Campground rules are provided to campers upon check-in. Vista Recreation, in a partnership agreement with TVA, provide these facilities for your convenience and enjoyment. The successful operation of this area depends on your cooperation and compliance of the following:

• Please register at the store upon arrival.
• Check-in 1:00 pm (we apologize that there are no exceptions for early check-in); Check-out 12:00 pm.
• Campers with an America the Beautiful card discount may only rent 1 campsite per visit. Please be prepared to present a photo ID along with the pass in order to receive the discount rate. The pass is eligible for one site per stay only. Please Note: Douglas Dam Headwater Campground does not honor America the Beautiful Annual Pass, America the Beautiful Annual Senior Pass, America the Beautiful Military Pass, and America the Beautiful Volunteer Pass. The only passes accepted are America the Beautiful Lifetime Pass and Lifetime Senior Pass.
• Sites in the campground are able to be reserved and some are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please ensure sites are not reserved before occupying a site.
• Unattended camping vehicles and equipment cannot be left at a site unless fees are paid. Rented campsites must have a camping unit present to show the site is taken.
• ADA accessible sites are reserved for persons with a state-issued ADA license plate or mirror tag. The person who has been issued the tag must be occupying the site and may only rent 1 campsite per visit.
• No more than 2 camping units are allowed per site, with only 1 unit being a wheeled or mobile camping unit. No more than 2 tents per site. For campers under the age of 18, a tent is allowed for immediate family residing in the same household.
• Camping is permitted at designated (numbered) sites only. A maximum of 8 people are allowed per campsite. Designated non-profit groups, such as scout troops or church groups, will be allowed some exemptions.
• All vehicles, including visitors, must display a parking pass in order to park in the campground. A maximum of 3 vehicles are allowed per campsite (if space permits). Vehicles are considered to be any of the following: boat trailers, wheeled camping units, automobiles, or motorcycles.
• Parking on the grass is prohibited.
• No washing of campers, vehicles, or boats is allowed in the campground.
• Golf carts are permitted for use by Vista Recreation/TVA authorized personnel only. Motorized scooters are only allowed for those individuals with mobility impairment. Bicycles, skateboards, or scooter riding is prohibited from dusk to dawn. Safety helmets should be worn.
• The maximum camping stay is 21 consecutive days. The camper and camping unit must leave the campground for a minimum of 14 days before returning. Other TVA Campgrounds are available for stay during this time (exception: Douglas Headwater and Douglas Tailwater are considered one campground for this interchange).
• Visitors are permitted between the hours of 7:00 AM and 10:00 PM
• Quiet hours are from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM. Disruptive campers may be asked to vacate the campground without reimbursement. Please turn off any music, generators, or disruptive lighting by 10:00 PM.
• Place all trash in dumpsters except fish debris. Please contact the campground hosts on duty for pick-up and disposal of fish debris.
• Campfires must be contained in metal fire rings. All firewood must be pre-cut and not include construction debris or pallets. No out-of-county firewood is allowed to be brought into the campground. Do not cut, damage, or drive nails into trees. Please do not burn trash in fire rings.
• Observe posted speed limit signs throughout the campground.
• All appliances must be kept inside the camping unit (no freezers or refrigerators are to be outside).
• Satellite dishes, power cords, and pet crates must remain within the impact zone of the campsite.
• Dumping waste or gray water onto the ground is prohibited.
• Alcoholic beverages and fireworks are not permitted on TVA property. Firearms are prohibited in recreation areas except in hunting season excursions, and are permissible only if they are unloaded and properly cased. State and federal laws apply.
• Online reservations require a 2-night minimum stay.
• All sites, with the exception of pull-through and Camp Host sites, are back-in only. No cross way parking allowed at any time.
• Unattended camping vehicles and equipment may not be left over night unless fees are paid for all nights the site will be unattended
• All vehicles and equipment must be parked on the gravel area of your campsite. If any or all of your equipment does not fit on the provided gravel area, you will be asked to move all equipment that does not fit to a designated "overflow" parking area. Parking on the grass or the lawn is not permitted.
• ATVs, gators, etc. are not permitted.
• Motorized recreational vehicles must have a registration, a licensed operator, and be operated in a safe matter.

Pet Rules:

• Only 2 pets are allowed per campsite.
• Pets must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet or crated at all times.
• A third pet may be approved by management depending upon size and breed.
• Pets are prohibited inside the restrooms, on the beach, or adjacent picnic areas.
• Owners must pick up after their pets.
• Pets cannot be left unattended at the campsite and must accompany their owner when the owner leaves the campground.

Pets are not allowed in the Pavilion.

EV Charging Policy:

Protecting our environment is and always has been a priority for Vista Recreation, and we are researching the addition of EV charging stations in our campgrounds; however, there are currently no EV charging capabilities at our facilities.

While many of our campgrounds have electrical pedestals to power RVs, these pedestals function differently than EV charging stations. RV electrical pedestals are designed for non-continuous loads, not the constant electricity flow required to charge EV batteries. It is essential to know that plugging your EV into a 30-50 amp electric pedestal designed for RV usage can permanently damage your vehicle, as well as the campground’s electrical system. Even if your vehicle came from the manufacturer with a charging converter, it does not change the way electricity flows through the electrical infrastructure.

Until our campgrounds can be equipped with EV charging stations, we cannot allow charging of such vehicles.

Please note: Campers who are disruptive, intoxicated, or behaving in an obscene or profane manner will be reported to the TVA Police, asked to vacate the premises without reimbursement, and will be subject to a ban from a facility operated by Vista Recreation in a partnership agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

Vista Recreation's use of communications and additional Terms found here.

Refund Policy

Douglas Headwater Campground