Advice And Recommendations For Places To Camp Or Cabins To Rent Near The Hiwassee
The Hiwassee River is one of my favorite places to spend time in East Tennessee. A designated State Scenic River, it offers fun rafting, kayaking, fishing, and even tubing, perfect for families and beginner paddlers.
Even though it is just 90 minutes from Knoxville, we love to make a weekend out of it and camp or stay in a cabin rental near the river. It is one of the prettiest (and most unknown!) weekend getaway spots in the area.
You can raft the exciting Ocoee River one day and then enjoy the more leisurely Hiwassee River the next day. Or maybe go for a hike or take a historic train ride. There is more to do than you think!
If you are looking for ideas of where to stay near the Hiwassee River, I’ve got you covered. Your choices are mostly camping or cabin rentals in this area so that’s what I’ll talk about.
Hotels are slim pickings unless you go all the way out to Cleveland, TN which is 45 minutes away.
Check out our Rafting The Hiwassee River to find out more about what to expect if rafting or kayaking this fantastic river, including why it is great for families and first-time rafters as well as what we pack to make our trips a success.
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Campgrounds Near The Hiwassee River
Hiwassee Outfitters
Hiwassee Outfitters is one of the 2 commercial outfitters in Reliance, TN that rents rafts, inflatable kayaks, and tubes for trips down the river.
It is a pretty big set up with shuttle buses running paddlers up the river, a bathhouse with showers and changing area as well as toilets, and a shop with merchandise as well as some snacks and limited camping gear.
There is even a sand volleyball court onsite.
On the property is a wooded area set side for campers with easy access to the bath house and hot showers. Some of the waterfront campsites are on the river itself and some are on a creek that runs into the river.
The inland campsites are not on the water itself but not far away as this is not a large campground.
*The campground at Hiwassee Outfitters is more for tent campers than RVs. The sites are pretty small and not paved.
The location is very convenient and the people at the outfitters try to keep the campground family- friendly and quiet after 10 pm. It can get busy on weekends though and sometimes have some loud people (like any campground).
The reservation system is a bit odd as they have different minimum required stays, depending on what day you arrive. You can stay one night on Mon, Tues, or Wed night and it is first-come, first-served as far as which campsite you get. It costs $40 per night Mon- Wed.
Once you get near the weekend, they really want you to stay Friday and Saturday night together and those cost $60 each night. So if you want to come Thursday, you only have the option of a 3 night or 4 night stay (Thur- Sun or Thur- Mon). If you come on Friday, you can do a 2 or 3 night stay (Fri- Sun or Fri- Mon). Are you with me so far?
*If this all sounds super confusing, I would just call and talk to them as I have always found them to be helpful over the phone. The number for Hiwassee Outfitters is (423) 338-8115.
The campground at Hiwassee Outfitters is a good choice if you want amenities nearby (like showers) and to be close to the water. Also if you want the convenience of having your kayak rental right there.
If you are curious about what renting from Hiwassee Outfitters is like or about kayaking/ rafting the river in general, check out our Guide To Rafting The Hiwassee River.
The entrance to Hiwassee Outfitters is under the railroad bridge 
The entrance to the campground is at the back of the property and marked by a sign. 
The take out for Hiwassee Outfitters is just before the railroad bridge in Reliance and the take- out for Webb Brothers is just after the bridge. 
The bath house for Hiwassee Outfitters is the large building on the right 
The interior of the bath house at Hiwassee outfitters. Not fancy but gets the job done.
Gee Creek Campground At Hiwassee Ocoee Scenic River State Park
Close to where the Hiwassee River runs under Hwy 411, Hiwassee Ocoee Scenic River is a TN State Park and has 47 campsites in Gee Creek Campground.
Gee Creek is a primitive campground (meaning no electric or water hookups) and does not allow generators.
It does have potable water and a bath house with hot showers so it is not completely primitive. Reserves sites online ahead of time, especially on popular summer weekends.
Gee Creek is a typical state park campground with sites a little too close together for my taste on the inner loop but more spaced apart on the outer loop.
There is a nice little nature trail running through the state park that goes right by the campground. There is also a playground in the campground by the bathhouse and a boat launch.
Gee Creek might be the best choice for families looking to camp in a large state park campground with nice amenities or RV campers that want to be near the river and are okay without hookups.
If you are looking for a full hookup RV site, check out The Road Less Traveled, just a few miles north on Hwy 411. Under new ownership and completely renovated in 2023, it looks like a nice RV campground that’s convenient to the Hiwassee River.
Lost Creek Recreation Area
A primitive campground run by the US Forest Service, this free, first-come, first-served, 15 site campground is beautifully situated on the banks of Lost Creek in the middle of Cherokee National Forest.
And by middle, I mean middle. It is not an easy place to get to.
Lost Creek Campground is 7 miles down a gravel forestry road but that means it won’t be busy, always a plus in my book. It took me 30 min to go the 7 miles so it is slow going but I drove it in my Prius so you don’t have to have 4 wheel drive.
There were also some down trees on the forestry road that I had to drive around so I could see that potentially being a problem after a storm.
There is nothing out on this road this deep in the Cherokee National Forest, so bring all supplies with you.
Despite all the warnings I just gave you, Lost Creek Campground is really pretty and some of the campsites are right along the Lost Creek. This could easily be a place you just hang up your hammock and chill for the day while the kids play in the creek.
The campground does have vault toilets but no potable water. Each site has a picnic table and fire grill. It will take you 40 minutes to get to Reliance from here.
Lost Creek Campground would be my first choice for camping in the area if you are looking to get away from it all.
The entrance to Lost Creek Campground with the vault toilets in the background 
The campsites are close together but I would be shocked if this campground is ever filled. This is on a Wednesday in July. 
Lost Creek as it runs by the campground. This is in late July so the creek is big enough to say flowing almost always.
Cabin Rentals Near The Hiwassee River
This is a beautiful area for cabin rentals but it is also no that developed yet so many listings can be far down curvy mountain roads.
Be sure to check drive times on Google maps as even if something looks close, it may actually be a long drive as the road may go down a mountain and then circle around if you know what I mean.
Anglers Hideaway At Hiwassee River
Anglers Hideaway At Hiwassee River is easily my first choice if you are looking for a place near the Hiwassee River. This picturesque 2 story cabin on the banks of Ellis Creek is basically within walking distance of Hiwassee Outfitters.
It has 2 bedrooms plus a sleeping loft, so it can sleep 10 and it has 2 bathrooms.
There is no cell service or internet in the national forest, but they do have cable and you won’t miss it anyway because you’ll be too busy with the firepit and nice deck out there enjoying nature (maybe your kids will disagree).
Other VRBO Cabin Rentals I Have On My List For My Family
The Mountaineer Cabin at Starr Mountain Retreat is a cute 2 BR/ 1 BA cabin tucked up into the woods on Route 315, about 10 min from the bridge over the Hiwassee River in Reliance.
It can sleep up to 6 people and has a hot tub but you need to be good with stairs up to the cabin and a loft ladder for one of the bedrooms. Or check out the Woodsman Cabin at the same place, another cute 2 BR/ 1 Ba cabin
If you want a pool on your weekend getaway, check out The Hangout Where the River meets the Rails and Trails! This 4 BR/ 4 BA house + bunkhouse sleeps up to 14 people with multiple beds in bedrooms and stashed in corners. Could be super fun for a family reunion/ friend gathering. It is located very near Hiwassee Ocoee River State Park.
Lost Creek Cabins
Lost Creek is a little resort that has 5 cabins on site, ranging from 1-2 bedrooms (the biggest can sleep 6 people). They are just 10 minutes south from Reliance in the middle of Cherokee National Forest.
Hiwassee Outfitters Deluxe House
You can rent a Deluxe House that sleeps 10 at Hiwassee Outfitters and has 2 bathrooms. It is located at the outfitters so convenient for boat rentals.
They don’t have great pictures of the inside online so not sure what you’ll actually get. I have only seen the house form the outside.
Webb Brothers
The Webb Brothers Outfitters also has a house rental in Reliance, and this one has 3 apartments in one house that can be rented all together if you want.
It is the historic Watchman’s House, built so a railroad man could watch for burning embers from the steam trains landing on the wooden rail bridge. The house is just across the road bridge from Webb Brothers.
If you are looking for a fantastic weekend away with the family in a beautiful area with lots of outdoor activities to choose from, then I would definitely look at camping or renting a cabin near the Hiwassee River. If you need more info about paddling the Hiwassee River, read our Rafting The Hiwassee. Happy Trails!- Amanda
