After a trip to visit relatives in Roanoke, Virginia, my wife and I were looking for an interesting stop to spend the night within a few hours’ drive from our northwest Georgia home. We stopped at the I-81 Tennessee Welcome Center and looking over their information we decided Tennessee’s Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park would be a good place to try.
Sunset at Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park
Location / Name: Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park
Date: 11/8/2015
Site: Site #67, back-in. Movable picnic table and fire ring in the 30-amp section of the campground. The 50-amp sites did not have fire rings (no room for them, really, in the strip of grass between sites) but allowed you to provide your own off-the-ground fire pit, and provided ash disposal stations. 3 or 4 community fire rings are available along the riverfront.
Access: Narrow, winding road for access to park, campground roads are somewhat narrow. Several rows of pull-thru sites that were occupied mostly by big rigs and 5th wheels. No trees or other low clearance problems for most rigs, although there is one railroad underpass with clearance of around 12 feet, so the tallest rigs might want to check with the park before heading over.
Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park is located on the beautiful Nolichucky River
Electric: Main “parking lot style” part of campground has 20/30/50; smaller, section with more pleasing layout had 20/30. However, there was no breaker on the pedestal at my site, which left me somewhat concerned and wishing I had a surge / voltage protector. Pedestal near back of driveway within easy reach.
Water: Well-located water faucet; OK pressure, probably wouldn’t need pressure reducer (but why risk it?)
Bathhouse: There were three bathhouses. A small one is at the far end of the campground in the tent area, but accessible for folks at that end of the “parking lot” section. Another small bathhouse that was primarily for handicap access was right next to the main bathhouse close to the campground entrance near the campground office. The main bathhouse was clean, and the shower stalls are each two-sectioned, with the dressing area (bench, hooks) separated from the shower area by a partial wall, which I thought would keep the dressing area dry. However, since there is no curtain between the two sections, water splashed over onto the dressing area floor, leaving only a section near the stall door dry. There were two toilet stalls and two urinals in the men’s room as well. One of the toilet stalls and one of the two showers are handicap accessible.
The 50-amp sites are somewhat like a parking-lot, but the front row has a nice view of sunset over the lovely Nolichucky River – Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park
Sewer: The newer sites (50-amp; parking-lot) have sewer and are a few dollars more than the section where we stayed. The 30-amp sites in our section had W/E only. There is a dump station near exit, but I didn’t use it, and the dump pipe seemed to be covered with rainwater.
Cell Phone Service: Good Verizon cell phone coverage; my 4G hotspot worked well. Wifi provided by the park was adequate from our site; I didn’t scout for repeaters and I was located fairly close to the campground office. There was also a xfinitywifi network broadcasting in the campground – I wonder if Xfinity is providing the park’s Wifi.
Trash disposal: Dumpsters at two or three locations in the campground, not particularly convenient. NOISY trash pickup at 6:40 AM on Monday.
Cost: Inexpensive! $12.35 with taxes after 50% Sr. discount in 30-amp section. The campground office is open from 2-8 PM; manned by the campground host (at least that was the case in November.)
General description of campground: OK campground, but no privacy. Front row of “parking lot sites” have lovely view of Nolichucky River and sunset, and the sound of the rapids permeates the campground nicely. Not a “destination campground” but a decent place to overnight if you’re in the vicinity, or as a base to explore the nearby historical sites.
Replica of the cabin in which Davy Crockett was born – Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park
General description of park/area: The purpose of the park is to present a replica of Davy Crockett’s home in the location where he was born. My wife and I found this quite an interesting display. There is also a museum in the visitor center. Both the visitor center and cabin are within easy walking distance of the campground. The cabin and campground are located along a beautiful stretch of the Nolichucky River. Across the park road from the campground are a picnic area, playground, and swimming pool. There is also a very nice picnic area in a flat along the river below the Crockett cabin.
The park is located near Jonesborough, the oldest town in Tennessee, and Greenville, which has Civil War historical significance. There was also a battle of the Civil War fought in nearby Limestone. Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park would be a good spot for Civil War history buffs to stay while investigating the history of this area.
Supplies/Food: Campground office has firewood and ice. You need to be supplied up when you arrive. A 20 minute drive can have you in nearby towns.