area is that despite the huge dumpster out there people are leaving their trash, including "personal" items & chair frames, cans, etc., laying on the ground. We cleaned up our site before we left including the trash that was there before us. Hopefully others will do the same & keep this place beautiful.

We love boondocking by the water and this was perfect! For the most part it was peaceful. We stayed from Friday afternoon until Thursday morning the following week. Police patrol through multiple times a day/night.
Many friendly chatty others camping out there. We even saw a local ride through on his horse & stopped to let my kids pet it. We were able to swim & fish.
We had excellent phone service through AT&T. Our Verizon jet pack had great service as well.
Limit is 14 days to stay.
We are in a 40 foot motorhome towing an enclosed trailer and we had plenty of room to fit here.

Only major downside to this area is that despite the huge dumpster out there people are leaving their trash, including "personal" items & chair frames, cans, etc., laying on the ground. We cleaned up our site before we left including the trash that was there before us. Hopefully others will do the same & keep this place beautiful.

Side note: I saw another review regarding train whistle noise. Oddly I never ever heard a train whistle in the 6 nights we spent there. I have pretty good hearing, lol.