Openings · last 7 days
7
Booking reality
Campsite Sniper detected 7 site openings here in the last 7 days
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-251757
When Backbone Rock Campground reopens
Backbone Rock Campground's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
9
Openings · last 90 days
9
Only 9 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.
02 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18 – Oct 12, 2026 · of 11 monitored sites
Of the 250 tracked site-nights (Sep 18 – Oct 12, 2026): 124 open for online reservation · 100 reserved · 20 on sites not offered for online reservation (first-come, first-served or administrative) · 6 closed.
Where the open windows are
50.4% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 124 of 250 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Sep 18 – Oct 12, 2026Not open online50.4%
Open site-nights124 / 250
Reserved (of online inventory)100 / 224
Weekday openings108
Weekend openings16
Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 108 fall on weekdays and 16 on weekends (Fri–Sun).
Open dates by month
Sep 2026 – Oct 2026September holds the most room. 64 of 130 site-nights are still open there.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 10 sites| Window | Night | Sites open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | SAT Sep 5 | 0 | None open |
| SUN Sep 6 | 0 | None open | |
| MON Sep 7 | 0 | None open |
Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night.
Best-availability sites
Most open site-nights · tracked window| Site | Open site-nights |
|---|---|
| 06 | 14 |
| 07 | 14 |
| 09 | 14 |
| 10 | 14 |
| 01 | 13 |
The 5 sites with the most open site-nights in the current snapshot. Pair a bookable date with a free alert to cover everything else.
Next windows
As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshotNext open dateTue · Sep 22
The next bookable night is Sep 22. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.
Stays and site detail
124 open site-nights across 10 sites at Backbone Rock Campground, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
Multi-night stays. 26 2-night, 26 3-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 22 at site 01.
RV length. Longest recorded site here is 90 ft. 10 sites take 25 ft, 10 sites take 35 ft, 10 sites take 40 ft.
All 10 sites with current availability
| Site | Max RV | Hookups | Open site-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06 | 50 ft | None | 14 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7 +2 more |
| 07 | 85 ft | None | 14 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7 +2 more |
| 09 | 50 ft | None | 14 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7 +2 more |
| 10 | 60 ft | None | 14 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7 +2 more |
| 01 | 68 ft | None | 13 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8 +1 more |
| 05 | 52 ft | None | 13 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8 +1 more |
| 02 | 50 ft | None | 12 | 5 nights | Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 12 |
| 03 | 90 ft | None | 12 | 5 nights | Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 12 |
| 04 | 84 ft | None | 10 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 8, Oct 12 |
| 08 | 50 ft | None | 8 | 4 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 12 |
About Backbone Rock Campground
Overview
Backbone Rock Campground will open for the 2026 season on 4/27/26. The pavilion and vault toilets in the day-use area will open on 3/16/26. Backbone Rock is a small campground situated along the beautiful Beaverdam Creek at an elevation of 2,100 feet in northern Johnson County. This developed campground is popular with those visiting the nearby Backbone Rock, a tunnel originally blasted through the rock ridge for the railway. The creek side location with popular swim area and lush forest surroundings make Backbone Rock Campground particularly desirable during hot summer months. With 10 campsites and an adjacent large Civilian Conservation Corps- built reservable pavilion with lawn, Backbone Rock is a great option for a group to reserve the whole campground for retreats and other events.
Recreation
Along with camping, Beaverdam Creek is stocked with trout. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail is accessed via the Backbone Rock Trail (#53).
Facilities
There are 10 single campsites, including two double sites within Backbone Rock Campground. The campground has flush toilets. Each site contains a table, fire ring and lantern holder.
Nearby Attractions
The trailhead for the Backbone Rock Trail (#53) is approximately a quarter mile South of the campground on TN Highway 133. This trail is 4 miles and at the end of the trail is where it joins into the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (#1) Damascus, VA is approximately 5 minutes North of the campground. The Backbone Falls Trail (#198) is approximately a third of a mile South of the campground. This 0.4 mile loop trail takes you to the top of Backbone Falls.
11 monitored sitesRVs up to 90 ftNo hookupsWaterfrontRiverfrontPets OKFire pitsMax party 10
Getting there
Highway TN 133 north from Highway 91. The campsite is on Highway 133, just north of Backbone Rock.
4400 Unicoi Drive, Unicoi, TN 37692423-735-1500
BackpackingBikingCampingFishingHikingHuntingRock ClimbingScenic DriveStar GazingSwimmingWildlife Viewing
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-251757 · facility + sites
Photo gallery
Roll CS-251757 · Backbone Rock Campground · Unicoi TN12 frames · facility + sites
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at Backbone Rock Campground?
Reservations for Backbone Rock Campground are made through Recreation.gov. 124 of 250 tracked site-nights are currently open (49.6%). Campsite Sniper has also detected 9 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.
Does Campsite Sniper book this campground for me?
No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.
How current is this availability data?
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 Sep 18, 2026 16:19 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.
How often do new openings appear at Backbone Rock Campground?
Campsite Sniper detected 7 site-date openings at Backbone Rock Campground in the last 7 days, 9 over 30 days and 9 over the last 90.
Can I get a multi-night stay at Backbone Rock Campground?
26 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 22 at site 01. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.
Which sites at Backbone Rock Campground fit a 35-foot RV?
10 of the 10 sites that support RV analysis have a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 90 ft.
Which month has the most availability at Backbone Rock Campground?
September 2026, with 64 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 130.
When is the next open date at Backbone Rock Campground?
As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Tue, Sep 22. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.
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