COE Campgrounds – What are they?

Before we started full-time RVing, we didn’t even know what COE meant! Therefore, many of you may not know what COE is either! Hopefully, you will know more by the time you reach the end of this post!

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) is a federal agency under the Department of Defense. It is a major Army command made up of 37,000+ civilian and military personnel. It is one of the world’s largest public engineering, design and construction management agencies. They are usually associated with U.S. water projects, i.e., dams, canals and flood protection. The COE provides outdoor recreation opportunities to the public, such as recreation areas and campgrounds.

The mission of the COE is to deliver vital public and military engineering services; partnering in peace and war to strengthen our nation’s security, energize the economy and reduce risks from disasters. They came into existence on June 11, 1775 and are still strong after 244 years. The history of these unique and special places is fun to learn about!

Recreation Areas/Campgrounds

We appreciate knowing that COE water projects led to the planning and creation of many recreation areas and campgrounds. As a whole, these campgrounds provide large sites with lake/woods views, hiking/biking trails, water activities (swimming, fishing, boating) and beautiful scenery. Recently, we had the opportunity to stay in four different COE campgrounds. They were in four different states: Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri. As a result, we thought you might be interested in how each was created and information about the campgrounds we stayed at.

Piney Grove Campground – New Site, Mississippi

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The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway is a man-made waterway connecting the nation’s midsection of commercial water transportation with the Gulf of Mexico. There are ten locks and dams and 234 miles of navigation channels. The COE completed the $2 billion project in the fall of 1984. There are 88,000 acres set aside for habitat preservation and recreational use.

• The Piney Grove Campground has 141 electric-only sites with a lantern post, impact pad, campfire ring and a picnic table. The park has a large playground, two multi-use courts, laundry facilities and an ice machine.
• Price: $22-24 (electric only). 50% off with America the Beautiful Access/Senior Pass. Camping season: March 1 to mid-November.
• Pros: beautiful scenery, large level sites, swimming beach, shower facilities
• Cons: only one hiking trail, closest small town is 30 minutes away, no recycling
• This is our favorite COE campground because nearly every site has a view of the Bay Springs Lake! Therefore, we would definitely recommend Piney Grove Campground!
• Click here for more information.

Poole Knobs Campground – LaVergne, Tennessee

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Percy Priest Lake is a 42-mile long 14,000 acre lake created by the J. Percy Priest Dam which was completed in 1968 by the COE. The water is surrounded by 18,854 acres of public land and 10,000 acres are devoted to wildlife management. 

• Poole Knobs Campground has 88 campsites and most have electric/water hookups around the lake, campfire ring and picnic table. There is a primitive area that has wooded campsites and a large group campsite that holds 40 campers.
• Price: $16 (primitive) $24 (electric/water). 50% off with America the Beautiful Access/Senior Pass. Season: May 1 to September 30.
• Pros: close to Nashville, nice shower facility
• Cons: this campground needs to be renovated, very limited level sites, you will experience low hanging branches on drive into campground, no recycling services, no playground, no hiking trails
• The only benefit to us was the proximity to Nashville for exploring. Unfortunately, we would not stay here again and would not recommend unless the campground gets a renovation. It took many pads and wood planks to get our RV level!
• Click here for more information.

Hillman Ferry Campground at Land Between the Lakes – Kuttawa, Kentucky

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The Land Between the Lakes (LBL) National Recreation Area is located in Kentucky and Tennessee. LBL literally means the land between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. As part of the New Deal program for flood control, the COE built a dam on the Tennessee River in 1944. Another dam was completed on the Cumberland River in 1964. The National Recreation Area has 170,000 acres with 1,440 campsites in several campgrounds, an elk and bison preserve, an 1850’s working farm, 261 miles for hiking, 70 miles for biking and 106 miles for horseback riding. Water activities include kayaking, fishing and boating. There is so much to explore and do in the LBL!

• We stayed at the Hillman Ferry Campground which has 374 lakefront and wooded sites that can accommodate everything from tents to large RVs. Sites are basic to full hookups. Facilities include swimming area, a ball field, amphitheater, two boat ramps, a fishing dock, picnic tables and fire rings. Biking/hiking trails are very popular.
• Price: $22 (electric) $40 (full hookups). $6 off with America the Beautiful Access/Senior Pass. Season runs from March 1 to November 30.
• Pros: lots of level sites to choose from, numerous hiking trails, many lakefront sites, recycling, nice shower facilities
• Cons: closest town was Grand Rivers with a small grocery store, several sites flood in the spring, numerous speed bumps which make it hard to drive your RV/trailer
• We would definitely stay here again. There are many things to do: The Homeplace 1850 working farm, seeing bison on the prairie, touring the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, and exploring the many trails!
• Click here for more information.

Long Branch State Park – Macon, Missouri

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The Long Branch Dam was authorized by Congress in 1965 as a multi-purpose project for water supply, flood control, recreation, downstream water quality and fish/wildlife management. Construction of the dam and surrounding area was completed by the COE in 1980. Long Branch Lake is the reservoir created by the dam and has 24 miles of shoreline and 2,430 acres for fishing. In 1983, the State of Missouri reached a long-term lease agreement with COE for the use of the land and now operates the Long Branch State Park.

• There are 83 electric-only camping sites with a fire ring and picnic table and 10 tent-only sites. Facilities include a swimming beach, hiking trails, an ADA accessible fishing dock, a camp store, boat slips, picnic sites and shelters.
• Price: $13 (basic) $25 (electric premium). Open year-round.
• Pros: many sites have been renovated and level, beautiful prairie views, hiking trail to marina, great camp host, grounds well maintained, recycling, nice shower facility
• Cons: 1/3 of campsites are in need of repair/renovation and most of these are not level
• We really enjoyed this Missouri State Park and would definitely stay here again. Make sure you get one of the newly-renovated sites with a new cement pad. We were in #8E.
• Click here for more information.

Check out a COE campground near you!

Lastly, COE-designed campgrounds usually provide wide open campsites located near large water reservoirs created by dams. We didn’t realize there are so many of these campsites. In other words, the next time you are looking for a campground, search for a COE campground and most likely, you won’t be disappointed. If you have a Class A or a large trailer, we recommend you contact the campground first to get their assistance on which site would work best for your RV and be sure you ask for a level site!

In conclusion, have you been to an Army Corps of Engineers campground before? If so, use the comment section below to tell us which one you camped at and whether or not you would recommend it to others.

Finding Joy in the Journey – Heidi of Loving The RV Life