★ Field-verified · Dave's ownPublic land · dispersedFree
Rhea County
Drive-up · public land · Rhea County, TN · 35.66219, -84.84517
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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.
Nice flat spot with fire ring on shore of lake. This is a popular area for locals to hangout, fish, and party. Some other van dwellers. Not very private, and potentially noisy, but a great place to set up camp for a night or two if passing through the area. Good cell service, and enough room for multiple vehicles. Recommended due to convenience.
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 743 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
- GGrocery1 mi
- FFuel1 mi
- MMechanic2 mi
- LLaundry2 mi
- DDump2 mi
- RxPharmacy2 mi
- HHardware2 mi
- @Mail2 mi
- +Urgent care10 mi
- ShShower18 mi
- OOutfitter23 mi
- WWater30 mi
- PPropane33 mi
- AAir-up40 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water is a real 30-mi drive, fuel & food sit about 1 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 · dispersed
Elevation
743 ft
County
Rhea County, TN
Coordinates
35.66219, -84.84517
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Resupply lookup unavailable — try the map links below.
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
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Highway rest areaNHS Parking Area, No Facilities · ~16.8 mi N
- Highway rest areaNHS Rest Stop or Truck Facility 17 · ~18.3 mi SE
- Highway rest areaNHS Rest Stop or Truck Facility 18 · ~18.5 mi SE
- Highway rest areaNHS Rest Stop or Truck Facility 11 · ~18.8 mi N
Open this spot elsewhere
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 (Rhea 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
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 →