Best Equestrian Camping near Pegram, TN

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.

Lovely park with somewhat unique cedar glades and tons of rare plant life. If you can snag a serious gardener or botanist to visit with you you’re in for a treat. Trails are easy, lots of wildlife, lots of cedars. Lots of horses on site too. And weddings in the lodge all summer. Modern state park setup, clean and well cared for with some extra activities. Tent sites were more private and woody. Cabins seemed popular given what neighbors said. Very nice state park, would return.

When I happened upon this campground I was pleasantly welcomed by a visitor center and hiking from the moment I entered the park.  But no matter how nice this area was I wasn’t able to even expect what was to come with the camping facility which by far was a surprise to say the least.   

I had seen great reviews for this place, like many in Tennessee, but the amenities never seemed to stop when I actually arrived.  From an Olympic sized swimming pool, horse stables, a historic chapel, butterfly garden, playgrounds, picnic areas, hiking trails, nature center and even outdoor recreation fields.  It seemed never ending! There was even a cave, that with special permit you can crawl into and explore!

The spaces were closer together than I might have have normally liked, but everyone was so friendly it didn’t seem to matter.  When I was there, there was an event going on that coming weekend so it was a bit more full than typical week day would have been.   

Still despite all the people, it wasn’t loud.  People did not blast music, talk loudly after hours or have generators humming throughout the night.  Instead it was like being in this nice isolated area just with a bunch of neighbors also enjoying the isolation.

I took full advantage of all the outdoor spaces, the only one I didn’t get a chance to enjoy was the pool which was at a point during the season where it was only open on weekends.   

I would stay at this site again if passing through.  Reservations are not required but could be helpful on busy weekends like the one I stayed just before.  I do suggest checking into the office also to get a Passport for the State of Tennessee (a small book you can stamp with each stop you make at a state facility).

TIPS:

• Bring your sense of adventure!  Lots of things to do from birdwatching to hiking and everything in between.
• Sit in the butterfly garden.  The area is so peaceful and beautiful because of the unique selection of plants selected to draw in the butterflies.  It is a perfect place to spend some time in quiet reflection.

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.

We camped here for 2 full weeks.  The campground at Cedars of Lebanon State Park deserves 5 stars for their proximity to Nashville, the large paved pads for campers, the peaceful woods, and their overall cleanliness.

However, we were here when there was construction going on.  It was LOUD from 8am to 4, 5, and even 6pm somedays with working trucks and digging up the Tennessee Rock.  

The weekends were peaceful without the construction, and the trails are all easy and flat.  The showers worked well and were the typical campground showers.  

The wifi that is listed on the website is basically nonexistent, so don't count on that for anything important.  But Verizon had good service, while AT&T was fair.  

Only Campground 3 was open during our stay and you can see the work they are doing here is going to make a huge difference to be big rig friendly.  Enjoy!

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.

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.

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!

We like state parks because they offer lots to do and sites are usually a little spread out. That is not the case there! These sites are packed in like sardines!! We were lucky to have a site that backed up to the creek, so that made the stay a little more enjoyable. We are at the lodge for dinner one night and it was very nice with the renovations that have taken place. The park did have lots of trails and the old church was beautiful to explore in and around that area. Unfortunately, this will be a one time visit for us.

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.

Pros: They offer disability/handicap and senior discounts which is nice, not a lot of places offer that. Decent price. Receptionist was friendly. Had a lot of hiking trails around, cool park area. Everything else was mediocre or disappointing.

Cons: The power went out in the entire park in the middle of the night and didn’t come back on for a while. They had a laundry room, but the two dryers they had were out of service. Showers were dirty, smelled like an old moldy basement, didn’t like them at all. A lot of the sites were not very even or taken well care of. Pretty narrow, and some hard to back into. Not much privacy if that’s what you look for. Some sites are pretty close together. Septic dump was really narrow and you’d have a hard time with a big camper/rv.

No issues with t-mobile or at&t service. Park is super shady and has a little river running through the back which is nice. Spaces are pretty close and the entrance looks a bit uninviting for a big class A but was totally manageable. The park beyond the campground is really beautiful and well taken care of. It rained for almost the whole week we were there but never had issues with power. Park does flood pretty significantly but not a lot of mud.

A beautiful campground. I had a packed gravel site with 30a hookups for one night. Very clean and nice showers with ADA accommodations.

Great camping. The park is very well taken care of. Sites and we'll sized and level. Very clean bathrooms and they are heated as well. The staff we talked to were all very friendly and nice.

Alot of hiking in the area. You can drive down the road and visit the lodge and lake as well.

Such a big park with lots to do. Really cool villas that you can rent out too. Golf course on the property too. We really enjoyed our stay here.

Loved the area, the campground and the local hikes available I gave it 4 stars because our site was soooo close to the one next to us. We stayed in. 118. I would definitely go back….to a different site

We stayed in a full hookup site, with a creek behind us. Bathhouse was clean. Enjoyed the on site golf course and hiking trails.

PROS 

Beautiful park

Site backed right up to small creek 

Super friendly squirrels who ate from our hand 

Clean toilet/shower facility with ample supply of TP 

Gravel site with wooden picnic table and small metal campfire ring with cooking grate Campfire wood for sale by camp host 

Nice restaurant at Park Lodge

2 bar signal T-MOBILE Free 200 MB or 3 days( whichever comes first) WIFI with login from park visitor center


Dickson is closest Kroger, Lowe’s, Tractor Supply, Walmart

CONS

$5 fee assessed to make my own on-line reservation 

NO senior discount 

Campsites are Extremely packed together. Some sites have the neighbor's trailer slide out against their picnic table.  Just doesn't make sense that the campground is slammed together when there are acres and acres of land here

Very narrow roadway through campground. 

Very tight maneuvering to back into site. 

No privacy from any other campsite 

Not dark sky friendly due to huge street lights at all 3 toilet/shower facilities 

Site 116 not level side to side 

Most campsite trees bare by Halloween

Site is level and by the creek. My GSD loved cooling off in the creek. I liked that our site had the fire pit in the gravel area of our site, some are outside. I wanted to touch on the to close reviews that had me worried. The sites are close but I didn’t feel that was an issue really. We didn’t feel cramped or like our neighbors were in our business. We will definitely come back.

Something for everyone! Tent spots, RV spots, cabins, back country spots! Lots of recreation opportunities here too! The lakes are great!

Campground is well marked and super friendly people. Fire pits at every spot.

For a State Park, Montgomery Bell is pretty great. We had a decent sized level site with large trees and a view to the creek. We walked a couple of the trails through the woods which were perfect after a long drive. The bathroom/showers were clean and the water was hot. A strong storm came up suddenly and the staff came by to check on every camper to make sure we were all inside and safe. After the storm passed, they came by again checking on every camper. The power went out for two hours, and the staff came by once more to keep us informed. The park is beautiful, but it's the super competent staff earned the excellent rating I gave this park.

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.

At only 35-40 minutes away from downtown Nashville, it is a great weekend or even one night getaway. There are both primitive and RV hookup sites. The hosts that were there when I went were very friendly and helpful. It's not backcountry camping but it is a great campground. There are also a few nice trails that connect right to the back of the campground.