★ Field-verified · Dave's ownPublic land
Carter County
Drive-up · public land · Carter County, TN · 36.31379, -82.11817
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Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on public land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
An inexpensive fee campground on the shore of Lake Watauga. Many sites are walk in, but several drive in like this one. Forest service campground. Fire ring, picnic table, sheltered tables, showers, running water, restrooms. Lovely wooded setting on lake surrounded by mountains. Discounted with Annual NPS pass. Enough room for one or two vehicles per site. Good cell service. Recommended.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 1,992 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- MMechanic3 mi
- OOutfitter3 mi
- @Mail3 mi
- RxPharmacy3 mi
- FFuel4 mi
- GGrocery4 mi
- HHardware4 mi
- +Urgent care6 mi
- LLaundry6 mi
- WWater8 mi
- ShShower22 mi
- AAir-up22 mi
- DDump44 mi
- PPropane56 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 4 mi out.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
public land
Elevation
1,992 ft
County
Carter County, TN
Coordinates
36.31379, -82.11817
Cost
Fee
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureShook Branch (stream) · nearby
- Nearest townHorseshoe · ~1.5 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~0.7 mi
- FuelFuel · ~4.5 mi
- Propane / LPGPropane · ~4.4 mi
- Dump stationnone within 31 mi
- GroceriesQuickStop · ~3.5 mi
- PharmacyHampton Pharmacy · ~3.4 mi
- Hospital / clinicFresenius Kidney Care · ~7.6 mi
- HardwareAce Hardware · ~4.9 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
Had a signal
Getting there
Any vehicle managed it
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
Yes
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Flush restroomCardens Bluff Cg · at this camp · USFS
- Flush restroomWatauga Point Recreation Area · ~1.8 mi E · USFS
- Flush restroomDennis Cove Recreation Area · ~4.0 mi S · USFS
- Flush restroomLittle Oak Campground · ~14.7 mi N · USFS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Little Stoney Creek Camp~2.5 mi
- A.T. Laurel Fork Shelter~2.6 mi
- A.T. Vandeventer Shelter~4.9 mi
- A.T. Moreland Gap Shelter~6.7 mi
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Carter County, TN). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Finding water out here →Dumping grey & black →Fire rules & restrictions →Dispersed camping tips →All field notes →
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →