New booking system transforms Lynchburg’s honor-system RV campground into an overnight tourism play

The Lynchburg Campground located in Wiseman Park boasts 18 spots — most with both electric and water — for those living the RV life. A new tourism-sponsored booking system looks to leverage it into more overnight stays and sales tax dollars in Moore County. | *Photo Courtesy of Experience Tennessee*

By Tabitha Evans Moore
Editor & Publisher

LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — For years, staying at the RV campground in Wiseman Park worked on a handshake. Campers pulled in, picked a spot, and settled up at the Moore County Courthouse — if they knew to. No website. No reservations. No way to find it unless you already knew about it. Just the honor system for a couple of spots.

That era ended this month. Thanks to a new partnership between Metro Moore County and the South Central Tennessee Tourism Association — the regional tourism agency behind the Experience Tennessee brand — the Lynchburg Campground now has a dedicated website, an online booking system, and a marketing plan aimed at one clear goal: convincing more of Lynchburg’s visitors to stay the night.

The math behind the effort is simple. In Tennessee, overnight visitors spend an average of 186 percent more than day travelers, according to state tourism data. And while more than 300,000 people visit Lynchburg each year, Moore County ranks last in the region for lodging options — a single motel and a handful of short-term rentals. Most visitors see the Square, tour The Jack Daniel Distillery, and take their wallets on down the road with them by sundown.

SCTA Executive Director & CEO Ryan French said the program’s goal is to change all that.

“I think it’s going to be a really good program,” he says. “The county will make more per booking with us facilitating the entire process and it’s now a sales taxable booking.”

Under the agreement, campers book one of 18 spots online at campinlynchburg.com for up to $40 per night depending on amenities. Of that, $30 goes to the metro government as revenue, and $10 goes into a dedicated marketing fund that can only be used to promote the campground, according to the SCTA. The tourism association is building the promotional machinery: the website, social media accounts, a Google Business listing, on-site signage directing campers to book, and a reservation system that allows blackout dates and future bookings. Taxes will be paid on all bookings.

The upgrade is more service than shine. Most RV sites come with electric and water hookups, and the campground is pet friendly, with a grill, basketball and tennis courts, pavilions, and picnic tables available for public use. Campers are encouraged to check in at the Tennessee Whiskey Trailhead and Welcome Center at 133 Lynchburg Highway, where staff hand over a welcome pack and a map of Lynchburg listing every business within walking distance. The system also lets the county contact guests directly with emergency information and weather alerts.

RV LIFE IS ABOUT FREEDOM, AFFORDABILITY, AND COMMUNITY

The bet lines up with where the RV market is headed. More than eight million U.S. households now own an RV, according to the RV Industry Association, and the stereotype of the retired couple meandering toward the Grand Canyon no longer holds. The median age of RV owners has dropped from 53 in 2021 to 49 in 2025, and more than a third of owners bought their first rig recently. Gen Z and Millennial also see the appeal with their numbers skyrocketing over the past couple of years. Many travel with pets or young kids, chasing lakes, music festivals, and attractions exactly like the distillery down the road.

There’s also something the campground offers that no marketing fund can buy. An RV park is one of the few places left where folks intentionally talk to one another somewhere other than a screen. Nobody asks what political party you belong to or what religion you subscribe to when you’re both standing outside watching a cotton candy sunset.

The campground sits just off the historic downtown Lynchburg Square in Wiseman Park and within walking distance to Barrel House BBQ, Company Distilling, The Jack Daniel Distillery, Miss Mary Bobo’s, and more. Bookings are open now at campinlynchburg.com. The new website also offers links to other area RV parks like Short Creek RV Resort, Clearwater Cover RV Resort, and Tims Ford State Park. •

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