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Thunder Rock Campground is located 1.8 miles northwest of the Ocoee Whitewater Center, just behind TVA Ocoee Powerhouse Number 3. Nestled alongside the Ocoee River, this facility provides 37 regular campsites for popups and RVs less than 20 feet with no elctricity , ONLY site 9 is an electric site for less than 20 feet at 30 amp, and one group campsite. Thunder Rock is a popular destination for both whitewater and trail enthusiasts.
Trailhead parking is available for the nearby Tanasi trail system, which includes approximately 30 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. This system can be reached via Thunder Rock Express, Dry Pond Lead, or the Rhododendron Trail. Thunder Rock also provides access to the Benton-McKaye Trail.
Picnic tables, grills, and lantern posts are located at each campsite. Water hydrants are located throughout the campground. Bathhouses provide flush toilets and warm showers. The campground host is located at the campground entrance next to the main bathhouse.
[Thunder Rock Campground Map and Guide](https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd645648.pdf)
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.
The nearby Ocoee River put-in and Ocoee Whitewater Center, home of the 1996 Olympic Canoe/Kayak-Slalom Competition, makes this an ideal location for rafters and kayakers alike.
All sites have a $18.00 cancellation and reservation fee.
From the Ocoee Ranger Station, turn left onto Highway 64 eastbound and travel 10.9 miles to the TVA Ocoee Powerhouse Number 3. Turn right and cross the bridge to reach the campground on the right.
Standard Electric site fee = $20 per night (or $15 per night with a discount pass)
I'm torn on review for this place simply because I love this little piece of heaven. It's beauty and serenity instill opportunity for finding peace, while the perfectly situated waterways, watering holes and hiking trails provide ample chance to escape into the wilderness.
The unfortunate part of camping here tends to be the local population which comes out to host obnoxiously loud and trashy parties until the wee early hours. Blasting loud music which they only increase the volume on when asked to turn it down, firing off fireworks and explosives throughout the night, and general disregard for neighboring campers are all just parts of fun of staying here over the weekend--probably the towns' most revenue-generating time. Additionally, they leave behind their trash for other campers and DNR to deal with. I'm not generally one to be a Karen, or ask for regulation, but it sure would be nice to have a resource for reporting this sort of behavior. 🤷
One of the best campgrounds in the area ! Short walk to the River, fire rings, picnic tables, level parking and camping areas, hot showers and great rates. Only 8.00 with the America the beautiful pass.
Clean restrooms & showers. Seems to be a pretty popular spot. I would recommend filtering the potable water because it had a little sediment in it. The road was a little noisy during the day but settled down at night. The first come first serve spots were much appreciated. It was a little difficult to park 2 vehicles but we made it work. Good stop along the Georgia Traverse loop, stayed at site 32.
Nice campground! A little too close to the road for my taste, but still had a nice overnight stay. Near a nice trail where you can visit the place the 96 Olympics (the water part) took place. That was pretty and a nice walk.
This is the perfect campgrounds for a lot of us who love to adventure, great place to call base camp for the epic mountain biking in the Ocoee area . We go here once a year and the scenery never gets old .
