Dale Hollow Lake - Primitive Camping

Open — Open year-round. Reservations required through Recreation.gov. Camping limited to 14 consecutive days within a 30-day period.

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About

Dale Hollow Lake Primitive Camping offers a unique rustic lakefront experience with over 70 individually designated family campsites spread across 32 locations along 620 miles of shoreline spanning both Tennessee and Kentucky. Most designated tent sites are accessible only by boat, while a few can be reached by country road, providing peaceful nature experiences in remote locations. Each area is designated and marked with vault or pit toilets and ground grills or fire circles. These are true pack-in, pack-out locations with minimal services. Campers must bring their own water except at Cove Creek, the only location with drinking water. All sites require toilet paper to be brought by campers. Dale Hollow Lake, with its crystal clear water and forested hillsides, is renowned for holding the world record for smallmouth bass and is considered a trophy smallmouth lake. The 27,700 surface acres of water provide ample space for boating, water skiing, swimming, and fishing. Dale Hollow Dam and Lake was completed in 1943 for flood control and power generation but now hosts over 3 million visitors annually. Surrounded by thick forest, the clear blue lake offers stunning scenic backdrops. In late fall through early spring, the lake hosts the second-largest wintering bald eagle population in Tennessee and Kentucky. Camping is limited to 14 consecutive days within a 30-day period. Lake levels can rise or fall suddenly without warning, and no on-site security or law enforcement services are provided.

Directions

Camping locations are dispersed throughout Dale Hollow Lake. Most sites are accessible only by boat, while some can be reached by country road. Each individual site listing on Recreation.gov contains specific GPS coordinates and driving directions. The Resource Manager's Office is located at 540 Dale Hollow Dam Road, Celina, TN 38551.