Scenic Spots on Watts Bar Lake

A small Kingston park with a walking trail and a boat ramp; restrooms have been closed for a while.

A small Kingston waterfront park with a walking trail and a boat ramp. Restrooms have been closed due to vandalism. No formal hours.

A small Kingston park with a walking trail and a floating pier, set back from the main lake.

A small park on Race Street in Kingston with a walking trail and a floating pier. Open 24 hours.

A Roane County trail park with lake-edge picnic tables, low-key on most days.

A Roane County recreation area on the Rockwood side of Watts Bar, with marked hiking trails of varying difficulty and picnic tables with lake views. Open 7 AM to 8 PM, year-round.

A reconstructed 1797 frontier fort on its original bluff, with a museum, a paved trail, and a curator whose depth of knowledge is the place's secret weapon.

Fort Southwest Point in Kingston is a reconstruction of an 1797 fort, on its original bluff above the river confluence. National Register of Historic Places. Free admission, museum, paved walking trail, disc golf course, ball fields, and the Southwest Point Amphitheater. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 AM to 5 PM.

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.

A rustic, family-run fishing resort that has been pulling crappie anglers and family regulars back for generations.

Piney Point Fishing Resort is a long-running family-oriented fishing base in Spring City with fully equipped cabins, boat and pontoon rentals, bait and tackle, boat fuel, a launch ramp, and a swim area. The owners have run the place for decades, and the guest list reflects it.

An 18-hole wooded course inside Roane County Park where the first tee crosses water.

An 18-hole wooded disc golf course inside Roane County Park in Harriman. Free to play. Bring spare discs.

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 community-college observatory above the lake that opens to the public on selected dark-sky Saturdays.

Roane State Community College's Tamke-Allan Observatory, near Rockwood. Free public stargazes on selected dark, clear Saturdays (typically 1st and 3rd) with amateur astronomers offering views through telescopes and binoculars.

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 working Corps of Engineers lock that earns a second look if you catch a barge or a yacht going through.

The Fort Loudoun Navigation Lock on the Tennessee River in Lenoir City is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Recreational boaters lock through for free; the phone number is (865) 986-2762. Watching from the concrete step area is a worthwhile stop when traffic is moving.

A large, fenced, lake-view dog park near Fort Southwest Point in Kingston, with separate runs and benches under shade.

A free, fenced public dog park in Kingston near Fort Southwest Point, with separate small-dog and main runs, water spigots, benches, and lake views. Open 24 hours.

A 1,000-seat outdoor amphitheater on the bluff at Fort Southwest Point, with lake views behind the stage and free summer concerts.

An outdoor amphitheater at Fort Southwest Point in Kingston, seating around 1,000. Free summer concerts sponsored by Kingston Parks and Recreation. Lake views behind the stage.

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 nine-hole municipal course in Rockwood with friendly staff, Bermuda greens, and a clubhouse grill that serves all-you-can-eat catfish on Fridays.

A nine-hole municipal course in Rockwood with Bermuda greens, paved cart paths, and a clubhouse bar and grill. 36 par, 2,922 yards, slope 117. Open daily 8 AM to 6 PM.

A Greg Norman-designed course inside a gated lake-side community, with a long entry drive, water in play, and member-tier amenities.

A private Greg Norman Signature golf course at Tennessee National, a gated lake-side community in Loudon. Around 7,000 yards from the tips, sod-faced bunkers, water features. Daily 9 AM to 5 PM. Member tier with limited resort-day access.

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.

The new resort marina, paired with a Greg Norman course and an outdoor concert lawn.

A newer, smaller marina on a peninsula off the main channel near Ten Mile, attached to the Tennessee National residential community. Pontoon rentals, fuel, slips, a clubhouse, the Sunset Saloon, and an outdoor concert lawn that hosts touring tribute acts.

A small TVA wildlife area near Spring City with a boat ramp at the end of a sketchy dirt road and a hike that climbs into pine forest.

A TVA-managed wildlife area near Spring City with a boat ramp at the end of a rough dirt road and the Whites Creek hiking trail. The road in is steep and can wash out; four-wheel drive is helpful in wet weather.

A TVA dam along US-321 that doubles as a serious bank-fishing platform.

A Tennessee Valley Authority hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River near Lenoir City, open to the public 24 hours. The overlook and bankside access draw fishermen far more than tourists, and the fishing is the reason most people come back.

A nine-hole municipal-priced course on the lake's edge, with friendly counter staff and no pretense.

A nine-hole golf course at the edge of Watts Bar Lake near Kingston. Wide-open fairways, water on three holes, no sand, and reasonable pricing (around $20 for nine, $30 for the day). Open daily 8 AM to 8 PM.

A small, newer lakeside park in the Ten Mile countryside with friendly owners, spacious lots, and a quiet setting.

Anchors Away is a small, newer RV park near Ten Mile with spacious sites, lake access a short walk from the lots, water views at the entry, and owners who make first-timers feel welcome.

A quiet TWRA wildlife management area near Kingston where the gravel road and the scenery are both part of the deal.

Paint Rock Wildlife Management Area is a TWRA-managed property near Kingston with lake access for kayaking and fishing, seasonal wildlife, and consistently praised sunset views. Getting there involves a gravel road that filters out most casual visitors.

A meticulously kept lakeside campground on Ten Mile where the grounds show the level of care the owners put in.

Cherokee Point sits directly on the lake near Ten Mile, with lakeside sites, docks, cabin rentals, and close management that keeps the grounds exceptionally clean and quiet.

The TVA dam that defines the lower end of Watts Bar Lake, with public viewing access from the Spring City side.

Watts Bar Dam is a Tennessee Valley Authority dam at the lower end of Watts Bar Lake near Spring City. It is accessible by road and by water, and a boat ramp at the dam provides the closest public launch to the structure.