At Old Stone Fort the falls are heard before they are seen, a short drop off grassed earthwork into swimming holes under the bluffs. The ring is open grass on the high ground, worn enough to walk, and the trail off it drops into shade. Sleep in the park so you can do that loop in the morning and again after dinner.
The campground is inside Manchester, the in-town overnight on an improved loop. Tennessee State Parks lists hard-surface pads for a unit up to 50 feet, with water and electric hookups and a dump station that stays open year-round. As of September 2026 the park's bridge is closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic for construction. If you need more length or sleeping space than a campervan, look at RV rentals in Manchester.
On a normal June weekend the farm fills for Bonnaroo, and Old Stone Fort sees that same spike. The rest of the calendar, this campground is the easy in-town night.
Bonnaroo on the farm
Late sun hits open fields and long rows of RVs on the farm, grass and sky and vans parked in lines. In a normal June that weekend fills the public campgrounds around Manchester too. Lock the overnight first and treat the van as the second booking.
Bonnaroo sells an RV camping pass separate from car camping, and the pads take a Class B campervan. The festival does not allow delivery to the campground, so the van has to arrive as a vehicle you are already driving. As of September 2026 the festival's own site says there is no 2027 edition, so that June collision is the shape of a normal year, not a booking to make now.
Tims Ford State Park
Fairview's campsites look onto the lake, and the boats sit at the dock below the loop. Spend the night looking at that shoreline and the next day on the water from that dock. Tennessee State Parks lists sewer at some of those Fairview sites, with electric and water on the loop.
Tullahoma is the town on that road, and Jack Daniel's in Lynchburg is a distillery day of tours. The distillery's own visit page does not offer camping.
Rock Island and the Caney Fork gorge
Below the powerhouse at Rock Island the Caney Fork, Collins, and Rocky Rivers meet in one gorge. Whitewater sits under the dam, and the walk is down into that meeting of rivers. Tennessee State Parks lists sewer at some sites on the main campground loop, which is the overnight for that day.
The gorge closes without notice when TVA's Great Falls Dam is spilling or a discharge is likely, so check the release schedule before you walk down. Fall Creek Falls is a separate plateau trip that belongs to the rest of Tennessee. Nashville is the next city overnight if you keep going. Chattanooga takes the other city night.