Camper submitted image from Rock Island State Park Campground - 1

Camper submitted image from Rock Island State Park Campground - 2

Camper submitted image from Rock Island State Park Campground - 3

Water

Camper submitted image from Rock Island State Park Campground - 4

Roads

Camper submitted image from Rock Island State Park Campground - 5

Activities

Established Camping

Rock Island State Park Campground

47 Reviews

About

State Park

Center Hill Lake

This recreation area is part of Center Hill Lake

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Location

Rock Island State Park Campground is located in Tennessee

Directions

Rock Island is easily accessed from I-40, exit 288 or I-24, exit 111, located 15 miles southwest of Sparta.

Address

82 Beach Rd
Rock Island, TN 38581

Coordinates

35.8093 N
85.64572097 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.
Hike-In
Backcountry sites.
Boat-In
Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

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

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Group
Cabins
Tent Cabin

Features

For Campers

Market
ADA Access
Trash
Picnic Table
Firewood Available
Phone Service
Reservable
WiFi
Showers
Drinking Water
Electric Hookups
Toilets
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Sanitary Dump
Sewer Hookups
Water Hookups
Pull-Through Sites
Big Rig Friendly

For information regarding reservations, contact this campground directly.

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Contact

General Info

Ron&Shirley H.

Traveler

Reviewed May. 14, 2023

Small, nice, quiet

Stayed there a lot.

Site49

Month of VisitMay

Jean B.

Traveler

Reviewed Mar. 22, 2023

Checking in was easy and fast. The park was clean. The bathrooms were clean. The only issue we had was leveling our camper, there was a 7in difference between the sides and being new to camping we weren’t prepared to have to lift one side that much!

Site19

Month of VisitApril

Christa P.

Guide

Reviewed Mar. 16, 2023

Amazing stay

We stayed in spot 50. Very quite campground. Well kept up park. Clean bathrooms. And the hikes are amazing!!!

Site50

Month of VisitApril

(7) View All

Dan M.

Traveler

Reviewed Nov. 24, 2022

Thanksgiving vacation

We spent the thanksgiving holiday weekend at this campground. It was easy to get in and out of the park, staff was super friendly and helpful. Hiking trails are well marked and in good condition. The campground was excellent!!

Site35

Month of VisitDecember

Shana D.

Legend

Reviewed Sep. 10, 2022

Nice State Park

This is a great state park with great hiking and beautiful waterfalls. This is the third time we have visited and the gorge has been closed every time! Boooo! This was our first time to camp here.

The campground is nice and well maintained. However, most of the sites are small. This is not a big rig friendly park, but lots of people still crammed their campers that were too big onto the sites leaving no room for them to park their vehicles.

This campground is full of extra amenities that we usually don’t see at most parks. They even had a ping pond table with paddles and balls! Nice playground, horseshoe pit, tennis, basketball, and a new group fire pit area.

We had a great stay and will definitely be back.

Site43

Month of VisitSeptember

(15) View All

Amy G.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 17, 2022

Nice campground, lots to do

The campsites are shady, although not very private. Restrooms were average but they did have coin operated laundry machines. The best part was the beautiful setting, plenty of short pretty hikes, swimming and activities for the family.

Site45

Month of VisitJuly

Crystal H.

Guide

Reviewed Apr. 9, 2022

Wonderful trip

We enjoyed our trip to Rock Island St Park Campground. We stayed on site 50. The park was clean and probably the quietest ewe’ve ever been to. The bath house was nice and clean. We hiked all the trails at the park. The waterfalls are a short drive. We loved getting ice cream at the train cars after leaving the waterfalls.

Site50

Month of VisitMay

(5) View All

Steve V.

Legend

Reviewed Nov. 22, 2021

Waterfalls Everywhere!

This a nice, less heard of state park (in my opinion) that offers a lot of options for things to do. The campground is on hilly ground, but the parking pads are fairly level. Many of the sites have multilevel (parking pad on one level and then table and fire pit on another level). Many of the sites also have railings because of the steep terrain on the edges. If you like hiking and waterfalls, there is a lot to experience. There are also kayak outfitters near by to rent equipment from. This park is a little more remote in the respect that if you need supplies there are some local convenient stores with limited supplies about 5 minutes away and a Dollar General about 15 minutes away. If you something more than that you will have to drive about a half hour.

Month of VisitApril

(15) View All

Carrie T.

Scout

Reviewed Oct. 22, 2021

Best fall campground

Clean and nice.

Site41

Month of VisitNovember

Devora D.

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 13, 2021

Nice but not a favorite

Joined family at the last minute. Reservations a must. Some areas very hilly and sites not level. If it says slight incline. Think twice or call. Some sites will not accommodate large rvs. If the site looks like it is close to another,IT IS! Shower house and toilet facilities were a 3, on a scale of 1 to 5. Have seen better and much worse. Sis have electric and water which made it a plus. Wifi was ok. Phone reception for Verizon ok if your site was on the same level as camp store and washroom. NO reception if down the hill. We were there in Oct first half. Site near hickory trees. We felt like we needed hard hats when sitting at sites. When the nuts fell out of the trees it sounded like someone throwing rocks. Or when they hit the camper shells would explode sound like gun fire! Nice hiking trails. Some challenging. Twin falls were very cool.

Site18

Month of VisitNovember

(8) View All

Tia M.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 26, 2021

Rock Island State Park

Beautiful state park! Unbelievable waterfalls with many of hiking trails! There is a lot of history in the park! Tent campground was nice and level! Each tent site had a tent pad, lantern pole, fire ring and sturdy table! The bathhouses was clean and warm water! Wood is sold in the near by town or at the park visitor center!

Site51

Month of VisitOctober

steph

Scout

Reviewed Aug. 3, 2021

Nice park

Beautiful setting and well maintained park. We had plenty of space on our site and many shade trees. At&T had 1 bar but the WiFi pole was right next to our site so we had exceptional connection and were able to stream movies, etc. Large beach area and not crowded at all. We had our bikes and rode around the park and even to an ice cream trolley about 2 miles away. We enjoyed the park and surroundings. We didn’t use the bathhouse but we’re told by other campers it was clean and nice. Only negative is lack of sewer hookups on most sites. A few sites do have them.

Site14

Month of VisitSeptember

Jason J.

Ranger

Reviewed Jul. 15, 2021

Decent State Park Canpground

Camp store is right across from tent area entrance. Easy access to most parts of the park. Best trails are on the other side of the river. It rages after a good rain.

Month of VisitApril

Marissa G.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 1, 2021

Beautiful and lots of history

I grew up around here. The locals don’t appreciate its beauty like they should. Lots of natural waterfalls and old buildings.

Site61

Month of VisitJuly

(18) View All

Dennis

Guide

Reviewed May. 1, 2021

Quiet but tight

We were in spot 22 on the cul de sac and you get to know your neighbors really well. One neighbors fire ring was 8ft from our camper. Nice state park with lots to do. Go see twin falls.

Site22

Month of VisitJune

Betheny

Traveler

Reviewed Nov. 24, 2020

Beautiful clean state park

We really enjoyed Rock Island State Park. The campgrounds are easily accessible and roomy. We were there only couple days but would love to go back and visit some of the cute shops and ice cream trailer at the entrance later. It is probably lots of fun in the summer with the huge beach. We plan to visit again soon. FYI there are some sites with sewer. I didn’t realize this when I reserved. They have great dump station but prefer to have that taken care of before we pull out.

Nate H.

Legend

Reviewed Sep. 30, 2020

Awesome Waterfalls

Rock Island State park is a great place to camp. The campground is large and the campsites are spacious and far enough apart that you feel secluded, even when it’s full. It’s heavily wooded, so you don’t feel like your neighbors on right on top of you. The sites are paved and have water and electric, no septic where I was, however and they have a dump station that was large enough for two people to use at the same time. There are so many things to do at the campground, or the park, you will not be bored. Rock Island has some of the best waterfalls in Tennessee, and you can get right up to some them, if you are brave enough to kayak close to them. They also have a swimming area, and sand volleyball. Great biking in the park also. The area has lots of little shops and antique stores, if you’re into that, and Calf Killer Brewery is a short drive, and I highly recommend visiting there. Overall, this is a great park to visit, and a great place to camp.

Month of VisitJune

(12) View All

Susan & Kevin W.

Ranger

Reviewed Aug. 3, 2020

Nice and quiet

This is our first experience at a state park, so we really don’t have anything to compare it to. It’s clean and quiet, with wooded sites that are spaced out so it feels very private. The hosts and rangers are friendly and helpful. To get to waterfalls, it’s quite a hike. A tow vehicle or bikes would be ideal to get around because the park is expansive. We did the Bluff trail which was nice and easy. The moonshine trail was very easy.

Tip!!! If you are coming from Nashville area, you are MUCH better coming in on 70 S through Murfreesboro than the way Rv trip wizard will route you! We learned the hard way.😐

(22) View All

Ashley R.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 11, 2020

Beautiful but small

Gorgeous waterfalls (pictures don’t do it justice) close by and hiking. Campsites are very small and on top of each other. Gravel pad. The trees provide partial shade. Glad we anchored our tents well, as their was a tornado warning on our first night with down limbs. Rangers were friendly and came by to check on everyone just before the storm hit, as well as after.

Bathhouse was pretty standard, nothing special, but at least it was clean.

Hiking trails are not well marked, and due to the terrain; I would not recommend taking small children. I mean, it IS named Rock Island after all.

The swimming area had very stagnant water and it was not appealing whatsoever.

Nice play area and some really cool things to look at on your way in. Dollar general 10 mins away.

(9) View All

Brittni F.

Ranger

Reviewed Jun. 11, 2020

Decent

The campground was well kept, bath house clean. Signs and paths for hiking were very confusing.

(12) View All

Shea M.

Legend

Reviewed Apr. 22, 2020

Chasing Waterfalls

I would give this place 10 stars if I could!! Probably my favorite state park to date. It's absolutely breathtaking!!! The park features several waterfalls, swimming, rock jumping and plenty of hiking!!! We had the best time!! The campgrounds were very clean and had showers and restrooms! Each site offers a picnic table, fire pit and gravel area for your tent! There are also hookups for RVs. Would also reccomend Fall Creek Falls State Park and Cloudland Canyon State Park!

(24) View All

Katie R.

Guide

Reviewed Mar. 24, 2020

Great family trip!

Our family just took a 3 night trip to Rock Island State Park. As a mama, I felt totally safe and comfortable at this park with 10 year old twin girls. The playground and restrooms were a short bike ride so they were never too far from camp. We were also VERY impressed with the cleanliness of the camp. Park rangers could be seen cleaning the restrooms and grounds every hour. With all the craziness going on, it was really comforting to see them going above and beyond to keep everyone safe. We took time to hike a few of the trails in the park. The trail that goes by the bluff was nice and easy. Our favorite was the Eagle trail. The views and trail itself were stunning! We will definitely be back!

(6) View All

Benjamin C.

Guide

Reviewed Mar. 24, 2020

Great place for family!

I’ll start with the reservations! Easy for sure, and they were great with last minute changes. The site was easy to get into with our 27’ 5th wheel. (Site16) plenty of recreational space on this site. We have two 10 year olds who had a blast riding their bikes. The park staff did a great job keeping the bath house very clean. Plenty of good hiking and views on all the trails. The Eagle trail was a great one!

(8) View All

Brandon M.

Scout

Reviewed Feb. 19, 2020

Words will not help

You have to experience it your self

Jon S.

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 23, 2019

Great family park

We spent the weekend at the park in our 21’ camper. Site 28 was fairly level, and had water and 30a power. A few looked like they had sewer at them, but ours didn’t. Fair warning, sites all seemed to be pretty small. My kids loved playing at the playground. The whole park was just really well kept. Bathrooms and showers were clean and in great shape. The staff and rangers were all great, and the gift shop at the park entrance was pretty nice. Small, but had shirts and a couple souvenirs, as well as firewood. The falls were nice, but be prepared to get your shoes wet if you walk the trail down towards the main falls. There was a cold snap that weekend, so we didn’t feel like getting that wet. We will definitely be back in the spring.

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Alicia F.

Legend

Reviewed Oct. 1, 2019

Lots of Fun!

I love the water falls and hiking in the area. Beautiful landscape makes this a great place to spend the weekend.

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Cheryl C.

Traveler

Reviewed Sep. 6, 2019

Great state park

We visited this state park in our 40 foot motorhome. While there are only a few spots that will accommodate a rig this large, it’s worth the time to haunt the reservation system and snag one. The road to the park is winding but we had no issues. Nice big sites with picnic area and fire ring. Onsite camp hosts that are accommodating and friendly. The hike to the water falls was gorgeous and just sitting outside was worth the trip. Close to Cumberland Caverns where we enjoyed a concert in the cavern. We will definitely go back!!

Jessica L.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 27, 2019

Beautiful sceneries with waterfalls

I visited this place and was amazed by all the waterfalls and scenery. The waterfalls were huge and beautiful. The park itself is really nice also.

Nickie F.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 26, 2019

Beautiful setting

This is our first trip (it won’t be our last) to Rock Island State Park. We are very fortunate to have a campsite with full shade. From what I can tell most of the sites are partial shade. It’s 90• and muggy but we haven’t needed our AC at all. We’ve actually gotten a little cool during the night. The park is very quiet. I love that the sites have a good amount of space between them. They all appear to be fairly level too. Some of the sites have a step down to get to the grill, fire pit & picnic table. Because of that it limits the space you have to sit under your awning. So I would look @ the pictures of the individual sites carefully before picking one, if that’s important to you. The bathhouse is very clean & the showers have plenty of hot water. McMinnvile is only a 15 drive if you want groceries or If you’d like to go out to eat. Although there is a nice store with a good little restaurant just outside the park. My husband & I ate there once & it was very good. They have a menu with the usual stuff on it as well as a meat & 3. There is a lot to see here. And old textile mill, waterfalls & an old pump house that was used for the small town of Rock Island as well as for the textile mill in case of fire. My husband & I highly recommend this park.....just don’t get our spot ;)

(5) View All

Terry H.

Guide

Reviewed May. 20, 2019

Great Falls

This is a small State Park and campground area in the lower part of middle Tennessee, but if you like to see some great waterfalls and a some history on this part of Tennessee you will not be disappointed.

Just make sure you have all your supplies before you get there, it is a remote area with no big cities with 50 miles.

Month of VisitMay

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