Weekend availability at Backbone Rock Recreation Area Pavilions
Live from Recreation.gov · checked Sep 18, 6:14 PM PTSold out 4 of the next 5 weekends — exactly when cancellation alerts earn their keep.
- Fri, Sep 25Sold out
- Fri, Oct 2Limited1/1 sites
- Fri, Oct 9Sold out
- Fri, Oct 16Sold out
- Fri, Oct 23Sold out
Friday + Saturday nights, sites bookable both nights. Counts come from a rotating sweep and can lag a cancellation by up to a day — alerts watch your exact dates within minutes.
How booked is Backbone Rock Recreation Area Pavilions?
as of September 19Weekends book out well ahead here — 3 of the 4 Saturdays we sampled, as far out as Oct, are already sold out. When a site frees up it's gone again within minutes, so people watch Backbone Rock Recreation Area Pavilions and hear the instant one opens for their dates. Weekdays still have room — for now.
Weekends (Saturday night)
Weekdays (Wednesday night)
Availability checked directly against the reservation system, out to 3 months ahead.
About this campground
Overview The pavilion at Backbone Rock Recreation Area is a popular location for family reunions and other types of group gatherings. The pavilion is large and adjacent to an expansive field, Beaverdam Creek, and a large parking area. The area includes accessible grills, picnic tables, dumpsters, and vault toilets. Recreation There is a trail that will take you to the top of Backbone Rock, following a stone-step wooded path. The trail crosses the rock and leads to Beaverdam Creek or Backbone Rock Falls. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail adjoins Backbone Rock Trail. Beaverdam Creek is known for its excellent fishing.Facilities There is a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) -era pavilion, picnic tables and grills. The pavilion includes a stone fireplace and several large picnic tables with additional tables and grills nearby. Vault toilets are located within the parking area. Natural Features Backbone Rock Recreation Area is located along Beaverdam Creek in northern Johnson County. Backbone Rock gets its name from a spur ridge on Holston Mountain that ends abruptly at a bend in Beaverdam Creek. A tunnel was drilled through the rock in 1901 to allow railroad access between Shady Valley, TN and Damascus, VA. Motorists pass through what is locally known as "The shortest tunnel in the world" as they travel along TN 133. Contact Info This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (423) 735-1500. Nearby Attractions Damascus, Virginia is five miles North of Backbone Rock for any in-town needs.
Getting there
From Bristol, TN take US 421 south for 20 miles to Shady Valley. Turn left onto TN 133 for eight miles to the recreation area. From Abingdon, VA, take US 58 east for 15 miles to Damascus. Turn right onto VA 716 for five miles to the recreation area (VA 178 becomes TN 133 at the state line).
Activities
- FISHING
- HIKING
- SCENIC DRIVE
- SWIMMING
- STAR GAZING
- WATER ACCESS
- WILDLIFE VIEWING
Nearby federal campgrounds
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Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office or on Recreation.gov before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.