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.
• Douglas Dam Headwater — Douglas Dam Reservation near Sevierville.
• Douglas Dam Tailwater — Douglas Dam Reservation near Sevierville.
• Melton Hill Dam — Melton Hill Dam Reservation near Lenoir City.
• Pickwick Dam — Pickwick Dam Reservation near Savannah.
• Watauga Dam — Watauga Dam Reservation near Elizabethton.
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.