The best EQUESTRIAN camping near
Gallatin , TENNESSEE

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.

Beautiful park with tons to do. Campsites in area 1 were a little close together. Each site has a picnic table, fire ring, and charcoal grill. Bathrooms and showers available close by. Reserve early because it seems the campground is always full. Like most parks/forests, you cannot bring your own fire wood.

The only thing outstanding about this campground was the wifi - it's the first state park c/g I've been to where the wifi was actually usable. I'm surprised to see others say that the sites were well spaced. The c/g was pretty much full this past weekend when we were there and it was mostly shoulder to shoulder except for the tent area. Like a WalMart parking lot with trees. We were lucky to have a site with some privacy (#62) but it was not level (about a foot off level for our 21' van). The paving for the sites is quite narrow and I don't see how you'd get a big rig on them. But the c/g was quiet considering the crowd and it is a pretty park.

Barren River State Resort Park

Barren River State Resort Park is small but it offers a lot of options.

The campground is off by itself, quiet , with separate areas and pull through options. The campground is somewhat maintained and the sites are somewhat level. I like the back in sites with shade and a small patio to set up on. They have small asphalt pads so you will get your backing skills tested. The middle sites, (I was in site 45 top of the hill, pull thru) are on a hill which ends at the water with a boat ramp and small beach area. I huffed and puffed up and down the hill several times! There is a short trail near the boat ramp, more for fisher folk then a good hike. It ends at a small inlet. You have a strip of grass to your uphill side to use, otherwise not much privacy. The middle sites have pretty much no shade and we sweltered our middays , chasing the limited shade. The showers are newer, air conditioned and clean. Showers are spacious with seating and wall hooks. Luke warm water, which definitely makes for quick showers! A good way to enforce water conservation, lol.

If you are a biker you have some hills to climb in the park. There is a walk/bike trail around the golfing greens, with a dirt trail off the backside. The stable may still be closed. I did not check if they had started a new contract due to Covid restrictions. LOTS of boating options. Bring your own or rent. The lake is huge and busy with a marina. There’s a beach that you will want to drive to, to long of a walk and I didn’t find any cut through trails from our section of the campground.

Two cool events to check out are the Highland Games, ( men in skirts throwing things)and the Bourbonfest a newer event.

Local grocery w/i 10 miles, antiques, restaurants (Funky Paradise Point) and Mammoth Cave, Cave City attractions as well as an Amish Market in Scottsville and seasonal Farmers Market in Glasgow.

There are several nice playgrounds, ranger led activities, a nature center that my kids loved, a butterfly garden, several short hikes that are good for kids. There are several sinkholes and cedar glades. There are also some caves you can explore if you want to get muddy. We often go here for day visits, but the overnight amenities are also nice. They no longer have horse stables.

I live too close to this State Park to camp here but I do play the golf course. Very nice and expect to see deer and turkey.

In addition there are some good places in nearby Dickson to eat. Tony B’s for burgers, Back Alley for BBQ, Zander’s for Pizza and Katie’s for ice cream.

The bonus is that it is an easy drive to Nashville.

The title says it all Nice well kept camp Grounds Restaurant in the park site are level and large

Despite this campsite being surrounded by the Green River on 3 sides, water is hard to come by here, and hiking it in may be your best bet. The river is at least 1/2 mile away, through extremely dense brush, and the banks are not easy to access, if accessible at all. We were lucky that a creek just north of the intersection of Buffalo Creek, Sal Hollow, and Turnhole trail had some water to filter from.

This is a nice, secluded spot. You are on the end of a ridge. Clear nights with a bright moon were magical here. It is probably a beautiful spot when there is no foliage, as well. We camped in August.

There is a tent pad, hooks for lanterns or packs, horse hitches, and a fire ring with a grate attached. Hike in is a little over 3 miles, a pleasant hike, but not a whole lot to see in the summer besides a lot of chantrelles.

The Green River Ferry seems to be non-operational a lot. Call the hotline the day of your drive in to see which route you should take: 270-758-2166

We decided to do a day hike on the Sal Hollow Trail. It ended up being pretty exhausting: we believe it is a lot longer than the markers suggest, and a lot of the trail seems pretty unused/not kept up.

The campground is clean and well-maintained. The campsites are shaded with plenty of space in between sites. The hiking is phenomenal.. so much beauty in one location. This place has it all.. golf course, fishing, boating, hiking trails, lodging (hotel and villas), playgrounds, streams, waterfalls..

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.