U.S. Forest Service · Cherokee National Forest · Tennessee

Big Oak Cove Campground

Looking to camp where you can wake at the crack of dawn and start fishing? The cool waters of the Tellico River just feet away will ease you to sleep each night. This is one of several small campgrounds on Tellico River Road (FS Rd 210). This campground offers 11 campsites with a picnic table, fire ring, and lantern post.

Closed for the seasonFirst-come, first-served11 sites

Sites are first-come, first-served. Recreation.gov lists this campground for paying on site, and you may be able to pay with the Scan and Pay feature of its app.

More like this: first-come in Tennessee

Big Oak Cove Campground
Photo from the area. CBG Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
ForestCherokee National Forest
FeesFee is $10 per site (11 sites)
RulesFood storage restrictions apply at all areas on the Cherokee National Forest. All food and beverages must be stored in an approved bear-proof container, your locked vehicle or hard-sided camper at all times unless being eaten, prepared, or transported. Maximum of 5 people and 2 vehicles at each site.

Cherokee National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Big Oak Cove Campground30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 4.63 inches of precipitation, 1.0 inches of snowFebruary: 4.86 inches of precipitation, 1.3 inches of snowMarch: 4.91 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowApril: 4.80 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowMay: 4.92 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 4.48 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 5.34 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 4.14 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 4.08 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 3.15 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 4.76 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowDecember: 5.18 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 39.2°F averageFebruary: 43.2°F averageMarch: 50.6°F averageApril: 58.7°F averageMay: 67.5°F averageJune: 75.0°F averageJuly: 78.1°F averageAugust: 76.9°F averageSeptember: 70.7°F averageOctober: 59.3°F averageNovember: 48.4°F averageDecember: 42.4°F average0 in2 in4 in6 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Tellico Plains, 14 miles from the campground at 910 feet, station USC00408886 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 55 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 3 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Tellico Plains - turn onto TN 165 for approximately 5 miles, turn right onto FR 210 going past Ranger Station. Campground will be approximately 17 miles upstream.

Coordinates35.2643° N, 84.0868° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Dump stationNorth River Checking Station ↗4.1 mi
RV sales & serviceRick's RV Center ↗13.8 mi
Outdoor gearLovin Equipment & Sales, Inc - Outdoor Equipment & Sportsman ↗17.2 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Big Cove Campground - Plumas National Forest, CA

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 1.7 mi
    Sycamore Creek Trail ↗
    6 mi trail
  • 1.8 mi
    Whigg Ridge Trail
    3 mi trail
  • 2.2 mi
    Brookshire Creek ↗
    6.7 mi trail
  • 3.9 mi
    Mitchell Lick
    2.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 4 mi
    Panther Branch Trail
    2.2 mi trail
  • 4.1 mi
    Laurel Branch Trail
    3 mi trail

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

National Forests in North Carolina begins about 0.6 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Guidebooks for Cherokee National Forest and Tennessee

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Cherokee National Forest hiking guide
    William H. Skelton and Lamar Alexander, 2024
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Tent Camping: Tennessee
    Johnny Molloy, 2015
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Campgrounds in and Around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
    Grueen Huffman, 2010
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Big Oak Cove Campground?

No. Big Oak Cove Campground is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Big Oak Cove Campground?

Fee is $10 per site (11 sites)

Source: Forest Service

Is Big Oak Cove Campground open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Big Oak Cove Campground have?

11 sites.

Source: Forest Service

What if Big Oak Cove Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Rough Ridge Campground (0.3 mi, first-come), Holder Cove Campground (0.3 mi, first-come), and State Line Campground (0.4 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby