$12 / night

Camper submitted image from Cardens Bluff Campground - 1

Camper submitted image from Cardens Bluff Campground - 2

Nature

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Facilities

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Roads

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Buildings

Established Camping

Cardens Bluff Campground

17 Reviews

About

National Forest

Cherokee National Forest

Overview

Cardens Bluff Campground is open for the 2024 season. At nearly 2,000 feet elevation, Cardens Bluff Campground is located on a peninsula overlooking the 6,430-acre Watauga Lake in Carter County, TN. There are 43 sites, primarily for tent camping. There is a bathhouse with showers and flush toilets. No electrical hookups are provided. Day use areas are located nearby for those wanting to take advantage of swimming, boating, and fishing opportunities. Campground Hosts are on site to answer questions and assist with your visit.____

Recreation

Boating is popular for visitors to Cardens Bluff. Numerous campsites provide easy water access for kayaks, canoes and motorized boats. Swimming and fishing are also very popular activities at Cardens Bluff. Watauga Lake provides notably clean water for recreating.__

Facilities

Natural Features

Watauga Lake is a 6,430-acre hydroelectric reservoir managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority and surrounded by the Cherokee National Forest. Directly across the lake from the campground is the Big Laurel Branch Wilderness area, a rugged, undeveloped mountain range with only the Appalachian National Scenic Trail within its boundaries.

Nearby Attractions

The nearby Rat Branch Boat Launch is an easy quick drive from the campground for campers with motor boats. Shook Branch Swim Area is also nearby on the shores of Watauga Lake. Big Laurel Branch and Pond Mountain Wilderness areas are located north and south of the campground for more rugged, backcountry hiking.

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Location

Cardens Bluff Campground is located in Tennessee

Directions

From Elizabethton, TN take US 19E/321 south 5 miles to Hampton. Turn left on 321/67 travel approx. 4 miles to the campground entrance on the left.__

Coordinates

36.3097222 N
82.1152778 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Unknown
Verizon
Good
AT&T
Unknown
T-Mobile
Good

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Group

Features

For Campers

Trash
Picnic Table
Firewood Available
Phone Service
Drinking Water
Toilets
Pets
Fires

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$12

/ night

First Come - First Served

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Contact

General Info

Holly H.

Guide

Reviewed Mar. 28, 2022

Nice lake!

Booked site 13 online for the last weekend before the season ended in October 2021, but the hosts caught us at check-in and moved us to site 32, which was right next to the water. It was really nice and the kids could go splash around in the lake, which they loved. Several groups game by to launch kayaks.

No firewood on-site, but found a guy selling wood a little drive down the road. Said "everyone from Cardens Bluff comes here." Logs were pretty green and big, but we chopped them down to a more workable size. Pretty hard to start a fire with (it had been raining a lot recently), but we made do.

Lots of yellow jackets! Thankfully no stings :) Bathrooms were nothing to write home about, but functional. Water pump right next to the site. Hosts were chatty and a little wacky, but kind and present.

A nice trip overall!

Site32

Month of VisitNovember

Boone

Traveler

Reviewed Oct. 2, 2021

Ideal getaway to Watauga lake

This campground was perfect to bring a smaller RV to be right next to the Watauga lake Marina.

Bathrooms + a shower house was available.

Gate to enter closes from 10pm - 7am and parking is limited if you have multiple cars.

Overall great place to go with kids.

Site29

Month of VisitSeptember

(7) View All

Paul K.

Scout

Reviewed Aug. 5, 2021

Noisy camp

Campsite was clean and bathrooms were clean. The noise in this campground carries and makes for a restless night. Ok for one night but would not stay again.

Site16

Month of VisitSeptember

Rachel

Scout

Reviewed Aug. 1, 2021

Great last minute stay

We showed up last minute and we’re able to secure a site. Toilets/ wet baths are available, and the water was hot. There was a trail right across from our site that lead out to a scenic view of the water, is kayak accessible.

Site43

Month of VisitAugust

Jennifer Y.

Scout

Reviewed Jul. 8, 2021

easy and accessible

Large sites. clean hot showers. Close to the marina, boat launch and day use area.

Site28

Month of VisitJuly

Roxanne R.

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 27, 2020

Site on the water

Beautiful wooded campground with a few sites on the water. Perfect for canoeing. Showers were clean and bathrooms too.

Jackie B.

Scout

Reviewed Jun. 23, 2020

TERRIBLE Campground Hosts

The female hostess went crazy on us last year when we were asking questions about the reservation process. Just very, very hateful. This year our 3rd person that was coming to camp with us got off work late & was pulling in at a few mins after 10. My daughter told the male host that shed be pulling in any minute and that she had driven a long way. He said “ the gate closes at 10pm, I don’t give a “s___” if she drove 10hrs! He proceeded to lock the gate right in her face as she pulled up. Rain pouring down and struggling to get her 2 dogs, tent, and bedding “around the gate” and into my daughters car, he came and “jiggled” the lock to make sure it was locked, I suppose. Two days after that he & the female hostess pulled up in their little golf cart & began getting hostile with me, then my husband who had came to visit on fathers day because we had taken more than 2 spaces at that point. There were about 6 open spaces and we were preparing to leave and drive over to the beach area but the hostess starting literally screaming at us about the “2 vehicle rule”... she pulled out driving the golf cart looking back at me (while driving) cursing and calling me names! She honestly needs medication. I have never in my life experienced such people. We’ll never be back.

Site38

Month of VisitJuly

Blake E.

Scout

Reviewed Jun. 16, 2020

Nice little campground

Situated on a peninsula, Cardens Bluff has great views and access to the lake for the outer campsites. The interior campsites are nice as well, with vegetation giving enough privacy between campsites. Access to lake is limited for the interior sites, but there are many spots within a 5-10 minute drive that are great for day use with access to the lake, and picnic areas.

Catherine F.

Guide

Reviewed Nov. 4, 2019

Beautiful

As far as campgrounds go , it wasn't bad . Just something is it's a self service check in which I didn't know , and when I asked for help one of the camp host wasn't vary helpful but since I had a reservation I just needed to go to the site( which was not posted ) . Our neighbors had a generator going ( which is posted that it's prohibited) which was on for the 1st day before someone finally told them to turn it off . Our site was beautiful and overlooked the lake , but you couldn't get to the water from our site , there was about a 6 ft cliff so for kayaking you have to go down the road from the campground and pay $2.00 for a day pass . It's not a bad place to stay just don't know if I'll ever go back .

Bill T.

Scout

Reviewed Aug. 9, 2019

On the Lake

Great place to camp and fish.

Ian W.

Scout

Reviewed May. 19, 2019

Beautiful Blue Lake in Mountain Valley

Amazing lake front camping. rock bed lake creates a dark blue color instead of the brown many lakes in the area have. Great place to rent a pontoon boat for the day and explore the lake!

Lauren M.

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 8, 2018

Beautiful Place

I love this campground. They have a nice bathhouse and plenty of great sites right on the water. The camp hosts are helpful. it can get a little crowded in the summer months, but it’s a great place!

Robin K.

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 20, 2017

Stunning sunset

Only in for a night. Easy to find. Didn't see a bad site here. Tents only. Site 041 is the best - I was right on the lake. The weather was perfect so I slept with the rainfly off and the stars and still of the lake are wonderful.

Site041

Month of VisitSeptember

(5) View All

Jenni P.

Traveler

Reviewed May. 11, 2017

Smelly, smokey bathrooms

This campground deserves five stars. The sites were awesome, and right on the lake. The hosts were fantastic. Everyone we met was awesome.

But the showers were disgusting - not because they weren't clean, but because other campers used them to smoke in, since there was no smoking allowed in the campground. The thick, stale smoke made the shower facilities unusable and this was very disappointing as it was quite hot in August and a shower would have made my stay more pleasant.

Angelica O.

Scout

Reviewed Aug. 27, 2016

Favorite spot

I have camped here 3 times and I loved it every single time! If you get a spot close enough to the water it's easy water access for kayaking/swimming. Nice picnic tables and fire pits, most sites are drive up with a short walk. Bathhouse has lots of bugs & could be better but you're camping not glamping!

Fain H.

Ranger

Reviewed Aug. 7, 2016

Lake Watauga

Great camp sites right on Lake Watauga with nice little coves and private beaches. The Appalachian Trail runs by the lake and not far from the campsites. The public accesses around the lake gets crowded in the spring and summer but there are plenty of spots inside the park or just reserve a site that's right on the water. Our dogs loved this lake can't wait to go back.

(5) View All

Dan N.

Ranger

Reviewed Aug. 1, 2016

Lovely little lake

Lots of water to explore by boat, including coves to kayak into. Aside from the water, not much to do right at the campsite but convenient to many other parks and national lands. Campground juts out into water. Wooded sites, we got one of many with a great lake view and good privacy. Everything as expected.