RV Park / RV Campground – Camp Margaritaville RV Resort and Lodge Pigeon Forge, TN
Photographed by Randy Behymer. Written by Caly Behymer
In the camping world, there are options ranging from basic campgrounds offering a spot to park your rig to RV resorts filled with all sorts of features and amenities. Then you have Camp Margaritaville RV Resort & Lodge in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, standing in a league entirely on its own. This new RV resort and lodge offers amenities that blow all the competition away, making you ask, “Why didn’t I book this place sooner?”
After hearing rave reviews from numerous campers who’d stayed at Camp Margaritaville, we were eager to try this new hot spot. And we are so glad we did. Just before the last stoplight heading into Gatlinburg, Camp Margaritaville sits atop a hill, the massive barn lodge standing as a beacon of tropical fun in the Smoky Mountains. A friendly, smiling face greeted us as we checked into the park. We were happy to find that every site offered wide, level concrete pads, a fire pit and a picnic table. Navigating the 158-site RV park was a breeze, thanks to wide sweeping roads and thoughtfully planned concrete sites that included curved driveways to ensure that all the tires of your rig contact concrete and not that pesky muddy corner at the edge of the driveway that seems unavoidable at every other RV park. Excited to explore all that Camp Margaritaville had to offer, we followed the sounds of island music to the Lodge. As we strolled over, spectacular views surrounded us, the mountains reaching into the sky. The resort feels worlds away from the noise and congestion below. Because the RV park sits behind the Lodge, the only views from the grounds are mountains and trees, a welcome change from other RV parks on the parkway.
The Lodge is where all the magic happens at the resort, and entertainment abounds. A large reception area with a massive fireplace and comfortable seating greets visitors walking through the front doors. And a weekly activity calendar displays all the daily fun scheduled throughout the resort, including scavenger hunts, bingo, trivia, ranger talks, kid bedtime stories, karaoke, live music, cornhole and the famous nightly bonfire at the event lawn fire pit (weather permitting). And that list includes only some of the available activities.
The list of amenities is beyond impressive and includes things you won’t find at any other RV resort. The Lodge is home to Joe Merchants Camp Provisions Store, with quick-grab food offerings, specialty coffees, camping supplies, cold drinks, Margaritaville gear, snacks and items you can’t live without. They’ve thought of it all, including small packs of diapers for the little ones so you don’t have to walk back to your RV to keep your vacation rolling. The Lodge is also home to Fins Breakfast Buffet, offering freshly prepared hot and cold breakfast items. If you find yourself lounging next to the large, resort-style pool and feel your tummy growling, a few steps will have you in the Fins Bar & Chill, ordering a hot and delicious lunch, followed by some tropical libations. As you sip your adult beverage in the bar, a perfect breeze rolling through, island music playing in the background, you’ll feel as if you’re thousands of miles away, sitting in a tropical location and not in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains.
Camp Margaritaville is the epitome of a resort, with all the entertainment offerings to keep you and your family busy. After you’ve lounged by the pool, relaxed in the hot tub and watched the kids go down the water slide countless times (heck, you even decided to try it yourself), head down to the lazy river. Located on the backside of the Lodge, the lazy river is another oasis of fun and relaxation. Grab your kids and an inner tube and enjoy the ride as you all take a wonderfully relaxing trip around the lazy river. But wait, there’s more. The Lodge’s ground floor is a Mecca of entertainment. Here you can find live music most evenings, a duckpin bowling alley, pool tables, dart boards, an activity room, another snack shack and bar, and a full-blown arcade with enough games to keep everyone busy for hours. And still, the list of amenities continues. The park offers pickleball courts, outdoor community kitchens, golf cart rentals, a laundry facility and Barkaritaville, a large fenced-in area just for the fur babies in the family. Part of the Lodge is dog friendly and even offers a room service menu for Fido. You may be surprised to learn that Camp Margaritaville loves your fur babies just as much as you do.
The Lodge is also home to 79 hotel rooms for those family members who’ve not yet embraced the RV life. To say the rooms are enormous is a vast understatement. Camp Margaritaville thought of everything to ensure your stay in one of their rooms is one you’ll remember. Beautifully decorated in whites, beiges and tropical turquoise, the rooms have seating space, comfortable beds, and a large bathroom, and some rooms offer a kids’ tent room, which is a separate room divided by tent flaps, complete with two beds and a TV, so the kids can comfortably relax in their designated space. Packages are available for the rooms and RV park, so check their website frequently for specials and packages.
Camp Margaritaville has perfectly created the ultimate tropical destination getaway, nestled amongst the mountain tops. It asks one simple question: “What is your Margaritaville?” Having spent a long weekend relaxing and playing around the resort, listening to the island vibes, sipping on several fruity concoctions and eating delicious food, I am a believer; Camp Margaritaville RV Resort & Lodge is hands down the best RV resort we’ve visited. After spending our last evening at the Resort playing pool, laughing as we challenged each other at different arcade games and sipping on a glass of wine listening to some incredible live music, I looked at my husband, grabbed his hand and just smiled. These were memories made that we will never forget; the moments we laughed, the stories we shared and the ability to get to relax for a change. The answer was simple. This was our Margaritaville.
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