Tennessee National vs Lake Hartwell: How Do They Compare?

Lake Hartwell is a big U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake on the Georgia and South Carolina line. Tennessee National is a private, gated lake and golf community on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, Tennessee, about 30 minutes from Knoxville.

Both give you real boating water. The decision gets made on land: what surrounds the water, who your neighbors are and how you plan to use the place.

What is the difference between Lake Hartwell and Tennessee National?

Lake Hartwell is an open lake with many separate coves and neighborhoods, and Tennessee National is one gated community with its amenities inside. On Hartwell you choose a house, a dock and a cove. At Tennessee National you choose a homesite or a home, and the course, the marina and the clubhouse are already there.

Details about Lake Hartwell change. Confirm current lake levels, dock rules and listings with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a local agent before you decide.

Who controls the docks and the lake level?

The lake manager does, on both lakes. On Hartwell that is the Corps of Engineers. The Corps decides where private docks are allowed, issues the permits and manages the lake level. Read the Corps' current guidance for Hartwell before you put a value on a dock.

On Watts Bar it is TVA. Summer pool runs about 740 to 741 feet and the winter minimum is 735 feet. That is a seasonal change of about 5 to 6 feet. TVA posts current numbers on its lake level page.

At Tennessee National the marina is inside the gates: full service, with 140+ boat slips. A slip there is a way to keep a boat on the water without owning a dock, so ask the marina what is open now. If you want a private dock, ask what is possible on a specific waterfront homesite and what TVA requires.

What about golf and neighbors?

Golf is inside the gates at Tennessee National. There is one course, a Greg Norman Signature design with 18 holes, 7,393 yards and par 72, and Tennessee National is a golf cart community. Take membership questions to the club and start with the golf page.

Beyond golf there are 22 social clubs and 180+ events a year, plus a clubhouse with Kendall's restaurant, a pool, a fitness center, pickleball, tennis and walking trails. If you are moving somewhere new, that structure matters. You meet people without having to organize it.

Around Lake Hartwell, golf and social life depend on where you buy. Ask each neighborhood what it includes. If privacy is what you want most, a cove on an open lake may suit you better than any community.

Which state do you want to live in?

Lake Hartwell gives you two choices and Tennessee National gives you one. Taxes, schools and county services on Hartwell follow the shore you pick.

Tennessee has no state income tax. Georgia and South Carolina each have their own rules. A CPA can compare all three for your situation. If you are coming from the Upstate, our guide to moving to Tennessee from South Carolina covers the basics.

What drives the cost at each?

On Hartwell, cost follows the house, the water frontage and the dock. A permitted dock in good shape is part of what you are paying for, so see the permit and walk the dock. A local agent can show you current numbers.

At Tennessee National, cost depends on which of the five ways to own you choose. The choices are a wooded homesite in The Timbers, a lake homesite, a waterfront homesite, a Land & Home package or a townhome. Homes are custom built, they go through design review, and there is no deadline to build after you buy a homesite. Pricing is in the info pack.

Who should look at Lake Hartwell?

Look at Lake Hartwell if your life runs along I-85. For example:

• You want a weekend place between Atlanta and Greenville.
• You have ties to Clemson, which sits right on the lake.
• You want an existing house with its own dock, and you are ready to own the upkeep and the permit.
• You would rather pick your own cove than join a community.

Comparing other lakes in the same region? See Tennessee National vs Lake Keowee and Tennessee National vs Lake Lanier.

Who should look at Tennessee National?

Look at Tennessee National if you want the lake to come with a community. For example:

• You want golf inside the gates.
• You want a marina inside the gates for the boat.
• You want neighbors, clubs and events from the first month.
• You are planning to live at the lake most of the year, with Knoxville about 30 minutes away.

What should you check in person?

Check the things that do not show up in a listing. At each place:

1. Walk the shoreline and the dock. Ask who permitted it and when.
2. Ask the lake manager how the level changes through the year. The Corps for Hartwell, TVA for Watts Bar.
3. Drive to the grocery store, the hospital and the airport you would use.
4. Ask what the neighborhood includes and what you would drive to.
5. Get the full cost on paper: price, HOA fees, dock or slip costs, property tax and insurance.

The honest trade-off

If you want a finished house with its own dock this summer, an open lake like Hartwell is the place to look. Tennessee National is a narrower choice. Homes are custom built, there is design review, and it is one community with one course and one marina.

What you get for that is a place that is already put together: 1,492 gated acres on Watts Bar Lake, about 30 minutes from Knoxville and about 10 minutes from I-75. Spend a day at each and see which one you keep thinking about.

Facts about Tennessee National come from the community. Lake facts come from TVA. Rules, taxes, loans and insurance change, so confirm anything that affects a purchase with the right office or professional before you buy.