Best Tent Camping near Santa Fe, TN

A decent campground a short drive outside of Nashville. Most of the space was taking up by RV's but there was a small area for tent camping as well. The tent campsites did have grills which was nice a touch to make dinner. There was a sandlot playground as well which I did not use but would be nice for families camping with children.

For My FULL VIDEO Of My Experience At This Campground CLICK HERE

Following the winding a scenic Natchez Trace you begin to climb higher and higher into the beauty of the mountains. When I was making this trip in late August, I could already see the shifting of the leave in its most early stages and I could only imagine what it would be like only a month later.

As I entered the park and followed the signs toward the campground I was very eager to see what this FREE site had to offer. I had discovered this site when searching youtube for things to do and someone suggested camping here because of the historic landmark in the park. After further research I discovered it was a pretty decently sized campground with semi primitive camping.

I arrived at the camping loops and discovered two loops of camping each with differing sizes of spaces, some designed for pull through style RV parking and some for back in car parking. Spaces were large and while there were several people staying here it did not seem overly crowded.

The first loop was much further from the restroom than the second, which also housed the campground host in his RV just as you entered the loop. He was welcoming with a smile and wave and I just felt like this was going to be a nice place to stay for the night.

You can stay for up to 14 days at this location and I could easily see this being one of those stops you wouldn’t necessarily want to leave in a hurry because it was so peaceful. There were numerous hiking trails and a well landscaped creek area which made for a great place to come for day use as well.

My site was pretty typical in that it had a fire ring and picnic table. The ground was semi level and very rough so camping in a tent I was happy to have brought a little padding. The restrooms were very nice and had both flush toilets and drinking water. They were well lit and for a minute when I walked in I wondered how on earth this was a free site because they were so nice.

All was great until about 8 p.m. when some people pulled in after dark and weren’t quite sure how to set up their tent and were pretty loudly disagreeing with one another in debate of how to do so. But after they finally figured that out about an hour later the night was again left to the sounds of the cicadas and frogs.

TIPS

• If you are tent camping bring some kind of cushion on pad for your floor otherwise it will be a rough evening on the ground.
• Bug spray is a must, the mosquitoes are thick here because of all the moisture of the forest and ticks can also be a problem during certain months.
• Don’t tell all your friends, they will take over your secret little camping spot after they find out just how amazing this site really is!! (lol)

It's just numbered spots with fire rings and picnic tables. I tent camp so it was perfect for me and I really liked it.

We tent camp here at least 3 times a year. There are plenty of Ranger lead activities for the kids, fishing, swimming, good hiking trails.

My favorite thing about this campground was it’s proximity to Narrows of the Harper, which I wanted to hike. Tent site, a little close in the campground, but not so bad it affected the experience negatively. Facilities well-maintained.

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.

Stayed at campground 1 site 20 and was very pleased! Very clean and well maintained! We tent camped and I like the concrete pad because didn’t have to worry about things getting wet from the ground. Has a 20 and 30 amp electric hook up and water beside. Nice fire pit and table also! Site 20 is located right beside shoal creek and with in walking distance to the restrooms and bathhouse!

Montgomery Bell (MB) is a very well kept State Park and campground. The campground is well planned with RVs and tent sites somewhat segregated, yet close enough to utilize the spaces well. Old shower point is Old, and needs modernizing, but the new shower house is very clean, has wash sinks, vending, and is worth the walk to for showering. The state park as a whole offers well kept trails, dispersed camping (by permit) and many amenities

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.

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!

First, I want to say that the employees in "Western Town" & tour guides were AMAZING! 👏

The campground was HORRIBLE! It was run down. The toilets at the pool house were backed up. The pool was well kept. They did close the pool for storms and did NOT reopen it until the next day. NOT good management of resources.

There are NO fire rings for safe fires. The tent sites have no picnic tables. It appeared that it is geared more towards the "EVENT" aspect of the campground. They also had people place their garbage by the road for pickup instead of dumpsters or garbage cans.

The speed limit is 10 mph. HOWEVER, kids were racing around the campground and going off road on quads. This was daily and continued until after 9pm. I would think for liability reasons the employees would monitor things better.

The tours of Loretta's homestead replica, her mansion and the museums was AMAZING! That would be the only reason I would ever return.

God bless Loretta Lynn and her family. A fan forever

We frequent this campground because it is close to home. Mostly suitable for RV camping with a few tent sites. All campsites have a fire ring, grill, and a trash can. 1/2 of the sites are direct waterfront, but the other half is close enough to benefit from the cool breezes of the Cumberland River. Fun to watch the river barges go by and fish. One boat ramp directly in the campground. A sandy beach area in the area, but there is no way I would go in that nasty river! The mature trees offer shaded canopy, but high enough your camper will more than likely not get snagged. There are pecans and walnut trees so be sure to wash your canopy when you get home to prevent stains. They do allow dogs, which is not a plus for me. People are allowing their dogs to become a barking nuisance. Large sandy children's playground. Adequate bathhouse. Extra parking for boats and jet skis. Well lit at night. The hosts are there but not overly friendly or intrusive. The county sheriff drives through twice a day. Corp of Engineer area so supposedly no drinking but most people do with no problem. Deer, Blue Herons, and Squirrels are abundant. Book at recreation.gov. Books fast in the fall.

We arrived on a Saturday and was directed to this Yogi Bear by a campground that was full. We did not have a reservation as we were on a cross country road trip and this was a stopping point. The staff was very friendly, got us booked in a tent site right away. Informed us of all the activities in the park, which we were eager to attend. We got to our assigned site to find we were directly next to a family that appeared to be chain smokers. We requested a move, they accommodated us no questions asked. Our new site did not have a fire ring. We asked at the office, as this is our only cook source while camping, and they assured us one would be delivered. Got back later that day, no fire ring. Saw a maintenance person driving and mentioned it, he again assured us one would be delivered. Never received one. That's why I took off a star. Otherwise, it was clean. The pool was chilly but it was hot so that was ok. They had pool toys galore and a volleyball net. Huge blow up jump houses and things for the smaller kiddos. We did the tie dying with the kids and they loved it. We would definitly stay again if we were in Nashville.

The campground has a variety of sites from deluxe paved pull through with patios to back-in full hookups to tent sites. We stayed in the back-in sites side of the campground. The sites were close together(but not on-top of each other) and many were long enough to handle most average sized rigs. These sites were gravel with grass between, which was well maintained. 50& 30 amp service available. Very flat with minimal leveling needed. The wifi was spotty when the campground was full on the weekends. 

The bathhouses have individual shower access with separate toilet facilities. These were clean and well maintained. The entire campground was very well maintained and landscaped beautifully, which created a welcoming feeling. 

There are numerous amenities: pool, hot tub, playground, pickle ball, corn hole, etc. Live music is offered at the pool area a couple nights a week in addition to movies. The camp store is small, with limited selection, but it is attached to a nice size indoor rec room and restaurant/snack bar. A Camping World Store is also right next door to the campground, which is very convenient. 

A shuttle service is offered daily from 10:00AM-1:30AM between the KOA and downtown Nashville at the Country Music Hall of Fame. The cost is$10 round trip per person. The staff were very friendly and willing to help with any issues and questions. We enjoyed our stay and found the price($68) reasonable for the great location and amenities offered.