The 7 parks and campgrounds on Watts Bar Lake with swimming. Most have a beach or roped-off swim area. Lifeguards are not standard at lake parks; swim at your own pace and watch kids in the water.
One of the lake's best-kept campgrounds, with spacious shaded sites directly on the water and owners who have run the place for twenty years.
Hornsby Hollow sits on Watts Bar Lake near Ten Mile with spacious shaded sites, many directly on the water, plus kayak, canoe, paddleboat, and SUP rentals by the day, a camp store, and bathhouses. Family-owned since 2006 and a TVA Camp-Right Gold member.
The biggest free family park on the lake's north side, with a swim beach, splash pad, kayak launch, and a 1.2-mile trail in the same place.
Roane County's flagship park, on Roane State Highway in Harriman. Free swim beach and splash pad, kayak launch, fishing piers, multiple playgrounds, a 1.2-mile paved walking trail, an 18-hole disc golf course, tennis courts, picnic pavilions, and a flower garden. Hours 7 AM to 8 PM.
A well-maintained lakefront campground where most sites touch the water, the views are hard to beat, and the trade-off is unlevel ground and quirky utility hookups.
Fooshee Pass Campground sits on the water near Ten Mile with most sites either lakefront or lake-view, water and electric hookups at each site, bathhouses with hot showers, a roped swim area, a boat ramp, and day-use passes available to non-campers.
A quiet, well-loved county campground on the upper lake with clean bathrooms, a swim beach, a boat ramp, and one of the few places that still welcomes tent campers without friction.
Riley Creek Campground is a county-operated property on Watts Bar Lake near Kingston with approximately 45 campsites, water and electric hookups, two swimming areas, a two-lane concrete boat ramp, and primitive tent sites. The camp hosts run a friendly, well-maintained operation.
A free TVA day-use park at the dam, with a swim beach, ramp, and a wheelchair-accessible water entry that locals quietly point to.
A TVA recreation area on the Decatur side of the dam with a swim beach, boat ramp, fishing access, paved walking trail, and picnic pavilions. Open 7 AM to 7 PM, free.
Mostly long-term residents with a thin layer of short-stay sites, on a manicured stretch of Caney Creek shoreline.
A gated RV resort on the Caney Creek arm in Harriman, with paved concrete sites, full hookups, a pool, a walking trail along the water, and an attached marina. Heavily long-term, with limited short-stay availability.
A high-amenity family resort where the kids' activities run all day and the cabins stay fully booked on holiday weekends.
Jellystone Park Watts Bar Lake is a newer franchise campground near Loudon offering paved RV sites, rental cabins, a pool and splash pad, a water park, and organized kids' activities throughout the day.
TVA-managed and county-managed parks with beaches are the standard swim spots. Some campgrounds also have a beach for guests. The parks listed here are the ones with active swim access.
No. Lake park swim areas are unstaffed. Swim at your own pace and supervise children directly.
Last updated: April 30, 2026