About Backbone Rock Campground
Backbone Rock Campground is closed for the season. Backbone Rock Pavilion is open to reservations until the first Monday in November, and the vault toilet in the day-use area is open until the third Monday in November. Backbone Rock is a small campground situated along the beautiful Beaverdam Creek at an elevation of 2,100 feet in northern Johnson County. This developed campground is popular with those visiting the nearby Backbone Rock, a tunnel originally blasted through the rock ridge for the railway. The creek side location with popular swim area and lush forest surroundings make Backbone Rock Campground particularly desirable during hot summer months. With 10 campsites and an adjacent large Civilian Conservation Corps- built reservable pavilion with lawn, Backbone Rock is a great option for a group to reserve the whole campground for retreats and other events. Along with camping…
- Fees: Camping is $10 for single site (8 sites) and $20 for double site (2 sites). One pavilion is reservable at $50 per day. (Pavilion is…
- Season: 4/29/2024 – 10/15/2024
- Managed by: Cherokee National Forest, FS
- Where: 3 mi southwest of Damascus, VA · 36.59389, -81.815
Things to do:
Official page for this camp (fees, closures, booking)
Weather by month
Typical daily highs and lows (°F), 1991–2020 NOAA normals. Best months: Apr–Oct (comfortable days, mild nights, little rain). Nights below freezing: Nov–Feb.
Fly over it in 3D, check today's weather and fire news, plan the drive and print a trip plan.
Trails near camp
| Trail | Open to | From camp | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Trail | Hiking | 1.5 mi | 21.9 mi |
| Tennessee | Hiking | 2.0 mi | 0.9 mi |
Straight-line distance from camp, from Forest Service, BLM, state and OpenStreetMap trail data.
Good to know
No signal at camp
From the carriers' FCC coverage maps, which tend to be generous.The Milky Way is clear overhead but fades toward town glow.
Class 4 of 9, from NASA/NOAA night-light data.Propane: 22.3 mi
Nearest of each within 25 miles, straight-line.Camps nearby
- Iron Mountains 8.1 mi
- Jacobs Creek Recreation Area 10.6 mi
- Forest camp site 11.5 mi
- Little Oak Campground 13.8 mi
- Little Oak Campground 14.7 mi
- Holston Mountain Area 16 mi