Camping in Tennessee

Camping rules worth knowing in Tennessee

Dispersed camping on the Cherokee: 14 days, then ten miles

Camping anywhere on the Cherokee National Forest is limited to 14 consecutive days. On the fourteenth day you must leave that area for at least seven days. If you are camping outside a developed recreation area, you must move at least ten miles in any direction before those seven days start. The forest cites 36 CFR 261.58(a). A single campsite in a developed area is limited to five people and two vehicles, a double site to ten people and four vehicles, and camping within 300 feet of the Cherohala Skyway is not permitted at all. Source 14

The Natchez Trace allows no dispersed camping at all

All camping on the parkway must be in one of three designated campgrounds: Meriwether Lewis at milepost 385.9, the one nearest Nashville, Jeff Busby at 193.1 and Rocky Springs at 54. They are free, primitive, first come first served, and have no electricity, showers or dump stations. The camping page states a maximum stay of 14 days per campground per calendar year; the parkway’s own FAQ states 14 consecutive nights. Take the tighter reading and plan to move. Source 25

Burn permits run October 15 to May 15, and a ban stops campfires too

From October 15 through May 15 the Division of Forestry requires a burn permit for debris pile fires and prescribed fires, issued under T.C.A. 39-14-306 and good for a single day. Permits are free, online or by phone. When fire danger rises the division pauses issuing them, which is a burn restriction: it stops permitted burning but does not prohibit campfires, grilling or screened burn barrels. A burn ban is different. The Commissioner of Agriculture or the Governor can declare one, and it prohibits all open-air burning including campfires and outdoor grills. Counties and cities may set stricter rules that override the state programme. Source 34

The full guide to overlanding Tennessee