Camp Where An Explorer Died Mysteriously
“Let’s go camping where one of the most remembered American explorers died a tragic death.” That’s probably not something I would have said before visiting the Meriwether Lewis Campground near Hohenwald, Tennessee. This campground is amazing. First, its setting couldn’t be anymore beautiful being nestled in the beautiful rolling hills of central Tennessee. The campground is filled with tall, stately oak trees that provide great, all day shade and shelter from the sun. It was hypnotizing listening to the wind from a summer storm swoosh through them. The sites are tent, car camper, and RV friendly though if you are staying in a tent you might have to be selective about which site you choose. Some are rocky and have quite a slant. Site 16, the one we chose to call home for the night, would not have made a good tent site at all even though it offered a breath-taking view of a cool, green hollow. Each site has a fire ring with an attached grill. The rings are about three feet wide and around 18 inches deep. They rest on a concrete slab. Camp parking is asphalt as are all the roads that wind through the park. All sites are within walking distance of a fully functional and positively clean bathroom that is cleaned regularly. You will need to bring your own soap to the bathroom though. The park doesn’t supply it or paper towels. Each campsite also has a secure trash can that is emptied daily(late in the evening during our stay). The campground is full of wildlife so it's nice to know they won’t be feasting on full trash cans. We shared our campsite with a pleasant and oddly curious Tennessee Rough Green Snake or Vine Snake. He enjoyed hunting bugs in the leaf litter at our campsite, and for about an hour, my son Oz and I enjoyed watching him on the hunt. We also saw a box turtle speeding down one of the many trails located within walking distance of the campground. The campground had three rounds of campers arrive on Friday night, July 5. The early campers who arrived between 2PM and 6PM, the after-work campers arriving just before sunset, and the evening crowd that arrived after sunset. The after-sunset crowd made a quick camp and went right to sleep. The camp has fresh water sources scattered throughout the campground including water fountains and spigots. Park staff were welcoming and hard working as you can instantly tell by the overall tidiness of the entire park. You may want to grab supplies before you head into camp since the two nearest towns are a few miles from the camp: Hohenwald (8 miles) and Summertown (11 miles). There is no store in the park or vending machines. You will also need to purchase firewood or be willing to walk to get it. The campground is well used so most sites only have twigs available. We lucked out and found some charred wood in unused campsites that supplemented our kindling we found while hiking. Overall, this is a great family campground. Access to the park isn’t restricted at night so you may want to make sure you carry a light with you as you walk around the campground in the dark. There is a lot of after dark traffic and you want to make sure you can be seen by other campers driving to the bathroom or the occasional guest who might just be driving through. I look forward to going back again soon. This is a five star park.