Lillydale Campground And Day Use

About

Lillydale Campground and Day Use Area occupies a prime lakefront position on Dale Hollow Lake, a 27,700-acre reservoir managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers near the Tennessee-Kentucky border. The campground was named one of the National Recreation Reservation Service's Top Ten Most Scenic Campgrounds, offering more waterfront sites than any other campground on the lake. Sites range from remote island tent camping (walk-in only, no utilities) to developed RV sites with 50-amp electric and water hookups on gravel or paved pads. Dale Hollow Lake is renowned for yielding the world-record smallmouth bass and remains a trophy fishery. The Obey River below the dam provides excellent rainbow and brown trout fishing. Two boat ramps provide direct lake access, and two swimming beaches accommodate day visitors and campers. The Accordion Bluff Hiking Trail is a 7.5-mile one-way route connecting Lillydale to Willow Grove Campground along ridgetops and shoreline, popular with birders and wildflower enthusiasts. From late fall through early spring, American Bald Eagles winter at Dale Hollow in one of the largest populations in Tennessee and Kentucky. Around Labor Day, thousands of Purple Martins roost on the small island adjacent to the campground during their southern migration. Note that only certified heat-treated firewood is permitted due to a quarantine zone, and alcohol is prohibited throughout the facility.

Directions

From Byrdstown, Tennessee, take Highway 111 south for about 13 miles. Turn north on 294/Willow Grove Road at Big Springs Market and continue for 13 miles, then turn right onto Lillydale Road and continue to the entrance. GPS navigation may be unreliable in this area.