Travelling I-75

[Rollster]

Hello Fellow Airstreamers,

We're traveling northward through Georgia on our first venture into the Appalachians towing our AS. We needed to get out of the Florida heat and will hopefully find some cooler weather at slightly higher elevations. I've enjoyed reading the forums much more than reading the billboards. Thanks for the entertainment!

[Hodum]

You are headed to some beautiful country. I usually travel up I-75 from Chattanooga, to Knoxville about three round trips a year. I would be in the area now if I had my way. We had planned on leaving today and returning July 9'th but my wife is having some medical problems and testing is scheduled through Thursday about noon. We are planning to be loaded and ready to pull out as soon as the tests are completed.
I am going another route this time to make a camp at Cordell Hull Lake in Defeated Creek Campground for a couple of days then on to Cove Lake State Park campground up I-75 above Knoxville for a couple of days. After that we are planning to go over to Cumberland National park for a few days before taking in Charleston WV and back to Mountain City, TN for the 4'th of July. There is a beautiful campground near Elizabethton, TN on the tail-waters of Watauga dam that I stay in every time I can. We hope to make that one as well before making our trip home on July 9. Enjoy your trip. Perhaps we may run across each other.

[Rollster]

Hodum,


Thanks for all the great information, and I hope your wife gets good test results. Right now we're camped on an Army Corps of Engineer campground in north Georgia for a few more days. If you're ever in this area (about 50 miles south of Chattanooga) check out Carter's Lake. It's beautiful, and all the campsites are waterfront.

After that, we were going to play it by ear, so your recommendations really help. Can you tell me the name if the campground that you mentioned near Elizabethton? Is it Cardens Bluff? We have stayed at Roan Mountain with a previous camper and liked it very much, but I'd like to try something new. As you might have noticed in our picture, we have a kayak, so camping near water would be great.

Good luck with everything!

[Hodum]

Hope you are having a great time. I have never been to Carters Lake, however we camped at Victoria Campground on Lake Altoona for several days a couple of years ago. It is in the same vicinity i think.
The campground near Elizabethton is located on the Watauga River just below the Watauga Dam There is another dam about a mile downstream called Wilber Dam. Some call the camp Wilber and some call it Watauga. It is a TVA campground and they list it as Watagua. You can park within 20 ft of the water. It is a first come campground, no reservations.
I have been to Roan Mountain SP but never camped there.

[MrUKToad]

A year or so back we headed all the way down from Detroit to Orlando on the I-75; my first long drive in the US and towing the Airstream on it's longest trip, too. We stopped overnight near Lexington and again near Macon before finally hitting Florida. We had a book by Dave Hunter (a Brit!) called "Along The I-75", which was fascinating - DW read it out loud as I drove - here's a link:

Along Interstate-75

The book only went as far as the Florida border but at the information center as you enter Florida, not only did we get a free orange juice but also a free copy of the Florida part of "Along The I-75"! Well done Florida.

Coming back we went via New Orleans so didn't join the I-75 again until Chatanooga having overnighted in Birmingham AL. We visited my uncle in Knoxville, stayed at Misty River on the edge of the Smokey Mountains NP, then again near Jackson Center (you know why) before getting back to Detroit and over in to Canada.

A long road but a very interesting one; great scenery (especially in Tennessee and Georgia) and amazing history, as detailed in Mr Hunter's volumes.

[Skatiero]

We live in Marietta so we are relatively close to Carter's lake and its beautiful. The lake seems to be visited less because its far enough away from Atlanta to not be the lake of choice but its my favorite. It's quieter and the corps campgrounds there are very nice. We just came back from Cloudland Canyon, North and East of where you are in Rising Fawn, GA. It's a state park and very shady sites and beautiful. The views there are stunning on top of the range with high bluffs and wooden walkways leading down into the canyon filled with large waterfalls. We will definitely be back there soon. It's funny what you don't see sometimes in your own backyard. Have a great journey!
Rob

[Rollster]

Thanks to everybody for the great posts and information. I love hearing about other campers' travels and the places they've enjoyed along the way. Happy trails ...

[Hodum]

Tonight we are on I-75 North of Knoxville, TN at Cove Lake State Park and plan to be here till Monday when we will either go To South Fork Recreation Area, or Cumberland Gap Historical National Park. Just haven't decided which way to go yet, but we are loving every minuet of it. West Virginia next week end and then Mountain City, TN for July 4'th. I hope you have as much fun as we do.