0
Pull-thru
USACEJ Percy Priest Lake · Tennessee
Smith Springs
Overview Smith Springs Recreation Area is a lakeside oasis in the hills of middle Tennessee, providing visitors with countless recreational activities on the lake and in the surrounding woods and gras
Sites1all reservable
Elev.528ft
Comf.Feb-Dec11 months
Max rigtents
Electric1sites
From Nashville0h28real 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 528 ft, Smith Springs has a 11-month comfortable window (Feb-Dec). Winter nights average around 34°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. All 1 sites are reservable in advance, so plan ahead. Popular weekends book out. Within about 4 miles: lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade and reservability. Softest on cool nights.
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 · Nov
Feb-Dec
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
48%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Mar 21
Last spring frost; first fall frost Nov 15.
72°F
Average July low.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Nashville
13 mi
0h28
02
Chattanooga
128 mi
2h32
03
Knoxville
177 mi
3h23
04
Memphis
226 mi
4h19
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 1.3 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 1 SITES
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
1
Accessible
0
Prime
1
Sites
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
2700
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
1.3 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.