Memphis is located on the Tennessee Arkansas border with the Mississippi river bordering it to the west. The area does not have the topography and mountain ranges of the middle and eastern part of the state. Memphis has many rolling hills and plenty of beautiful countryside to take in. Finding the perfect spot to go camping near Memphis should not be a problem for you.
There are several state parks near Memphis that have campgrounds as well as other privately owned campgrounds. Rather than giving you 20 options to go through, I will list your best options for camping near Memphis, TN. If I have missed any other good ones please leave me a comment below.
Camping near Memphis, TN – 5 options
1. T.O. Fuller State Park
TO Fuller State Park is one with some history behind it. It was the first state park open to African Americans east of the Mississippi River. The park was named Shelby County Negro State Park in 1938, the name was later changed to T.O. Fuller State Park in 1942. Dr. Thomas O. Fuller was an African American pastor, politician, civic leader and author. Learn more about the history of the park here.
There are 45 campgrounds that are accessible to RV’s allowing up to 85 feet for each. Tent camping is allowed and the campsites are between $21 and $35. You can reserve one by visiting this link. The stay limit is 2 weeks and you can make your reservations up to 12 months in advance.
This campground has all of your basic amenities you would expect to find. These include a covered picnic pavillion, a centrally located bathhouse, a playground, and laundry. Each campsite comes equipped with a picnic table, lantern hanger, fire pit, grill, along with electrical and water hook-ups. A dump station for trash can be found by the entrance to the campgrounds.
2. Meeman Shelby Forest State Park
As the most visited State Park in TN, Meeman Shelby is one of the most popular and highly rated campgrounds near Memphis. Going back to the 1930s, the 13,467 acre park was first known as Shelby Forest State Park.
In 1933 Edward J. Meeman, an avid conservationist, convinced the National Park Service to provide Shelby County with the money required to develop the park.
Here you will find a slightly larger campground as TO Fuller with 49 campsites. Each has its own picnic table, power and water hookups. You may reserve your campsite by going here, the prices are going to be $25 – $27.
Some campgrounds are rather close together, while others are more private. Do your research and make your reservation early if possible to get the one you prefer. Quiet hours are between 10pm and 6am. The campgrounds are overall very pleasant to stay at, however they may be crowded.
3. Graceland RV Park & Campground
These 19 acre Memphis campgrounds are located just off Elvis Presley Boulevard and are within walking distance to Graceland. They offer daily, weekly, or even monthly rates here so long term camping is an option.
This RV park and campground offers all of the amenities and comforts you would expect. Full water and power hookups, bathhouse, laundry, tent camping area, free WiFi, a campgrounds store, and patrolling security are a few comforts that you can expect to enjoy while staying here.
If you are interested in rates or making reservations you can visit their website for further info. They do not list pricing on their site that I can find. Additionally they do also offer cabins for rent with heating and air conditioning, if that’s more your thing.
4. Tom Sawyer RV Park
With views overlooking the beautiful Mississippi River, this campground is one you should certainly consider. Sit and watches the barges and river traffic pass by while you are relaxing at your campsite spending time with your family and friends.
The facilities are nice and clean and there are over 3 dozen concrete campsites for RVs. Expect power and water hookups as well as city sewer. They do not have specific tent campsites however there is a couple of large open areas where they do allow tent campers. For an idea of how the campsites are laid out you can view a park map here.
You are only about 10-15 minutes to downtown Memphis and Beale street where all of the action is. You can grab an Uber one night and head downtown to checkout the nightlife.
5. Memphis KOA Campgrounds
If you haven’t heard of KOA, Kampgrounds of America is a very large network of privately owned campgrounds. They have almost 500 locations across US and Canada. If you have been to other KOAs around the country, I would imagine you can expect a similar establishment here.
With KOA you are going to get a swimming pool, game room, playground, picnic area, and a doggie playground. For your basic camping related amenities you can of course expect water and power hookups, 70′ max length for campers, and WiFi. There are also many other additional rentals and purchases you can make such as cable tv,
One drawback is that this campground is right on the interstate, the noise and proximity bothers some people. The staff is very friendly and helpful here and if you have stayed at a KOA before then you will get about the same experience here.
Camping in West Tennessee vs East Tennessee
West Tennessee does not have the camping, hiking, and landscapes that east Tennessee does. You aren’t going to find as many State Parks and options for camping near Memphis as you would around Knoxville or Cookeville.
As you can see though, there are several solid choices if you are passing through Memphis. You may possibly be on your way to or from Great Smoky National Mountains National Park, the most popular national park in the US. Tennessee is a long state and Memphis is a good pit stop for a traveling crew of campers. There are facilities for tent camping and RV parks near Memphis.
If you are backpacking and looking for camping in the middle Tennessee are then I would recommend Virgin Falls, near Cookeville, TN. Fall Creek Falls also has several camping options to look into in that area, you can check it out here.
