Backbone Rock Campground

Overview

Backbone Rock Campground will open for the 2026 season on 4/27/26. The pavilion and vault toilets in the day-use area will open on 3/16/26. Backbone Rock is a small campground situated along the beautiful Beaverdam Creek at an elevation of 2,100 feet in northern Johnson County.

Operator

National Forest

Camping types

Tent

Sites

11 campsites

Reservations

Reservable online

Phone

423-735-1500

Amenities

Location

Nearby adventures

Outdoor things to do around Backbone Rock Campground, shown on the map above. Distances are straight-line from the campground, so driving or walking will be longer; trail details are approximate. Confirm access and conditions with the land manager.

Hikes and trailheads

• Appalachian TrailHike · 380.9 mi long · Long-distance trail · 1.5 mi from camp

  Appalachian Trail - North Carolina & Tennessee. OpenStreetMap

  Show on map
• Appalachian TrailHike · 380.9 mi long · Long-distance trail · 1.5 mi from camp

  Appalachian Trail - North Carolina & Tennessee. OpenStreetMap

  Show on map
• Appalachian TrailHike · 533.1 mi long · Long-distance trail · 1.5 mi from camp

  The Appalachian Trail, also called the A.T., is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost 2,200 miles between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine… Wikipedia

  Show on map
• Appalachian TrailHike · 533.1 mi long · Long-distance trail · 1.5 mi from camp

  The Appalachian Trail, also called the A.T., is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost 2,200 miles between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine… Wikipedia

  Show on map
• Iron Mountain TrailHike · 29.8 mi long · 1.6 mi from campShow on map
• Iron Mountain TrailHike · 29.8 mi long · 1.6 mi from campShow on map

Scenic sights

• Butt MountainPeak · 3,484 ft · 2.8 mi from camp

  A peak near Iron Mountain Trail.

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• Fodderstack MountainPeak · 3,714 ft · 4.4 mi from campShow on map
• Whitetop Laurel FallsWaterfall · 4.6 mi from campShow on map
• Gentry Creek FallsWaterfall · 6.4 mi from campShow on map
• Satellite OverlookViewpoint · 9.0 mi from campShow on map

Climbing and snow sports

• Big PinnacleClimbing · 17.1 mi from campShow on map
• Beech Mountain Ski ResortSkiing and snowshoeing · 28.1 mi from campShow on map

Trail and sight data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Text marked Wikipedia is from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0, lightly shortened.

Reviews

Data sources

• Recreation.gov (RIDB) — Public domain (U.S. Government work)
• OpenStreetMap — ODbL 1.0 — © OpenStreetMap contributors

Listing details come from the sources above and may be out of date. Confirm fees, dates and closures with the operator before you travel.