Melton Hill Dam Campground

SouthWesty Kim told me that she had camped at Melton Hill Dam Campground this past weekend. I have never been there.. but this is not too far from where I live. Maybe someone could post a review, some pictures.. or something about the CG. Its near Lenoir City. I am always looking for another CG close to home.

I have driven by this dam several times, but it was always while I was working.

I will try and give a description of the campground. We arrived friday evening about 6pm, our friends had set up that thursday morning and saved a spot for us next to them. We were in spot #27 which is facing the lake. Melton hill campground has about 55 sites...9 or so strickly tents, 6 or so on concrete pads with brick patio walls (full hookups I believe) and the rest scattered on terraced campground loops (electric and water). The terrain is a bit hilly, we had to walk down to the lake and back up the hill to our camp. There is a large sandy beach with a swimming area roped off with a floating buoy, and the swimming area is surrounded by concete steps into the water. I enjoyed swimming there because the bottom was sand not mud all the way out to over your head. I saw one pavillion near the boat ramp that had sunday services sun morning. The restrooms had two stalls and one shower and seemed rather clean. Trash dumpsters were conviently located. This is a self serve campground but the hosts stays onsite.The fees are 16 dollars a day no hookups, 20 dollars a day water and electric and 24 dollars a day full hookups.They also offer monthly rates. There is ample parking for day use along the lake by the swimming area and pavillion. The local police cruized the park frequently all day saturday.I didnt walk around the campground very much due to it being so hilly and I didnt want to huff and puff in the heat. Our spots didnt have shade trees but alot of the other sites did.There is also a full court outside basketball court near the boat ramp with a large grassy area for frisbee ect. Since the campground loop roads were hilly I am not sure bike riding for the kids would be as easy as say cove lake. Since this is not a state park I didnt see any activities being conducted by rangers for the kids, everyone seemed to be swimming or lounging on the grassy area at the beach. I think for a quick get away this is a good campground and seemed to be very popular with both campers and day use. I would stay here again in a pinch but I prefer campgrounds that arent as hilly to walk around . Each campsite had a firering that was really nice with a lift grate, a lantern post with hook and a barbque . The spaces were spaced nicely apart from one another and graveled. Both ours and our friends site was so level that we didnt even need any leveler's under our tires..Tv reception was good and we got about 10 channels.Cellphone was a bit sketchy in spots. Hope this helps anyone interested in camping there.

Kim

Thanks Kim for the review, I would like to take a quick trip here. I'm like you I wouldn't want to walk around much either. It does look clean and the lake would be great to fish in.

thanks Kim for the review.. and the pictures.. I drove down and looked at the CG today. Looks like you guys had one of the better sites. I think thats the key here.. getting a good site. Some of them weren't very appealing.. but then others were pretty good. Unfortunately it seems that the "so-so" campsites out number the good ones.

We really didnt get a chance to check out most of the other campsites at Melton, we arrived, set up and pretty much stayed at camp.. I still like cove lake very much and we plan to go back mabbe next weekend. Carolyn has vacation in august and were trying to rack our brains and think of a campground we want to stay for a few days.When we decide we will holler at the group in case anyone wants to join us. We took a drive one sunday out to hornsby hollow campground but I didnt care for how far it was from civilization (a walmart or supermarket) . We also went to loyston point campground but they didnt have water hookups...sewer and electric yes but no water, didnt make sense to me...There is one other campground out by loyston point that is a county campground with hookups I want to check out, saw the sign for it but figured it was strickly day use as most county parks are, but looked it up online and they said they had campsites with facilities. Might be another option since thats not far.I still want to check out Big Ridge but I know my little 4 cyl nissan wont make it, hopefully next year I will have a bigger truck .

Kim

I know you don't believe me.. but your truck will make it to BIG RIDGE.. trust me. The hills are about the same as getting to MELTON DAM.. Maybe a little steeper in one spot.. but they are not very long at all.

What dates are you girls looking at in August?

Carolyn's vacation starts Aug 16th for a week, so we will have the weekend prior,middle week and end weekend. Im thinking if we want to get a good spot anywhere to set up on like a wednesday and stay till sunday someplace, Its the somplace that has us stuck lol. We are going to drive up to big ridge to check it out Chuck, which way did you go that was not too hilly....

Kim

well.. there really is no way that isnt hilly.. but I think you can make it.

I am gonna be camping somewhere that weekend of the 20. 21 and 22. Probably from Thurs-Sun. The BIG RIDGE bluegrass festival is that Saturday.. its a lot of fun. I am kinda planning on camping there. But maybe I will meet up with you guys somewhere else. Who knows??