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A one-lane gravel road under autumn hardwoods in the Great Smoky Mountains.

The Overland Directory

Camping equipment in Tennessee

Fridges, stoves, water, furniture, sleep systems and lighting for camps that start at the tailgate.

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Rich Mountain Road, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

Camping equipment in Tennessee

3 listings

  1. Mahoney's Outfitters Johnson City, TN Family owned Tri-Cities outdoor store trading since 1960, selling camping and hiking supplies, paddle sports equipment, hunting and field gear, cutlery and outdoor clothing.
  2. Little River Trading Co. Maryville, TN Outdoor shop near the Great Smoky Mountains selling camping and hiking equipment, backpacks, climbing gear, footwear, travel accessories and outdoor clothing.
  3. Cumberland Transit Nashville, TN Outdoor and bicycle shop on West End Avenue selling camping equipment, climbing and fly fishing gear, outdoor clothing and bikes.

Tennessee by the numbers

Acres of federal land 1
1.27M
4.7 percent of Tennessee. The BLM holds none of it
Kuwohi, the highest point in Tennessee 2
6,643 ft
Sevier County. The USGS table still prints the former name, Clingmans Dome. The low point is 178 feet on the Mississippi River
Federal campgrounds a vehicle can reach 4
64
30 Forest Service, 18 Corps of Engineers across seven lakes, and 16 Park Service. Fifteen are first come, first served
Visitors a year to Great Smoky Mountains 10
12M
The most visited national park in the country, and entry to it is free
Acres of Cherokee National Forest 13
660,000+
Split into a northern and a southern half by the national park. The CRS puts all Forest Service land in Tennessee at 725,299 acres
Acres in the North Cumberland WMA 30
205,000
The largest actively managed wildlife management area in the state, across five East Tennessee counties
Average yearly precipitation, statewide 5
52.2 in
The 1895 to 2020 average. Inside the Smokies it runs 55 inches in the lowlands to 85 at Kuwohi
Nationally designated byway routes 28
10
More than any other state east of the Mississippi, and fourth most in the country

Camp gear for a humid, rainy state

Buy for water. Tennessee averages 52.2 inches of rain a year, the Smokies take 55 to 85, and a bad night here is wet rather than cold. A tarp or awning that lets you cook and sit outside in rain changes a trip more than another ten degrees of sleeping bag rating.

Then buy a stove you can rely on. A burn ban in Tennessee prohibits all open-air burning including campfires and outdoor grills, and the Division of Forestry may be pausing permits at the same time. Do not plan meals around a fire you might not be allowed to light.

The full guide to overlanding Tennessee

What vehicle camping gear has to do

Vehicle camping gear works under a different constraint than backpacking gear. Weight matters less, but everything has to survive vibration and dust and pack the same way every time. Stores that understand the difference stock 12-volt fridges, water systems and kitchens rather than ultralight pots.

What they carry

  1. 0112-volt fridges and slides
  2. 02Stoves and kitchen systems
  3. 03Water storage, pumps and filtration
  4. 04Chairs, tables and shelter
  5. 05Sleep systems
  6. 06Lighting and power stations

How to choose camp equipment

Buy fewer, better things. Every item has to be packed, carried and cleaned.

  1. 01Buy the fridge for your power system, not the other way round. Ask about power draw and what battery it needs to run overnight.
  2. 02Pack it before you buy it. Bring the measurements of your cargo area or drawers.
  3. 03Favor gear that can be repaired and has parts available.
  4. 04Choose a kitchen you can set up in the dark, in wind, when you are tired.

What to have ready before you ask for a quote

Space and power are the limits.

  1. 01Vehicle and storage dimensions
  2. 02Your power system, if you have one
  3. 03How many people, and how long you stay out
  4. 04What you already own
  5. 05A budget range

Questions people ask

Do I need a 12-volt fridge?

For trips longer than a weekend, most people never go back. No ice to find and no wet food. It does need a house battery or a power station that can carry it overnight.

How much water should I carry?

Enough for drinking, cooking and washing between reliable refills, with a reserve. How much that is depends on the climate, the people and how you cook. Carry it low in the vehicle, and in more than one container.

Is a power station enough, or do I need a second battery?

A power station is simple and portable and suits lights, devices and a small fridge for a couple of days. A wired house battery charges while you drive and suits longer trips and bigger loads.

How high is Tennessee?

From Nashville at 555 feet to Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome) at 6,643. Altitude decides what your engine, your brakes and your lungs have to work with, and how late in the year the passes open.

Towns

  1. Mountain City Johnson County seat in the far northeast on TN 91 and US 421, within a few miles of both Virginia and North Carolina. 2,420 ft
  2. Crossville On I-40 at the top of the Cumberland Plateau, the halfway service stop between Nashville and Knoxville. 1,857 ft
  3. Ducktown Copper Basin town on TN 68 at the east end of the Ocoee Scenic Byway, near the Georgia and North Carolina lines. 1,740 ft
  4. Jamestown On US 127 on the plateau, between Big South Fork and the Obey River country. 1,714 ft
  5. Erwin On I-26 beside the Nolichucky. Start of the Unaka Mountain circle on TN 395 and gravel Forest Road 230. 1,669 ft
  6. Elizabethton Carter County seat on the Watauga River. TN 143 climbs from here through Roan Mountain to Carvers Gap. 1,527 ft
  7. Oneida Scott County town on US 27 and the eastern approach to Big South Fork and its Bandy Creek side. 1,443 ft
  8. Wartburg Morgan County seat between the Obed Wild and Scenic River and Frozen Head, on the plateau north of I-40. 1,380 ft
  9. Gatlinburg North gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Newfound Gap Road and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail both start here. 1,290 ft
  10. LaFollette Campbell County town on US 25W below the Cumberland Mountains, under the Sundquist Unit of the North Cumberland WMA. 1,073 ft
  11. Townsend The Blount County entrance to the park. Cades Cove, Rich Mountain Road and Parson Branch Road are all reached from this side. 1,070 ft
  12. Knoxville Where I-40 meets I-75. The last large city before the Smokies, the Cherokee National Forest and the Cumberland Mountains. 899 ft
  13. Lawrenceburg On US 43 in the middle of the Tennessee stretch of the Natchez Trace Parkway, and the last real service town for many miles of it. 894 ft
  14. Tellico Plains West end of the Cherohala Skyway and the turn onto Forest Road 210 up the Tellico River. 875 ft
  15. Chattanooga Where I-75 meets I-24 at the foot of the Cumberland Plateau. Nearest city to the Ocoee gorge and the Sequatchie Valley. 676 ft
  16. Nashville State capital where I-40, I-65 and I-24 meet. The Natchez Trace Parkway ends just southwest of the city. 555 ft

Passes, high roads and summits

  1. Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome) The highest point in Tennessee. A paved seasonal road runs to the parking area below the summit 6,643 ft
  2. Kuwohi Kuwohi Road: Newfound Gap Road to the Kuwohi visitor center and overlook 6,643 ft
  3. Mount Le Conte No road to it. The Park Service says readings above 80 degrees up here are extremely rare 6,593 ft
  4. Roan High Knob Carter County, above Carvers Gap. Our own measurement at the USGS point, not an agency figure 6,282 ft
  5. Carvers Gap TN 143 to Carvers Gap: Roan Mountain up through Roan Mountain State Park to the state line 5,512 ft
  6. Unaka Mountain Scenic Drive (Forest Road 230) A circle from Erwin on TN 395, Forest Road 230 and TN 107 5,168 ft
  7. Newfound Gap Road (US 441) Gatlinburg to Cherokee, North Carolina 5,046 ft
  8. Big Frog Mountain Polk County, in the southern Cherokee National Forest. Our own measurement at the USGS point 4,210 ft
  9. Rich Mountain Road Cades Cove out to Tuckaleechee Cove and Townsend 3,692 ft

Pass, road and summit elevations are the figures published by the agency that manages them. Town elevations are the town’s or county’s own figure where it publishes an exact one; the rest are from the U.S. Geological Survey (3D Elevation Program at the place’s official coordinates), retrieved September 18, 2026. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.

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Sources for this page

34
  1. Congressional Research Service. Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data (R42346), Tables 1 and 2, data as of September 30, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  2. U.S. Geological Survey. Elevations and Distances in the United States, online edition, Highest and Lowest Elevations table. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  3. U.S. Geological Survey. Geographic Names Information System and 3D Elevation Program point query. Elevation of the 3DEP surface at the GNIS coordinates of the named place, rounded to the nearest foot. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  4. Recreation.gov. Recreation Information Database (RIDB) full export. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  5. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. State Climate Summaries 2022: Tennessee. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  6. National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Auto Touring. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  7. National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Seasonal Road Schedule. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  8. National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Weather. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  9. National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Fees and Passes, with the Frontcountry Camping and Backcountry Camping pages. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  10. National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Frequently Asked Questions, with the Traffic and Travel Tips page. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  11. National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Touring Cades Cove. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  12. National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, which also lists the Foothills Parkway section lengths. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  13. USDA Forest Service, Cherokee National Forest. Cherokee National Forest home, with the Explore the Forest and Camping and Cabins pages. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  14. USDA Forest Service, Cherokee National Forest. Campsite Limitations, and the Cherohala Skyway camping alert. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  15. USDA Forest Service, Cherokee National Forest. Holly Flats campground, which states the forest-wide food storage restriction. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  16. USDA Forest Service, Cherokee National Forest. Cherohala Skyway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  17. USDA Forest Service, Cherokee National Forest. Ocoee Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  18. USDA Forest Service, Cherokee National Forest. Unaka Mountain Scenic Drive. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  19. USDA Forest Service, Cherokee National Forest. Tellico River Road, with the Holly Flats campground page. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  20. USDA Forest Service, Cherokee National Forest. Hiwassee River Road. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  21. USDA Forest Service, Cherokee National Forest. Carver’s Gap, and the TN 143 Scenic Drive page. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  22. USDA Forest Service, Cherokee National Forest. National Forest Seasonal Road Management Schedule for the North Zone of the Cherokee National Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  23. National Park Service, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Superintendent’s Compendium, signed June 4, 2026, with the park’s Camping page. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  24. National Park Service, Natchez Trace Parkway. Frequently Asked Questions, with the Recreational Vehicles page. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  25. National Park Service, Natchez Trace Parkway. Camping Along the Natchez Trace Parkway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  26. Tennessee Valley Authority. Rules for Use of TVA Public Lands. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  27. Tennessee Valley Authority. Recreation, with the Camping and Recreation on Undeveloped TVA Public Lands pages. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  28. Tennessee Department of Transportation. National Scenic Byways Overview, revised October 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  29. Tennessee Department of Transportation. Tennessee’s Scenic Handbook, July 2021, the Tennessee’s Byway Collection chapter. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  30. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. North Cumberland WMA. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  31. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Licenses and Permits: High-Impact Habitat Conservation Permits, and the North Cumberland Off-Highway Vehicle Permit. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  32. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. General Wildlife Management Area Regulations. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  33. Tennessee Department of Revenue. Off-Highway Vehicles, under Vehicle Registration. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  34. Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry. Get a Burn Permit in Tennessee. Retrieved September 19, 2026.

Reviewed September 19, 2026. Conditions, closures and rules change; check with the managing agency before you travel.

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