Jacobs Creek Recreation Area
The managing agency’s description mentions a closure. Read it below and confirm before you drive out.
The numbers that decide it
Recreation.gov publishes no site-level detail for this campground, so we cannot say what length of rig it takes. Call the managing office before committing to it in a large vehicle.
Site-level detail from Recreation.gov, checked 2026-08-05. Where a field says “not published”, the agency has not published it — it does not mean zero.
Jacobs Creek Recreation Area
JACOBS CREEK CAMPGROUND IS CURRENTLY CLOSED DUE TO EFFECTS FROM HURRICANE HELENE. Jacobs Creek Recreation Area is located on a peninsula on the eastern shore of South Holston Lake in Sullivan County. The campground includes 27 single-unit campsites, a trailer dump station, and a lakeside trail. The day-use area features a large grassy area with picnicking facilities and a designated swim site. Want to bring your boat? You can use TWRA’s boatramp just a few miles west on US 421. Jacobs Creek Recreation Area Map
Before you go
Season
4/29/2024 – 10/15/2024
Reservations
Reservations accepted
Fees
Camping is $12 per site. Day use fees are $2 per vehicle per day or a Cherokee National Forest Pass for $30 per year. Contact the Watauga Ranger District for more information at 423-735-1500. The day-use permit can also be purchased online. See info below in Passes.
Hours
JACOBS CREEK CAMPGROUND IS CURRENTLY CLOSED DUE TO EFFECTS FROM HELENE. Gate opens at 7 AM and closes at 10 PM. All guests are asked to leave before gates close for the evening.
Restrictions
Alcoholic beverages are not allowed in the area. • No burning plastic or other non-wood products except local wood in campfires and charcoal in grills. • Food storage restrictions apply at all areas on the Cherokee National Forest. All food and beverages must be stored in an approved bear-proof container , your locked vehicle or hard-sided camper at all times unless being eaten, prepared, or transported. • Maximum of 5 people and 2 vehicles at each camp site. • Pets must be on a maximum 6 ft. leash at all times, and pick up after them. For safety and sanitary reasons, pets are not allowed on the beach and not allowed within the designated swimming area. • It is your responsibility to read, know, understand, and follow all specific rules and regulations which are also posted at the campground and day-use area.
Scenic drives that pass close
Make it a night on a better road
Byway plans the drive in — real stops, real weather, nothing invented.