Jacobs Creek Campground

Closed — Currently closed for the remainder of the 2025 season due to Hurricane Helene damage. Both bathhouses sustained significant damage and require repair before reopening. The campground typically operates seasonally from mid-May through mid-September.

About

Jacobs Creek Campground is situated on a peninsula along the eastern shore of South Holston Lake in Sullivan County, Tennessee, within Cherokee National Forest at an elevation of 1,730 feet. The campground offers 27 single-unit campsites, with 23 sites available for reservation through Recreation.gov. Campers enjoy miles of undeveloped shoreline views and direct lake access from select sites. The facility includes flush toilets, warm showers, drinking water, a trailer dump station, and a lakeside trail. An adjacent day-use area features a large grassy area with picnic facilities and a designated swim beach. Fishing is popular at Jacobs Creek, and a boat launch operated by TWRA is located just a few miles west on US 421. Children and adults enjoy biking on the roads between camping loops, and the area is home to an array of wildflowers, deer, turkey, and other wildlife. Jacobs Creek Shooting Range is located approximately one mile from the campground. South Holston Lake is a 7,580-acre hydroelectric reservoir managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority and surrounded by Cherokee National Forest. The campground is within 30 minutes of Bristol, Tennessee, and Bristol Motor Speedway. Backbone Rock Recreation Area is approximately 30 minutes away, and Damascus, Virginia, is about 35 minutes from the campground.

Directions

From Bristol, take US 421 South for 12 miles, turn left on paved Denton Valley Road. Travel 2 miles, turn left on paved Jacobs Creek Road. The road becomes gravel in 0.5 miles at the entrance to the recreation area.

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