Best Equestrian Camping near Clarksville, TN

Pennyrile Forest State Park was a pleasant surprise, especially compared to the many state parks I visited in my earlier years in North Carolina. However, when you reserve your site make sure you ask about the specific site’s terrain. Site 48, where I was, was sloped with no grass and had just been repaired. There were a lot of grassy sites, and they were much better. When I talked to the campground host, he was very pleasant and explained that you do not have to have a horse to camp in the equestrian sites. Those sites are level pull-through sites. There is a camp store, although it is small and limited, but they do sell firewood. Not only does this state park have a putt putt course, but it also has an 18-hole golf course complete with pro shop. The thing I enjoyed best about his state park is the waterfront. There is a large sandy beach and a place to rent canoes, kayaks, and paddle boats. Also at the beach are picnic tables, grills, a playground, and concessions. From the beach area, you can hike the lake trail, but it is moderate. There is a good view of the lake from the trail, and if you walk to the left before crossing the wooden bridge, you can see a very small waterfall. Even though you have to drive a little from the campground to get to it, there is a swimming pool and a lodge. Other activities include tennis courts and basketball. Staying at the campground, other than the sloping site, was a pleasant experience. It was not crowded and the bathrooms have hot showers, but I would suggest paying the extra$15.00 to get one of the equestrian sites.

First of all, the drive to Dawson Springs is GORGEOUS. Rolling hills, farmland, trees, really gets you in the mood! Upon arrival, the camp store worker was very friendly, gave us a campground map and hiking map and answered all of our questions. We stayed in the regular campground but they also have a campground for people with horses/horse trailers, as the park has horse trails to go on as well! We didn’t swim in the lake, but it did look beautiful and looked to be a nice place to swim and kayak and paddle boat (which they have for rental as well). The hiking trails are gorgeous and vary in length and intensity. The spot that we were at had plenty of room to spread out and relax. One side had the picnic table and fire pit, and the other side was a grassy area with trees where we hung our hammock. It was stunning! We will definitely be back!

Pennyrile Forest State Park off Ky69 outside Dawson Springs, Ky. A newer trail Pennyrile Nature Trail is 13.5 mile long hiking trail, from Dawson Springs to the park. There is also a site for the Pennyrile Trail which is a 75 mile driving loop connecting several Kentucky parks.

The park is multi-leveled with the views and some cool rock formations. The beach has some confusing parking signs, but we figured it off. It was busy and had some loud visitors with loud vehicles and loud vehicles. Not surprising considering the neighborhood it is located in.

The campground has some interesting sites all along the roadway. The campground and horse campground are connected. Several of the sites can be challenging due to not being level or being shallow, but they are workable.

I'm not sure if biking would be great due to the hills but it would be challenging. Hiking and backpacking definitely and of course swimming and horseback riding( on your own horse)

we went there for the night as we was driving through. they had a girl in there by herself and it was her first day and she didn't not know how to do stuff in there and all he sites are off and not even. so you have to go and stay where the horses are cause that area is even.

If you want a campground that has it all, Pennyrile State Park is where you want to be!

It has a GORGEOUS white sand beach with breathtaking blue water. Crazy to see that in KY!

Explore their caves, kayaking, canoeing, basketball and so much more! They even offer a wrangler campground if you want to bring the horses.

A little pricier than others, but worth it.

This place was laid out and built by someone who hates RVs. Seriously steep compound slopes, tight 90 degree turns, and hookups 100’ away on the wrong side of the site all make this place horrible for anything but a pop up. I saw at least four people worth reservations leave because they couldn’t get into their site. The bath house has one working shower and it wasn’t very clean. The dump station was 15’ from a site so I totally ruined someone’s peaceful breakfast. The hiking trail was a dead end on an unidentifiable paved road. The beach and boat access are gated until 10am. No early morning paddling for me.

Now the good stuff:

1. Not ALL the flies bite.
2. The shade was pretty good.
3. The park was quiet.
4. The horse camping sites looked pretty good, pretty level, and they had full hookups.

Great place to visit. Is beautiful with a lot of walking trails 10 things to do. In summer for swimming and rental boats paddle boats and some battery powered boats.I was there for a fall photography contest it was a little too soon and theirwas very little color. You can camp in tents or campers you can ride horses or enjoy the lake and many miles of walking trails. They also have hotel rooms and cabins if you care to spend multiple nights the beautiful Park and I highly recommend it to anybody that enjoys outdoor Beauty.This year 2019 makes the fifth year tha I've gone to Pennyroyal for the fall photography contest I've also been there a few springs for the spring photography contest. These photos are not the best cuz I took them from the restaurant through a window screen so you can kind of see it in the in the images I'll try to upload better ones later.

This was our first stay here, and we had heard great things about it. It is a beautiful state park known as the"Queen of Tennessee's State Parks". There are 4,000 acres with mountain biking, fishing, hiking, picnic areas, kayaking/canoeing, and a golf course. Nashville is only 45 minutes away. The campground was nice. Our site was tight, and we didn't have a lot of room for our truck. We had to move to a different site for the 3rd night and the water connection was quite a reach. The sites were mostly level and some were shaded. The bathhouse was clean and there was a laundry area with 2 washers/dryers. We did have a picnic table and fire ring. We had 2-3 bars of Verizon 4G. There was a playground for the kids. There is a small creek that runs along the western edge of the campground. We did spot some snakes(copperheads maybe?) near the creek. There is a small camp store that had a few supplies, ice cream, ice& firewood. The employees were very nice. We would definitely stay here again.

The state park is absolutely gorgeous. We chose to stay in the tent only camping sites. They are spread out far enough that you don't feel like you are in one another space. However, they are all together in the center of the RV camping loop. They are not quiet as secluded and quiet as we would have liked. The facilities were maintained and the staff was extremely helpful .

Enjoyed biking in this fairly level campground. Has sites with sewer hook up, cable, and of course water. Great State Park! Enjoyed visiting the birthplace of Cumberland Presbyterian church.

Great place for a pit stop and the greenery is beautiful. Its always refreshing to get away and this park is safe and quiet.

Montgomery Bell State Park is very clean and quiet. We really enjoyed our spot by the creek. Children can wade in the creek all day, why parents enjoy sitting outside under all the shade trees. The park has tons of activities and good hiking trails. If you want some good catfish. Go visit the catfish kitchen just down the road from the park.

Camping at the Wild Cat Backcountry site is AWESOME!! It's about a 1.7 mile hike which is not too bad!! Totally secluded and enjoyable! If you're looking to decompress I would totally suggest this site!

Campsites were fairly close to each other. Our campsite backed up to a creek and did not have anyone to one side. During the day, kids would wonder through the creek behind our campsite so if you’re looking for privacy, the Montgomery Bell State Park campgrounds is not the place. However, campsite 100 has the most privacy.

Beautiful park. Lots of hiking trails. Lakes, fishing, golf course, villas, conference center with nice restaurant that has both buffet and menu items. Biking is doable in the campground area and over to the chapel. Biking to the lake, I don't recommend. Road has a lot of large hills and no bike lane on narrow road. Bathhouses very nice and clean. Most campsites gravel, spacious and level. Sites 71 and others nearby steep uphill grade. Firepit and table. Variety of primitive, electric w/ water and some FHU. Lots of trees. Small camp store with wood.

The park is amazing! The campground is ok, the spaces are good sized with plenty of space between, If tent camping, I would try to get one along the wooded sides, you’ll have more privacy that way. We stayed on site 99, across from a small creek, but right in the middle of the campground. The bathrooms are just ok, there’s no changing room in the shower stalls, so be prepared.

Clean and well kept campground. Sites are decent size but not very secluded. Bathrooms, including showers were clean. Draw to this campground would certainly be the state park. My wife ran a tri-athalon on a Sat so we stayed Fri and Sat. Great places to hike, bike and fish!

I've grown up going to Montgomery Bell State Park and have been camping there for 23 years. The campground has water and electric hookups, space for RVs, and bathrooms with showers.

The campground is adjacent to a creek and a baseball diamond. In addition to these features, the park offers a lake for boating as well as a roped off swimming area and man-made beach. Next to the lake is the park lodge which includes a restaurant, meeting rooms, and a swimming pool. The lake also has a picnic pavilion with restrooms.

The park was built on an historic home site so there is an old chapel (which still has services) and an old log home as well as a small family cemetery. There are also a number of hiking trails, a suspension bridge, and very nice, modern cabins available to rent.

We were not very impressed with the park when we first drove in to our campsite. The roads were not in the best condition, the sites were very close together, and the bathrooms were not very clean. But after two nights here, we really fell in love with the park and all it has to offer!

Though the sites are close together, it is all very scenic alongside the creek. We were in site 100 and would stay there again in a heartbeat.

The bathrooms are just a bit older (though, one of the bathrooms within the campground was pretty new, we discovered), they had hot water for showers with great water pressure.

Our neighbor next to us recommended we do the Ore trail as a short morning hike. You gain some slight elevation and you are above the campgrounds for a little bit, resulting in a pretty view. And then it goes by The Old Log House, a replica log house from the 1800s, and a replica church that is still in use today and is open all day.

We also walked to the Lodge and WOW, I highly recommend a visit there. It was a beautiful, big building with a view of the lake. It had a large bar area with outdoor seating and a restaurant. We went on a Sunday so we did not participate in the bar fun but I would love to go back for a sunset beverage!

Last thing I will mention is our phone service was excellent here. We use Google Fi.

We’ve been tent camping for years and try to find places somewhat close to home because we bring our bulldogs with us. This campground is absolutely one of our favorites.

It is relatively small, but the bathhouses are super clean, and the staff are amazing. I’m hesitant to let our secret out, but we just bought a camper so we won’t be using this campsite anymore. Campsite 78 is the best! One of the scout troops built a platform there years ago, and its perfect to pitch your tent off the ground. In addition, the site is in the back corner, so it’s private and huge! We’ve camped there for their big Halloween shindig for the past three years.

I hope someone else will enjoy it as much as we have!

A fantastic family-friendly state campground. Mostly quiet after dark. Neighbors are friendly and welcoming (you’ll find that many visit in groups).

Amenities: Trails are pleasant. Playground is great. Bathrooms are clean but need an update. Not much in terms of wifi or tv if you are looking for that but att and verizon were usable.

Roads feel narrow but we had no problem maneuvering in our 36’ 5er. River sites look great but we booked last minute. Wound up with a corner interior spot (107) that backs to a tent camping area so was fantastic for views, too and this spot was quite spacious.

Location is lovely but is not that close to Nashville if that’s your goal.

This place is OK when it's not a busy weekend.  We stayed on Memorial Day Weekend and it's was completely full.  When it's full, it's just TOO full.  Too many people, dogs and kids that are too close together.  It's a shame because it's in a beautiful park, they just need more room between the sites. 

If it's not a long weekend and they're not full, I would highly recommend the location for the hiking and the remoteness.  When it's full, it's just too crowded.

The park is well kept, clean and lots of trees for shade. Good bike riding and walking trails.

The sites are back in and range from full hook up to primitive. Most sites are level. The water, power and septic all worked w no issues and were in decent shape. The roads are asphalt but aging. Bathrooms and showers were aging but clean and well placed throughout the campground. Some sites backed up to a slow creek, I would recommend 80 & 81 they have fabulous creek access.