Best Equestrian Camping near Old Hickory Lake

Equestrian Camping Reviews near Old Hickory Lake

117 Reviews of 7 Old Hickory Lake Campgrounds

• C

  Christie B.

  Traveler

  May. 27, 2025

  River Road RV Park & Horse Camp

  Peaceful, Clean, and Friendly—A Great Basecamp in Chapel Hill, TN

  We stayed at River Road RV Park and Horse Camp and had a great experience. It’s a quiet, no-frills spot on a working farm—perfect if you're looking for a place to relax and recharge after a day of exploring. The sites were level and clean, with both pull-through and back-in options. Full hookups were available, and there’s a small laundry area with a shower and bathroom. Roads are a little narrow, but manageable. This isn’t a resort, and amenities are minimal(a swing set for kids, no pool or clubhouse), but that’s part of the charm. Pam, the owner, is incredibly kind and helpful—she brought us firewood and checked in often. Her camp dog, Charlie, was a sweet and playful companion to our older dog. Many of the other campers are long-term residents working nearby, and everyone we met was friendly and helpful. It felt safe, grounded, and community-oriented. There’s some wildlife to enjoy—rabbits, birds, squirrels—and even a couple of mini ponies in the pasture. One thing to note: there is a train track nearby. It didn’t bother us, but light sleepers might want to bring earplugs just in case. The best part is the location. Duck River is just 5 minutes away, and Henry Horton State Park is close by—great for fishing, hiking, or kayaking. If you want a peaceful basecamp with kind people and good access to outdoor adventure, this is a great spot to park and stay.

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• 

  Shelly S.

  Legend

  Mar. 18, 2017

  Montgomery Bell State Park Campground

  Ranger Review: Montgomery Bell State Park and SARIS SuperClamp EX bike rack

  Campground Review: Montgomery Bell State Park The Four Mile Campground is nestled in a hollow offering shade and creekage on one side plus several of the trailheads start nearby and you are close to the lakes.

  Our sites were on the edge of the woods and near the restroom. Large sites, room for multiple tents and people. The only Con I had was we were on the entry road so a little busy with vehicles and foot traffic. There was a trailhead right next to our sites.

  Awesome hike, rolling trail with just enough challenge. Very cool natural spring right by one of the primitive campsite. Also historical area to discover. Will be back soon!

  On other visits we have explored several of the connector trails. They offer more challenging single track. There is also an extensive mountain bike trail system.

  Product Review: As a Dyrt Ranger I get to review outdoor products. I had the opportunity to review the Saris SuperClamp EX bike rack. Which was good because I usually stuff my bike in the back of my truck.

  The Saris was super easy to assemble and attach to the back of my truck. The tools needed came with the rack. Once on my truck I could easily fold it down out of the way or tilt it out for rear hatch access.

  Loading and securing the bikes was a simple process. There are two “J” shaped arms that tilt out of the way for loading/unloading that tilt in to stabilize the bikes. Cables which are part of the assembly pull out , are run through the frame and then locked in the frame with key included.

  We were at the park for a Triathlon and I was able to load my bike and my friends on the Saris and yaks on the top of my truck. This left plenty of room in my truck for my other gear and dogs.

  The only Con I saw was that with my friends Jeep the rear door swings out so even with the tilt feature the assembly still had to be removed for access to the rear of the vehicle. Even with that though it was one easy step to remove the Saris EasyClamp EX . She then used the cable lock to secure the Saris to a tree.

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• 

  Lauren S.

  Traveler

  Nov. 14, 2022

  Henry Horton State Park Campground

  Not my fav but still a good option

  I just feel like in this area you could find a better spot. Nice field near campsite. Hikers close by and idk about the bathroom situation but I couldn’t find them. Literally fine and clean though

• 

  Mandy C.

  Traveler

  Aug. 8, 2020

  Turnhole Backcountry Campsite — Mammoth Cave National Park

  Secluded Site, Easy Hike

  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.

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• J

  Jessica L.

  Guide

  Apr. 10, 2021

  Montgomery Bell State Park Campground

  Beautiful

  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.

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• 

  Shelly S.

  Legend

  Apr. 28, 2020

  Turnhole Backcountry Campsite — Mammoth Cave National Park

  Easy or Hard

  Another backside primitive campsite at Mammoth Cave National Forest, Ky.

  A lot of people don’t realize the extensive trail system of Mammoth Cave. They come for the Cave and never take the time to enjoy the natural beauty of the area.

  Before using this campsite you are supposed to check in at the visitors center. Unfortunately the ferry is closed so it’s a long drive around to the backside.

  Turnhole Campsite is a short or long hike from the Maple Springs parking area. Sal Hollow Trail would be the long trail, twisty , turny and moderately challenging. Buffalo Trail is a straight hike in , take a left at the intersection and straight on to the campsite. Difference of about 3 miles-ish.

  The trails are used by hikers and horseback riders, are well marked and lotsa fauna to see. No major vistas here, just woods.

  The campsite has poles to tie your horses, a fire ring, tent pad and lantern hooks. Pretty easy to find seasoned wood to burn. DARK at night, lots of animal noises ;) not much of a night sky except in the winter months.

  The cool thing about this campsite is your sorta on a peninsula of the river. Very private and it’s not on a loop trail so no foot traffic passing by.

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• 

  Daniel P.

  Guide

  Sep. 28, 2016

  Montgomery Bell State Park Campground

  Excellent place for large group function

  I first visited Montgomery Bell State Park as part of a large group outing with my church. We had a huge space just for our community for the big BBQ we had, but it was the rest of the park that really impressed me. There were tons of nice walking trails and a beautiful lake. I enjoyed renting paddle boats for the first time ever and cruising around the lake.

  High recommendation particularly for large groups looking to get away from Nashville without traveling too far.

• 

  Stæven F.

  Guide

  Oct. 6, 2019

  Montgomery Bell State Park Campground

  GREAT FOR GROUPS/FAMILIES

  We've stayed 6 times at MB, it's my partners fave place to go.

  FAMILIES +++ With a great pavilion, Vb court, ball diamond, and playground, the far side of the camp is perfect for families, groups, and events. Our fave sites are 1-8, with #1+2 right next to the creek and the most updated bathrooms. If you don't want kiddos walking through your campsite to get to the playground, you may want to choose a higher number.

  BATHROOMS there's three bathroom facilities; two newer ones and an older one. Ironically, the older one has a washer and dryer, bring quarters. Far side of the camp has tents and creekside spots, but a lot.of folks with big RVs tend to do the middle spots, they're more easily accessible.

  ICE AND FIREWOOD Are for sale, $5 a bag/bundle. Super helpful staff. Unlike most camps that have gates, you can pull in, and simply stop with enough room for others to go around.

  THINGS TO DO There's some historic hiking trail, historic old church/cabins, as well as the welcome center, the Inn, lake to swim, and a golf course nearby.

  DRIVE AROUND With such an expansive park, aside from the camping area, you'll want to drive around to see everything, and bring your walking shoes if you prefer to hike.

  Check out the creekside campsites and book early if you want to accommodate your group OR get a spot. Sites are able to booked 6 months ahead, so think ahead.

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• 

  Patricia M.

  Guide

  May. 19, 2019

  Montgomery Bell State Park Campground

  Great Facilities and Lots of Fun

  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.

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