Pick a unit on the map to see its reservation calendar.
Only 41 openings in the last 90 days: not enough recent activity for a reliable pattern. A free Campsite Sniper alert watches around the clock instead, and pings you the moment one opens.
Of the 58 tracked reservation dates (Apr 5 – May 3, 2027): 58 open for online reservation.
Of the open reservation dates on mapped day-use units, 34 fall on weekdays and 24 on weekends (Fri–Sun).
April holds the most room. 52 of 52 reservation dates are still open there.
| Window | Date | Units open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memorial Day | FRI May 28 | 0 | None open |
| SAT May 29 | 0 | None open | |
| SUN May 30 | 0 | None open | |
| MON May 31 | 0 | None open |
Memorial Day: no online availability on any tracked date.
| Unit | Open reservation dates |
|---|---|
| The Laurels Picnic Area - Pavilion #1 | 29 |
| The Laurels Picnic Area - Pavilion #2 | 29 |
The 2 day-use units with the most open reservation dates in the current snapshot. Pair a bookable date with a free alert to cover everything else.
Campsite Sniper's data for this facility starts Apr 5, 2027. That is about 154 days after the current snapshot was taken, so dates before Apr 5, 2027 are not covered by what Campsite Sniper tracks here — they are not known to be unavailable. The reservation dates shown on this page describe Apr 5, 2027 onwards only. Check Recreation.gov for earlier dates.
| Unit | Open reservation dates | Consecutive dates | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Laurels Picnic Area - Pavilion #1 | 29 | 29 dates | Apr 5, 2027, Apr 6, 2027, Apr 7, 2027, Apr 8, 2027, Apr 9, 2027, Apr 10, 2027, Apr 11, 2027, Apr 12, 2027, Apr 13, 2027, Apr 14, 2027, Apr 15, 2027, Apr 16, 2027 +17 more |
| The Laurels Picnic Area - Pavilion #2 | 29 | 29 dates | Apr 5, 2027, Apr 6, 2027, Apr 7, 2027, Apr 8, 2027, Apr 9, 2027, Apr 10, 2027, Apr 11, 2027, Apr 12, 2027, Apr 13, 2027, Apr 14, 2027, Apr 15, 2027, Apr 16, 2027 +17 more |
The Laurels has been a popular area since the early days in East Tennessee. It was a common evening stopover for farmers from North Carolina taking produce to markets in Johnson City, TN. The site is named for the native Rhododendron that thrives in the area, locally called "laurel." The Civilian Conservation Corps helped construct the current facilities in the early 1930's. Today, it is a popular day-use area, providing a nice shady place for family picnics and group gatherings.
The Laurels has two pavilions, each with picnic tables and grills. An old foot path meanders through the nearby woods.
The Laurels includes two picnic pavilions, numerous tables, grills, a bear-proof dumpster, and connected by foot paths. There is a vault toilet on site. There is no potable water.
The Laurels is located on TN Hwy 361 near Sciota Road in Carter County. From Johnson City, take I-26 E to Okalona exit. Turn left, drive under I-26 to TN 359. Turn right onto TN 359. Travel 1.4 miles, then turn right onto TN 361 for 3.7 miles to The Laurels.
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗










Reservations for The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions are made through Recreation.gov. The current snapshot shows substantial availability: 58 of 58 tracked reservation dates are open (100%), though availability can change. Campsite Sniper has also detected 41 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick the unit on the map to see its reservation calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.
No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.
Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Nov 2, 2026 17:20 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.
Campsite Sniper detected 41 site-date openings here over the last 90 days, none in the last 7. A free alert watches around the clock and pings you the moment one appears.
April 2027, with 52 open reservation dates in the current snapshot of 52.
Campsite Sniper cannot answer that from the current snapshot. The availability data held for The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions begins Apr 5, 2027 — about 154 days after this snapshot was taken, so any earlier dates are outside what Campsite Sniper is tracking here rather than known to be unavailable. Check Recreation.gov for dates before Apr 5, 2027.
Choose the reservation dates you want at The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions.
Campsite Sniper can monitor this facility and notify you if a selected date becomes available.
When a selected date becomes available, you get a push with a Recreation.gov link so you can review and book it yourself.