TVA Campgrounds, Dam Visitor Centers Opening for 2025 Season

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The first signs of spring mean TVA’s seasonal campgrounds and several TVA visitor centers will soon open their doors.            

The following TVA-developed campgrounds reopen March 15.  The properties are managed by Tennessee Valley Hospitality. Reservations may be required for overnight stays.

• Cherokee Dam — Cherokee Dam Reservation in Jefferson City, Tenn.
• Douglas Dam Headwater — Douglas Dam Reservation near Sevierville, Tenn.
• Douglas Dam Tailwater — Douglas Dam Reservation near Sevierville, Tenn.
• Melton Hill Dam — Melton Hill Dam Reservation near Lenoir City, Tenn.
• Pickwick Dam — Pickwick Dam Reservation near Savannah, Tenn.
• Watauga Dam — Watauga Dam Reservation near Elizabethton, Tenn.

TVA has more than 80 public recreation areas throughout the Tennessee Valley, including campgrounds, day-use areas and boat ramps. In 2024, visitors stayed over 102,000 nights at TVA-developed campgrounds despite early closures at three sites due to Hurricane Helene.

One of the sites damaged by Hurricane Helene is Douglas Tailwater Campground in Sevier County, Tennessee. Crews worked this winter to repair damage so that the facility could reopen for public use this spring. While all of the TVA-owned campgrounds are scheduled to reopen on time, visitors may still find repairs being made at some locations affected by Helene, including the courtesy pier at Douglas Tailwater, which remains out of service.

TVA has eight dams with visitor centers opening this spring where visitors can explore 91 years of TVA history. More than 124,000 people stopped by a visitor center in 2024. TVA retirees who continue serving the Valley through Bicentennial Volunteers, Incorporated are at each site to welcome and share TVA history with visitors.

Each location offers a unique experience about the history and mechanics of each dam, as well as TVA’s greater mission of service to the people of the Valley. Centers have photos, videos and relics for families to enjoy.

Kentucky, Norris and Fontana Dam visitor centers will reopen April 5, and remain open into late fall. Raccoon Mountain Visitor Center is closed until late spring 2025 due to maintenance work at the site. Visitor centers are accessible year-round at Melton Hill and Douglas reservations in Tennessee, and Wilson and Guntersville reservations in Alabama.

About TVA

The Tennessee Valley Authority is the nation’s largest public power supplier, delivering energy to more than 10 million people across seven southeastern states. TVA has one of the most diverse energy systems – including nuclear, hydro, solar, gas, and advanced technologies. To prepare for the future, TVA is making significant investments in its power system toward new generation and transmission.

TVA is a corporate agency of the United States, receiving no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity. TVA maintains some of the lowest energy costs and highest reliability in the nation. TVA’s retail rates are lower than 80 percent of the rest of the nation, while its industrial rates are lower than 95 percent of the top utilities. In addition, TVA provides flood control, navigation, and land management for the Tennessee River system, and assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation.