Dale Hollow Lake - Primitive Camping
- Right now
- Taking bookingsSites offered on 30 of the next 30 nights read 16:54 UTC
- A night
- $5From, per site
- Sites
- 8337 on recreation.gov
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 15 notices
In the agency’s own words
Dale Hollow Lake Primitive Camping is a unique series of 32 locations with a total of over 70 individually designated family campsites dispersed over 620 miles of shoreline. Campsites are located in both the states of Tennessee and Kentucky. Primitive camping offers a unique rustic lake front camping experience. Remote locations along the shoreline offer campers a peaceful nature experience. Most designated tent sites are accessible only by boat; while a few can be reached by country road. Campers are advised that these areas are remote, primitive sites. Toilets are vault/pit type outhouses. Campers desiring on-site attendant, security and law enforcement services are encouraged to use developed campgrounds where such services are provided. These services are not provided for primitive camping. Keep reading
Recreation
Dale Hollow Lake, with its crystal clear water and forested hillsides, is an outdoor enthusiast's paradise. Dale Hollow is renowned for its fishing opportunities and holds the world record for smallmouth bass and is known as a trophy smallmouth lake. Boating and water skiing are popular activities, and with 27,700 surface acres of water and 620 miles of shoreline, there is plenty of space for campers to explore the lake.
Facilities
Primitive camping sites are remote and accessible by boat; a few have vehicle access. Each location is designated and marked. Each area has a vault or pit type toilet and a ground grill or fire circle. Tent camping is permissible within the designated areas. Cove Creek, Eagle Creek Ferry, Gunnel's Camp, Jones Chapel, Red Oak Ridge A, and Taylors Ford are the only locations which provide for vehicle access, all other sites are boat in only. All areas are considered pack-it-in, pack-it-out locations with minimal services. Campers are expected to bring plenty of water and garbage bags. Cove Creek is the only location with drinking water. Camping is limited to a 14-day stay within a 30-consecutive day period.
Natural Features
Dale Hollow Dam and Lake was completed in 1943. Although the dam was built for flood control and power generation, it has now become a recreational oasis for more than 3 million visitors each year. The dam is located on the Obey River, about three miles east of Celina, Tennessee. Surrounded by a thick expanse of forest, the clear blue lake creates a stunning scenic backdrop for a variety of water and land recreational activities. In the late fall through early spring, the American bald eagle can be spotted flying overhead or perched on low-lying limbs. Dale Hollow hosts the second-largest wintering eagle population in the states of Tennessee and Kentucky.
Charges & Cancellations
Full rules and reservation policies for fees associated with changes and cancellations can be found at https://www.recreation.gov/rules-reservation-policies There is no fee to make a reservation. A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refund for a cancellation. A $10 service fee may be charged to changes made to an existing reservation (see full policies for when this is applicable). A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night’s recreation fee for a campsite. Applicable fees, including service/cancellation fees and change fees, are non-refundable and subject to change. No refunds for recreation use fees may be made locally at the lake.
What the agency tells you
Firewood Policy – Campers may only burn certified heat treated firewood, commercial fire logs, kiln-dried, unpainted, unstained lumber that is free of any metal or foreign substance, or dead and downed branches in the area adjacent to the campsite. View the Nashville District Firewood Policy Fires in designated areas only.
Cove Creek, Eagle Creek Ferry, Gunnel's Camp, Jones Chapel, Red Oak Ridge A, and Taylors Ford are the only locations which provide for vehicle access, all other sites are boat in only. To access drive in sites, follow the directions or GPS information under the specific site info. Using GPS for Dale Hollow Lake Primitive Camping will direct to the Resource Manager's Complex, not the camping site. Every site has the site GPS and/or driving directions listed under the specific site NEED TO KNOW tab.
Reserved campsites should be occupied by check-out on the day following your scheduled arrival date. If not, the reservation will be marked as a no-show and the site made available for another reservation.
Everything else this campground posts · 12
Post a printed copy of your confirmation letter to your tent or at the site. To protect your identity, mark out the address information. Ensure that the reservation name, site and dates are visible. Camping is limited to a 14-day stay within a 30-consecutive day period.
Multi-party areas include Cove Creek, First Island, Taylors Ford and Plankyard. Reserving more than one site at a multi-party area for the purpose of reserving the entire area is not allowed and customers doing so are subject to having all their reservations cancelled. Those who desire a more secluded primitive camping experience should consider reserving at a single party site.
No water; please bring your own. Toilet facility consists of vault/pit type. You must bring your own toilet paper.
Pack out all your trash and camping items. Clean up the area before departure. No off-road vehicles allowed.
Parking locations on the lake may charge a use fee for that area.
Houseboats are permitted to tie up nearby the area.
Alcohol is not permitted at Cove Creek, Sewell Bend A, B, C and Red Oak Ridge A, B, C.
Complete rules and regulations enforced are found in Title 36, Chapter III, Part 327 Code of Federal Regulations. For more information visit US Army Corps of Engineers Rules and Regulations for Water Resources Projects
WARNIING! The level of Dale Hollow Lake can rise or fall suddenly without warning.
Campsites accessible by roadways are subject to day users and sightseers accessing the area. THOSE UNFAMILIAR WITH PRIMITIVE CAMPING ON DALE HOLLOW MAY WANT TO PHONE THE RESOURCE OFFICE TO CLARIFY THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH PRIMITIVE CAMPING.
Campers are encouraged to use developed campgrounds where security and law enforcement services are provided. These services are not provided for primitive camping. Persons camping at primitive campsites do so at their own risk.
Sheriff's Department Emergency Contacts: Clay County 931-243-3266 Overton County 931-823-5404 Pickett County 931-864-3210 Clinton County 606-387-5111 Cumberland County 270-864-4141
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 83 · 25 tent-only, 38 boat-in, 8 equestrian
- Hookups
- None
- Paved pads
- 10 of 83
- Accessible sites
- None listed
- Pets
- Allowed at 78 of 79 sites
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
- Shade
- Every site
Facilities
- Toilets
- Vault Toilets · Pit Toilets
- VAULT TOILETS on 2 of 83 campsite records / PIT TOILETS on 74 of 83 campsite records
- Drinking water
- Yes
- WATER (SEASONAL) on 10 of 83 campsite records
- Stay limit
- 14 nights
- recreation.gov facility rule maxStay
Around the campground
- On the water
- Lake, River, Creek, Beach
- Fishing
- Swimming
- Water sports
38 of 72 site-nights open this Friday and Saturdayread 16:54 UTC
recreation.gov lists 37 of the 83 campsites the agency files here. The rest aren’t on its booking system, so a reservation won’t get you one.
OpenBooked
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 14
What you actually pay
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rate for this season, $5 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
“Full rules and reservation policies for fees associated with changes and cancellations can be found at https://www.recreation.gov/rules-reservation-policies There is no fee to make a reservation. - A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refund for a cancellation. - A $10 service fee may be charged to changes ma…” · this campground’s own no-show terms
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 6
recreation.gov availability, read 16:54 UTC · rules read Oct 1, 2026 · rates Oct 1, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
83 sites · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 63 mapped sitesAll 83 sites
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 71 of the 83 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
Measured shade is NLCD Tree Canopy Cover 2024 (USDA Forest Service / MRLC) read at the site’s own coordinate, 27% canopy or more, and only for the sites the agency gave no Shade value. It never changes the agency’s own shaded count beside it.
| ANDERSON POINT | 12 Anderson Point | boat in | 2981 ft | 76 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| BIG GOAT ISLAND | 8 Big Goat Island | type not stated | 41 ftDale Hollow Lake | ||
| CACTUS ISLAND | 19 Cactus Island | boat in | 3291 ft | 36 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| CASEY CREEK POINT | 16 Casey Creek Point | boat in | 10254 ft | 70 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| CLARK ISLAND | 6 Clark Island | type not stated | |||
| COUNTY LINE ISLAND | 27 County Line Island | boat in | 4034 ft | 50 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| COVE CREEK (Walk-In) | 31 | tent only nonelectric | $5 | ||
| COVE CREEK. | 31A | tent only nonelectric | 55 ft | 133 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| COVE CREEK. | 31B | tent only nonelectric | 52 ft | 165 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| COVE CREEK. | 31C | tent only nonelectric | 46 ft | 147 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| COVE CREEK. | 31D | tent only nonelectric | 40 ft | 128 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| COVE CREEK. | 31E | tent only nonelectric | 45 ft | 95 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| COVE CREEK. | 31F | tent only nonelectric | 45 ft | 113 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| COVE CREEK. | 31G | tent only nonelectric | 46 ft | 115 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| COVE CREEK. | 31H | tent only nonelectric | 40 ft | 100 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| COVE CREEK. | 31I | tent only nonelectric | 54 ft | 85 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| EAGLE CREEK FERRY LEFT BANK | 32A | tent only nonelectric | 64 ft | 130 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| EAGLE CREEK FERRY LEFT BANK | 32B | tent only nonelectric | 58 ft | 141 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| EAGLE CREEK FERRY LEFT BANK | 32C | tent only nonelectric | 58 ft | 138 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| FIRST ISLAND | 4A | boat in | 184 ft | 73 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| FIRST ISLAND | 4B | boat in | 184 ft | 118 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| FIRST ISLAND | 4C | boat in | 258 ft | 28 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| FIRST ISLAND | 4D | boat in | 258 ft | 102 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| FIRST ISLAND (Walk-In) | 4 | boat in | $5 | ||
| GEIGER ISLAND (Hill Top) | 13A Geiger Island (Hill Top) | boat in | 1137 ft | 191 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| GEIGER ISLAND (Island Point) | 13B Geiger Island (Island Point) | boat in | 1137 ft | 43 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| GRAVEYARD ISLAND | 9 Graveyard Island | boat in | 3876 ft | 43 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| GUNNEL'S CAMP | 24A | standard nonelectric | 68 ft | 52 ftDale Hollow Lake | |
| GUNNEL'S CAMP | 24B | standard nonelectric | 68 ft | 54 ftDale Hollow Lake | |
| GUNNEL'S CAMP | 24C | standard nonelectric | 71 ft | 55 ftDale Hollow Lake | |
| GUNNEL'S CAMP | 24D | standard nonelectric | 71 ft | 63 ftDale Hollow Lake | |
| HENDRICK'S CREEK | 11 Hendrick's Creek | boat in | 2981 ft | 44 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| HUFFAKRE BRANCH | 18 Huffakre Branch | boat in | 5974 ft | 75 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| JACKSON CREEK ISLAND | 30 Jackson Creek Island | boat in | 4357 ft | 49 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| JARVIS POINT | 17 Jarvis Point | boat in | 7787 ft | 142 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| JONES CHAPEL | 23 Jones Chapel | tent only nonelectric | 11866 ft | 26 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| JOUETT CREEK POINT | 29 Jouett Creek Point | boat in | 4034 ft | 114 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| KEMPER FLATS A | 5A Kemper Flats A | boat in | 295 ft | 49 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| KEMPER FLATS B | 5B Kemper Flats B | boat in | 295 ft | under 10 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| MITCHELL CREEK | 1 Mitchell Creek-Boat In Only | boat in | 12969 ft | 54 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| MOORE HOLLOW POINT | 14 Moore Hollow Point | boat in | 4446 ft | 83 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| NOEL ISLAND | 26 Noel Island | boat in | 2523 ft | 25 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| PHILLIP'S ISLAND | 25 Phillip's Island | boat in | 2523 ft | 42 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| PLANKYARD | 34A | tent only nonelectric | 63 ft | 200 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| PLANKYARD | 34B | tent only nonelectric | 60 ft | 150 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| PLANKYARD | 34C | tent only nonelectric | 60 ft | 139 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| RAYBURN POINT | 22 Rayburn Point | boat in | 8520 ft | 74 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| RED OAK RIDGE A (Trail Head) | 2A1 | equestrian nonelectric | 182 ft | 695 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| RED OAK RIDGE A (Trail Head) | 2A2 | equestrian nonelectric | 155 ft | 585 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| RED OAK RIDGE A (Trail Head) | 2A3 | equestrian nonelectric | 155 ft | 701 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| RED OAK RIDGE A (Trail Head) | 2A4 | equestrian nonelectric | 173 ft | 831 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| RED OAK RIDGE A (Trail Head) | 2A5 | equestrian nonelectric | 175 ft | 732 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| RED OAK RIDGE B (Barn & Corral) | 2B Red Oak Ridge B (Barn & Corral) | equestrian nonelectric | 642 ft | 519 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| RED OAK RIDGE C (Storm Shelter) | 2C Red Oak Ridge C (Storm Shelter) | equestrian nonelectric | 939 ft | 269 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| ROBERT'S HOLLOW POINT | 10A | boat in | $5 | ||
| ROBERT'S HOLLOW POINT | 10B | boat in | $5 | ||
| ROBERT'S HOLLOW POINT | 10C | boat in | $5 | ||
| ROBERT'S HOLLOW POINT | 10D | boat in | $5 | ||
| SEWELL BEND A (1st Finger Upstream from Dam) | 3A Sewell Bend A (1st Finger Upstream from Dam) | boat in | 492 ft | 60 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| SEWELL BEND B (2nd Finger Upstream from Dam) | 3B Sewell Bend B (2nd Finger Upstream from Dam) | boat in | 492 ft | 75 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| SEWELL BEND C (3rd Finger Upstream from Dam) | 3C Sewell Bend C (3rd Finger Upstream from Dam) | boat in | 501 ft | 65 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| SHERMAN HOLLOW | 15 Sherman Hollow | boat in | 4446 ft | 86 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| SITE 10 ROBERT'S HOLLOW POINT | 10 Robert's Hollow Point | type not stated | |||
| SITE 24 GUNNEL'S CAMP | 24 Gunnel's Camp (Multiple Campsite Area-Drive In) | standard nonelectric | |||
| SITE 2A RED OAK RIDGE A (Trail Head) | 2A Red Oak Ridge A (Trail Head) | equestrian nonelectric | $5 | ||
| SITE 31 COVE CREEK (Walk-In) | Cove Creek (Walk-In) | type not stated | |||
| SITE 31 COVE CREEK. | 31 Cove Creek (Multiple Campsite Area-Drive In) | tent only nonelectric | $5 | ||
| SITE 32 EAGLE CREEK FERRY LEFT BANK | 32 Eagle Creek Ferry Left Bank | tent only nonelectric | $5 | ||
| SITE 33 TAYLOR'S FORD | 33 Taylor's Ford (Multiple Campsite Area-Drive In) | tent only nonelectric | $5 | ||
| SITE 33 TAYLOR'S FORD (Walk-In) | Taylor's Ford (Walk-In) | type not stated | |||
| SITE 4 FIRST ISLAND | 4 First Island (Multiple Campsite Area-Boat In) | boat in | $5 | ||
| SITE 4 FIRST ISLAND (Walk-In) | First Island (Walk-In) | type not stated | |||
| STATE LINE ISLAND A (Tennessee Side) | 20A State Line Island A (Tennessee Side) | boat in | 1330 ft | 30 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| STATE LINE ISLAND B (Tennessee Side) | 20B State Line Island B (Tennessee Side) | boat in | 1330 ft | 13 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| STATE LINE ISLAND C (Kentucky Side) | 20C State Line Island C (Kentucky Side) | boat in | 543 ft | 89 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| STATE LINE POINT | 21 State Line Point | boat in | 543 ft | 76 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| TAYLOR'S FORD | 33A | tent only nonelectric | 70 ft | 89 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| TAYLOR'S FORD | 33B | tent only nonelectric | 47 ft | 97 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| TAYLOR'S FORD | 33C | tent only nonelectric | 47 ft | 94 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| TAYLOR'S FORD | 33D | tent only nonelectric | 50 ft | 84 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| TAYLOR'S FORD | 33E | tent only nonelectric | $5 | ||
| WEST FORK ASHBURN CREEK | 28 West Fork Ashburn Creek | boat in | 4621 ft | 59 ftDale Hollow Lake | $5 |
| 34 Plankyard (Multiple Campsite Area-Drive In) | type not stated |
25 of 83 listed
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Dale Hollow Damsite2.3 mi
Pleasant Grove Recreation Area2.9 mi
Willow Grove Campground7.7 mi
Lillydale Campground and Day Use10 mi
Roaring River Park16 mi
Obey River Park18 miCamping locations are dispersed throughout Dale Hollow Lake. Reference primitive camping map or site details for information on how to get to the specific site. Mailing and contact information is for the Resource Manager's Office.
GPS Coordinates listed above is the location of the Resource Manager's Office in Celina, TN. It is NOT the location of the camping site.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Celina, TN
Typical weather
Typical October night 45°F, day 71°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical January night 27°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
who answers for it
Who answers for this land
Dale Hollow Lake - Primitive Camping is in Tennessee’s 6th congressional district. Its representative, John Rose (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →