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Stacy
Trip Date 04/19/2019 Posted On 07/08/2019 16:44:19 |
Camping | Tennessee | Winchester | Tennessee Campgrounds | Devils Step Campground | Campgrounds on Tims Ford Lake | Campgrounds near Lynchburg
Our eastbound journey took us from Mississippi to the city of Winchester in south central Tennessee. In addition to our favorite amenities, criteria for our search included finding Tennessee campgrounds near Lynchburg. Devils Step Campground and Fairview Campground in Tims Ford State Park were matches. Through some further research, we learned that the campgrounds are one and the same!
If you are in search of RV camping near the Jack Daniels Distillery, this post if just for you. If you're an angler, you may already have heard about the campgrounds on Tims Ford Lake. For those interested in golfing near some of the best campgrounds in each state around the U.S., take a peek below for some information that may peak your interest. Within this post, you'll find an overview of the camping amenities as well as the recreational amenities within the state park located right on the lake.
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Campground Amenities at Fairview Campground
Located on Tims Ford Lake, Tims Ford State Park sits on over 1,300 acres in south central Tennessee. In addition to two campgrounds for RVers and tent campers, the park has 20 reservable cabins available. For those desiring a more primitive camping experience, tent-only sites are available in the Turkey Creek area (no electric or water). If you are interested in hiking up to six miles to reach your site, backcountry camping in the Evans Loop is also available.Our campsite was located in Fairview Campground (also frequently referred to as Devils Step Campground), about an eight mile drive from the main campground. Of the 82 campsites located in Fairview Campground, 18 are seasonal campsites auctioned off each March. All remaining sites can be rented from 1 - 14 days between March and November and up to 28 days during the remaining three months of the year.
During our two night stay, we spent time only at Fairview Campground which we found to be quite clean during our multiple drives and walks about. We did not have the opportunity to tour the amenities within the main campground nor those located within the larger boundaries of the state park. Fairview Campground has a sand volleyball court which, during our stay, was partially under water due to the rainy weather. The main campground reportedly has a playground and camp store / gift shop. Also within the park is a Jack Nicklaus designed 18 hole golf course, The Bear Trace.
Tims Ford Lake is a popular lake for bass fishing as well as other recreational activities. There is an onsite bait shop and, for those who are lucky enough to make a catch, there's also a fish cleaning station. In addition to having canoes, kayaks and pontoon boats for rent, the park's marina has a boat launch and dock for those with their own watercraft.
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Dumpsters are located near the main entrance to the camping area at Fairview Campground with recycling available near the centrally located bathhouse. We found the bathhouse building to be clean both inside and out. Entrances to men's and women's toilet stalls are located on one side of the building and individual shower / changing rooms on the opposite side. Also located near the bathhouse was the park dump station.
For those interested in day trips, the city of Chattanooga is located within a 1 1/2 hour drive of the campground. At about 30 minutes away, you'll find the Jack Daniels Distillery and the town of Lynchburg.
The total cost for our two night stay was $79.40 including a $5.00 non-refundable reservation fee. Lower rates are available at the 30-amp sites in the main campground, and of course, primitive campsites were even less expensive.
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Campsite Amenities at Fairview Campground
Reservations can be made and sites can be selected for Fairview Campground and other Tennessee State Parks online. Payment in full is required in order to complete the reservation process. The small onsite Camper Check-in was closed upon our arrival, so we headed straight to our site.Our campsite was easy to find, clean and ready for us to back-in and get set-up. The layout of the site does make backing-in a little difficult with a long trailer. While plenty wide for a car, the entrance to the site is much narrower than the rear of the site. With a wooden retaining wall surrounding the site on three sides, there's no option of driving over the grass. The site across from ours was already occupied, so using it to help maneuver into the site was also not possible. Fortunately with Scott at the wheel and the assistance of communication via walkie-talkie, he successfully got "RV There Yet?" parked.
All campsites have 20-, 30- and 50-amp electric as well as water hookups. Some sites also have sewer, however ours did not. (Sites in the main campground have 30-amp electric and water.) The park's dump station is centrally located and as our stay was only for two nights, we easily managed without onsite sewer. Although the site has a slight forward slope, the gravel parking pad is quite spacious.
While it did previously have a couple of tall trees, there are currently no shade trees on the site as they have been cut down. All sites in the park have a picnic table and fire ring. Due to the layout of site 33, the uncovered wooden picnic table sits on the gravel parking pad. The grated fire pit, however, sits on the grassy area which is a couple of feet higher than the picnic table / parking pad.
Because our site sat lower than the level of the surrounding ground, we did not have a good view of the lake from either inside the RV nor from our picnic table. There is access to the lake from the site - it is just a few steps up and behind the parking pad. The downside is that lake access is not quite as easy as from many other sites. It requires either stepping up from the rear of the campsite to the grass level via the picnic table or entering the grassed area from the front of the site and walking around.
We had good phone and data service with both of our service providers, Verizon and T-Mobile. The campground also had a selection of broadcast television channels available with good reception. As we spent most of our two days away from the campground, we never had the opportunity to inquire about the Wi-Fi service advertised as being available.
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Favorite Campsites at Fairview Campground
We didn't have the time to visit both campgrounds nor the cabins or primitive campsites within the boundaries of Tims Ford State Park during our two night stay. We did, however, walk the loop within Fairview Campground in search of our favorite sites:- Our favorite site within the campground is Site 50 which is level, well shaded by trees that will also
accommodate hanging hammocks and backs up to the lake;
Lake View Sites 50 and 51 at Fairview Campground - Sites 47, 48, 49, 51 and 54 all back up to the lake and are well shaded in the afternoon. Each of these sites are level and have trees which will accommodate the hanging of hammocks;
- While Site 72 is located on the inside of the camping loop and therefore is not on the water, it does have a view of the lake. This site is near the bathhouse and has shade trees which will accommodate hammocks;
- The relatively level Site 28 has lots of trees and backs up to the water;
- Although Site 33 (our site) does back up to the lake, the layout of the site makes it difficult (but not impossible) to back-in to with a long RV. Additionally, the area surrounding the site is on higher ground so lake access requires a short uphill and downhill walk;
- Similar to the site that we occupied during our stay, Site 29 also sits on higher ground requiring a short walk down to reach the water.
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Walking and Hiking in South Central Tennessee
Both Scott and I have been striving to increase our activity by reaching daily step goals. If you enjoy hiking or walking, we invite you to check back soon to take a look at our post titled "5 Awesome Places for Outdoor Exercise in South Central Tennessee". In addition to photos from each of these hikes, you'll learn where they are located and what features to expect.Favorite Campgrounds in Tennessee
What are your favorite campgrounds in Tennessee and why do you favor them over others?Weather:52F Mist and Fog
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