Cardens Bluff Trail #55 on Watauga Lake 3 miles beyond Hampton, TN.
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Lake Watauga.
The Hike. I know, it's a summer picture I've put here, but this little stroll is best in winter. Essentially, Cardens Bluff Trail #55 is a loop around the perimeter of this 40-site campground, situated on a bluff, jutting out into the lake. In the winter, you'll have this trail and the vistas of the water and mountains all to yourself. It weaves in and out of campsites at times, which is kind of fun when they are unoccupied... you can argue their merits and choose your waterside site for the summer. In the winter the campground is gated, so park out by the road (US 321/TN 67) - there is a little lot at the entrance. Walk in on the campground road and make your way toward the water in any direction. Find the trail, and meander around to the other side, stopping here and there to throw rocks or play around by the water's edge. This nice Forest Service page gives you the idea (the trail is the dashed line) http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5275547.pdf.
Directions. From Johnson City, take 321 through all of Elizabethton (it becomes W. Elk Ave., then Broad St. as it winds its way through the fast food restaurants). At the T intersection, go right on 321/19E South toward Roan Mountain. Follow this road (19E-S or TN-37 orTn-91) about 5 miles and make a left into the town of Hampton (on to 321/67). The turn comes shortly after a BP station with a McDonald's and Subway. Follow 321 through Hampton and beyond for about 3 miles. Look for the Carden's Bluff Campground entrance on your left.
Directions. From Johnson City, take 321 through all of Elizabethton (it becomes W. Elk Ave., then Broad St. as it winds its way through the fast food restaurants). At the T intersection, go right on 321/19E South toward Roan Mountain. Follow this road (19E-S or TN-37 orTn-91) about 5 miles and make a left into the town of Hampton (on to 321/67). The turn comes shortly after a BP station with a McDonald's and Subway. Follow 321 through Hampton and beyond for about 3 miles. Look for the Carden's Bluff Campground entrance on your left.
A word or two about camping at Cardens Bluff. We snagged an awesome site for Labor Day weekend this year, but at a price. Steve went up on Wednesday to pitch our tent and slept there a few nights without us to hold it! Lucky for those of us who live in the region, this gorgeous lake is pretty accessible (30 minutes from Johnson City) so we can do something like this if we must and on busy weekends in the summer, this is a must! We have found that by Thursday afternoons in the summer, the "good sites" by the water are taken! You can still access the water from other sites, though, and the campground is a good, fairly quiet, and a clean place to stay. If you need some marshmallows, firewood, ice, or pickled eggs, or just some entertainment, go to Brown's Grocery and Hardware in Hampton. From your campsite at Cardens, you can rent a pontoon boat for a half day at Lakeshore or Fish Springs Marina. Fish Springs also has kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards for rent by the hour (Say hi to my friend Toni! http://www.offthegridadv.com/). You are also only a few miles from the start of the Laurel Falls hike on the AT, a very popular hike in this region.
Some more words - about swimming the entire length of this lake. As we tell in our "about us" page, I (Jodi) love a long swim in the Watauga and have been swimming with various groups and friends in, around, and across the lake since 2008. It was always, "I wonder if we can make it to that island," or "let's see if we can circle it." So it was easy for the idea to enter, "what if I tried to swim the entire length?" Watauga Lake is about 12.5 miles from the swimmable headwaters to the farthest beach (Shook Branch) and on August 30, 2015, I made that distance - an 8.5 hour swim. At the finish I was surrounded by so many great friends who supported the wild idea, especially Steve, who paddled patiently beside me for many (over 50 total) miles that summer in preparation. In the process, we discovered some very fun hangouts in little coves along the edge of the lake that make for some fun family time!