0
Pull-thru
USFSCherokee National Forest · Tennessee
Backbone Rock Campground
Overview Backbone Rock Campground will open for the 2026 season on 4/27/26.
Sites1110 reservable
Elev.2,211ft
Comf.Mar-Nov9 months
Max rigtents
Electricnonesites
From Knoxville2h43real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 2,211 ft, Backbone Rock Campground has a 9-month comfortable window (Mar-Nov). Winter nights average around 29°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 11 sites total: 10 reservable and 1 first-come, first-served. Within about 4 miles: 2 named hiking routes, 1 peak, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on reservability and cool nights. Softest on shade.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Sep
Mar-Nov
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
74%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Apr 22
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 30.
65°F
Average July low.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Knoxville
143 mi
2h43
02
Chattanooga
254 mi
4h49
03
Nashville
322 mi
6h00
04
Memphis
533 mi
9h50
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 3.1 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 11 SITES
Color byShow only
11 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
11
Accessible
10
Prime
11
Sites
★ The standout
Site Host
BACKBONE ROCK CAMPGROUND · prime location.
To neighbor
167 ft
Location
Prime
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Named hiking routes
2
Trail segments
139
Peaks
1
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
3.1 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.