Need help finding our perfect campground

[jim1521]

I'm hoping that some of you out there have come across this "campground of our dreams".

We live in Florida (on the Gulf coast), in a place that many people would consider a tropical paradise. Beaches, beautiful gulf waters, great weather, fantastic boating and fishing. Wife and I have tried many campgrounds in and around Florida. While they're wonderful for people from up north who come down for a vacation, or to get out of the cold, to us they don't match up to what we already have in our own backyard. We're searching the Internet until our eyes hurt. Here's what we're looking for:

1. In the mountains of GA, SC, NC, AL, TN on a nice big lake. Basically a long one-day drive towing the boat (~500 miles from Ft. Myers, FL). I'll tow the trailer first then go back and get the boat. Looking to stay May - September/October.
2. Has a boat ramp or wet slip on site. (24' boat)
3. Lake is big enough that we can go 20+ miles around it.
4. Full hookups with great Internet/wifi and cell phone coverage (I need this for work).
5. Large sites that aren't crammed all together.
6. Grocery stores/shopping in close proximity (< 10 miles from campground)

I'm not looking for (or expecting) cheap; I know this will be expensive, but this is what we're hoping to find. With all the travel that you all have done, do any of you have a place that fits this? Please let me know. Thanks!

[LCBoyer]

Lake Lanier, just north of Atlanta is nice

[Jerryr]

Jim, I’ll be right behind you, traveling from Sarasota area.

[Sandi]

You should definitely take a look at Anchor Down Rv Resort in Dandridge, TN which is right outside of Gatlinburg. It definitely checks ALL of your boxes. I has become one of the most popular spots around those parts. Lake Dandrige is huge and beautiful with lots of fishing, boating, skiing etc. It is out in the country away from the hustle and bustle of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg but you still have access to all that if you want. Good luck in your search!

[Bamaman]

Anchor Down is a beautiful campground on Douglas Lake, but it is a short term campground--not residential. Most of the attributes you are looking for are somewhat difficult to find. Lake Lanier has no affordable campgrounds--mostly Corp of Engineers and Lake Lanier Islands campgrounds.

You might check into Norris Lake tourism--just north of Knoxville. They have incredible facilities with something like 17 marinas, high rise condos and many rentals (including houseboats and floating houses.). It is a huge impoundment.

The problem is that there are relatively few private on water campgrounds. You could go to a big bookstore and pickup a camping guide/directory to look for on water campgrounds.

The Tennessee River lakes are the best inland lake chain in the U.S. Guntersville and Chickamauga might have campgrounds accepting long term campers.

[jim1521]

UPDATE: We drove up to Lake Nottely, GA this past weekend to visit a park right on the lake. The park is actually closed for the winter (1 April - 30 November is their season), but we spoke with the owner, and he agreed to meet us there and show us the park. Of course we didn't know that Winter Storm Benji was going to come to town, so we got the added benefit of 10" of snow!

The owner met us for lunch and he's a very nice man (and camper). He took us out for a wonderful lunch at a restaurant in town. After lunch we visited the RV park.

This park checked off ALL of our requirements (and more):

1. Mountain lake (1,800' elevation)
2. 20-miles long (100+ miles of shoreline) with numerous small islands dotting the lake. Picture a mountain lake like you've seen on TV - yeah, this is it. Plenty of places to explore and gunkhole fishing.
3. Boat ramp onsite with wet slip for the entire season.
4. Boat (24' pontoon w/150 HP motor) + 165 HP Sea-Doo can be kept on site and in the water. Toss a couple of lines and away you go.
5. Cell phone tower in sight (great signal)
6. New wifi service installed (access point < 100' away)
7. Our selected campsite has a 12' x 20' wooden deck
8. Walmart Supercenter about 1 mile away.
9. Non-ethanol (REC fuel) about 1 mile away for boat & ski.
9. Lake is stocked with fish and is part of TVA (175' deep in front of dam)

The rate for the entire season was under $2,500. If you rent for the season you can leave your trailer on site - in situ- for the remaining 4 months at no cost.

Needless to say we're VERY excited about going.

The name of the park is Lake Nottely RV Park

@jerryr: see you there?

[TucsonJim]

Okay I gotta ask. What is "gunkhole" fishing?

[jim1521]

Fishing in little nooks 'n crannies, hard-to-get-to spots that are only accessible by boat.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunkholing

[joesmainship]

You may want to check out Honeycomb Campground, a TVA park on an offshoot of Lake Guntersville. It has some really nice waterfront spots. Lots of shade, too. There are lots of good campgrounds along the lakes of the Tennessee River and also some along the Tombigbee, but the farther south, the hotter the Summer. The issue you are going to have is internet.

[jim1521]

The issue you are going to have is internet.

Why do you say that?