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Indian Boundary Recreation Area is the crown jewel of the South Zone of the Cherokee National Forest on the Tellico Ranger District. This family-oriented campground offers a swim beach and picnic area with grills and an accessible picnic pavilion, as well as a fantastic, 3.2-mile hiking and biking trail around the lake. Spectacular mountain views, glimpses of wildlife, and a peaceful setting await visitors who come to Indian Boundary.
Opportunities abound for fishing, swimming, boating, wildlife viewing and scenic driving. Other popular activities include hiking and biking the trail around Indian Boundary Lake.
The recreation area contains a swim beach, boat ramp, fishing pier, picnic area and volleyball court.
The 87-site campground has electric hookups, water faucets throughout the campground, grills, picnic tables and lantern posts. Modern restrooms add to the comfort of visitors in this natural setting.
An on-site campground store sells bread, ice, milk, ice cream and other camping supplies.
[Indian Boundary Recreation Area Map](https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5275544.pdf)
Indian Boundary Lake covers 96 acres at an elevation of 1,560 feet, and sits among hardwoods and pines. At the lake, visitors enjoy watching beaver that inhabit an adjacent pond, identifying several species of ducks and other waterfowl and trying their luck at catching bass, sunfish and catfish.
The Cherokee National Forest is located in eastern Tennessee and stretches from Chattanooga to Bristol along the North Carolina border. The 650,000-acre swath of land is Tennessee's only national forest. It lies in the heart of the Southern Appalachians and is home to more than 20,000 species of plants and animals, as well as many rivers, creeks and lakes. Elevations range from 750 to 5,500 feet.
The campground is two miles off the Cherohala Skyway, a 43-mile National Scenic Byway that stretches from Tellico Plains, Tennessee, to Robbinsville, North Carolina. Bald River Falls on Tellico River Road 210 is a popular destination. The Pheasant Fields Fish Hatchery also on Tellico River is operated by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and is the rearing pools for the fish stocking program on Tellico River, Citico Creek, and the Green Cove Pond.
From I-75 at Sweetwater, Tennessee, take State Route 68 to Tellico Plains. From Highway 68 in Tellico Plains, take Highway 165 (Cherohala Skyway) east for 16 miles. Turn left onto Forest Development Road 345 and travel 2 miles to the entrance.
I had been to Indian Boundary Lake 3-4 times over 20 years ago. In the off-season when the campgrounds are closed, there was almost no one there— we canoed, walked the trail around the lake, and swam. It’s a little paradise.
On the other hand , the third time we went, we camped in the overflow campground. It was a horrible experience because our site was the last one available and was next to the bathroom. The smell gave me a brutal migraine. And we caught someone rifling through our car in the middle of the night.
I have never been back until recently… Went back there just to swim this year, and it was very busy. We did manage to get a parking spot. It was ok, the water is red clay but the beach is sandy. It was not what we imagined as far as crowd size. However, if you want to camp with your family in a fairly remote place, be able to go swimming in a really clean lake,as well as, boating, fishing, and hiking , this is a fantastic place. Just expect it to be pretty full and if you’re ok with that , you’ll have a great time! I haven’t checked out the general store, but it was good to know there was one.
I moved to Tellico about a year ago. Locals told me about the lake so we went up there. I absolutely fell in love. It's so beautiful up there. I would definitely tell you to go. The water feels really good, your surrounded by a beautiful mountain view. It's so relaxing. They have a camping area, fishing area, Walking/ bike trails,Bathrooms. It's really nice. My family will be continuing to go there often.
Gorgeous, peaceful, just off the beaten path campground, beach, lake.
