Cove Lake State Park, Tennessee, United States

4Alicia F 5:00 PM Apr 27, 2021

Campground with gorgeous views
Cove Lake State Campground is a pretty and quiet campground. We stayed overnight on site 63 and had family members staying in campsite 65. Site 65’s picnic table was actually behind our site (63), which was a bit odd. These sites were spacious and near the water but they were muddy as it had just rained prior to arrival and this required thorough wiping of dog paws. We traveled in a 31 ft motorhome. The nightly rate we paid exc taxes $26. Site 63 and 65 are wonderful sites with a gorgeous water view. Beware of mud or flooding due to recent rain.

4Mary_Frances_From_TN 5:00 PM Jun 28, 2015

Beautiful State Park, Could Be Better Organized
We spent the weekend camping at Cove Lake State Park and had a lovely time. The main highlight is the beauty of Cove Lake. The campsite itself has many spots, but only a few are waterside. It is very popular with RVers and many sites had hook-ups. The absence of tent pads make the grounds more geared to RVers in general. I would recommend carefully looking at the reservation site to check for level ground if you are a tent camper (we are). The bathrooms are reasonably clean- it isn't a hotel, but the shower stalls were ok, other than some mildew on the exterior wood framing (none were in the shower itself). This is a good campsite for those who enjoy camping but don't want to give up showers or flush toilets. The camping spots are too close together for my taste- I would have enjoyed more room and privacy. It would not have been as much of an issue if quiet hours had been respectfully observed and enforced. There were kids and teenagers playing very loudly, shouting, and shooting off fireworks well past midnight both nights we were there. We participated in three ranger programs, which we all enjoyed. The first was a program where we waded into a creek in the park and were provided with nets to capture creek dwellers such as crawdads and minnows. The ranger was helpful with participants in finding the items and then doing a short item on each of the animals that were caught before releasing them back into the water. The second program was focused around snakes- there was an arts and crafts component, then a King snake was brought out for show and tell with a brief talk about native snakes in the area. The third was a scavenger hunt, which my kids enjoyed very much. Several of the sites aren't well marked. We had trouble finding trailheads and other locations. The official map is a hand drawn affair, which we found to be unclearly labeled. I then asked two different rangers for help locating a trail, and I was sent in the wrong direction twice. By the time we actually located the trailhead, my kids were spent trying to find it. Just so you know, the most scenic trails are by the picnic area. It is a confusing drive out area, so pass the restaurant and the event area and keep going until you see a playground. There is a gorgeous, easy 3.5 figure eight style loop. The bottom part goes along the lake, and the top part is a more wooded view. It can easily be broken into halves if you don't want to commit to 3.5 miles. The picnic areas are beautiful- Cove Lake is clear and reflective, framed by the Cumberland Mountains behind them. It is a lovely area. For a day trip, I would recommend a picnic by the lake and then a walk along the paved loop trail. There are also john boats that can be rented out, but we did not check those out. There is a large swimming pool on site, but it was closed due to weather when we visited. Cove Lake Park is a good day trip option for those in East Tennessee or a good RV camping site for overnight. Its beauty is worth taking in.