About Backbone Rock Recreation Area
BACKBONE ROCK CAMPGROUND AND PAVILIONS IS CURRENTLY CLOSED DUE TO EFFECTS FROM HELENE. Backbone Rock Recreation Area is located along Beaverdam Creek in northern Johnson County. Backbone Rock gets its name from a spur ridge on Holston Mountain that abrubtly ends at a bend in Beaverdam Creek. A tunnel was drilled through the rock in 1901 to allow railroad access between Shady Valley and Damascus, VA. Motorists pass through what is known as "The Shortest Tunnel in the World" as they travel along TN 133. In the 1930s The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) developed the recreation area for day use, constructing two picnic shelters and hiking trails that incorporated native stonework. The campground was added in the 1960s and rehabilitated in the mid 1990s.
- 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: USFS - Cherokee National Forest
- Where: 3 mi southwest of Damascus, VA · 36.59706, -81.81867
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 | 1.3 mi | 383.9 mi |
| Tennessee | Hiking | 1.7 mi | 0.9 mi |
| Virginia Creeper | Horse | 3.0 mi | 16.8 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.Dump station: 3.1 mi
Propane: 14.1 mi