Spectacular Sunrise RV Park Invites Travelers To Soak Up Sunrise Views
Photo courtesy of Spectacular Sunrise RV Park & Campground – Perched on a Sand Mountain bluff, Spectacular Sunrise boasts views like this one.
By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor
Ever since she was 19 years old, Teresa Saylors dreamt of living on a bluff. After years of searching for the perfect property, she and her husband, David, not only found their dream getaway spot close to home, but they also found a way to turn the property into a business venture. They opened Spectacular Sunrise RV Park and Campground this May, and they’ve already welcomed guests from across the country to their Sand Mountain bluff.
Photo courtesy of Spectacular Sunrise RV Park & Campground – Each RV site has a porch like this one.
They bought the property in January 2024 with plans to park their RV on the bluff. Then, they decided that turning the land into a business venture would help their retreat pay for itself.
They wanted each RV site to have its own bluff view, so there ended up being room for three sites in addition to their own.
Reaching their dream of being able to walk out of their RV and watch the sun rise over the mist-covered valley came after decades of hard work. The couple started out in a single-wide trailer and built up from there.
They currently run two other businesses: Saylor’s Machine and Design Works as well as Liberty Suppressors. It’s a lot to manage, but the RV park is easy to keep track of thanks to an online booking platform. This platform directed them to roughly ten sites where they could list Spectacular Sunrise, and these listings worked.
Teresa said, “I don’t know where they find us, but people from all over the country suddenly are coming.” Some have been traveling through town looking for a place to park for one night.
Others, like traveling tradesmen, have been staying for weeks at a time. One tradesman was inspecting a cell tower in Slygo, and he stayed for almost a week. Welders have stayed for multiple weeks. David explained that with a per diem living allowance, traveling tradesmen could stay in hotels, but with a camper, “They have their home. They don’t have just what they can carry in a suitcase.”
Since opening the RV park, the Saylors have found that guests are drawn by the stunning views (of course), but they also look for sites with full hook ups (50 amps) which Spectacular Sunrise has. Many guests also like the proximity to Trenton, Chattanooga, and the Lookout Mountain Flight Park.
The most requested addition is a dog park, so the Saylors will be working on adding one to the property.
Photo courtesy of Spectacular Sunrise RV Park & Campground – The Saylors enjoying watching the clouds, mist, fog, and storms from the bluff just as much as the sunrises.
Because there are so many RV parks in our area, the Sentinel was curious if the Saylors did a market feasibility study. In addition to R Haven, Cloudbase, Trenton RV Park, Cabins to Castles, and sites at Cloudland Canyon and the KOA, at least four others have popped up in the last year or two: Lineman RV Park, Valley View Campground, Ponderosa Pines, Spectacular Sunrise, and there are rumors of a luxury RV park being built in Piney.
The Saylors said they didn’t do a full market feasibility study, but they searched for bluff campgrounds in America and couldn’t find any others. One near the Grand Canyon boasts of canyon views, but the site is about a mile away from the rim.
“We figured that this was unique enough,” said David. Teresa added that the income from the three additional sites is an added bonus, not a necessity, to help pay for their getaway spot. “If we rent it one time, it’ll help, and if we rent it for years, it’s going to help out.”
They also noted that some of the other sites in our area cater to long-term stays. Teresa said, “There’s been a large surge of people, especially young people, moving into their campers since rent and housing have gotten so expensive.”
Photo courtesy of Spectacular Sunrise RV Park & Campground – David sips his coffee on the porch outside of his and Teresa’s RV.
Before finding this bluff property, the Saylors had their camper set up at a Chattanooga RV park. While they weren’t using it as a permanent living space, all of their neighbors were. “They loved it,” Teresa said.
David added, “From a cost-benefit analysis, our neighbor next to us said he didn’t have to maintain a washer and dryer or mow the yard. There’s so many things that the long-term camper gets for that $400 or $500 a month. It’s cheaper than an apartment.”
The Saylors’ daughter lived in a camper full-time at one point and loved it. She paid $500 a month for a site. Now, she pays $1,800 a month for an apartment in Chattanooga.
The couple said that large campers can be bought secondhand for around $7,000-$12,000. “It’ll have issues that you have to fix,” said David, but it’s still much more affordable and easier to maintain than a home.
Spectacular Sunrise, however, is geared toward the tourist market instead of the permanent RV dwellers. Each night at the campground costs $80, and there isn’t a monthly rate or extended stay discount. Guests don’t have to have a camper; tents and truckbed pop-up campers are welcome.
Find Spectacular Sunrise RV Park and Campground on Facebook, Instagram, or at spectacularsunriservpark.com.
