## Overview

 Defeated Creek Park Campground sits along the banks of Cordell Hull Lake on the Cumberland River System, just seven miles from Carthage, Tennessee. The lake was named after Cordell Hull, a politician that was born in the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains. Hull is best known for being the longest running secretary of state in American history, serving for 11 years. Click here for a virtual tour of the Cordell Hull Lake facilities. 
## Recreation

 The 12,000-acre lake stretches 72 miles upstream and boasts 381 miles of shoreline, offering countless recreational activities for visitors. Anglers enjoy fishing for white bass, rockfish, largemouth bass, catfish, shad and crappie. Boating, sailing, water skiing and jet skiing are popular activities on the water, and boat ramps and a marina provide easy lake access. Miles of hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking trails surround the lake. The 6-mile Bearwaller Gap Trail has a trailhead within the campground. Other trails in the area include the Turkey Creek Nature Trail and Bear Wheels Trail.
## Facilities

 The campground offers 155 sites for tents and RVs, all with electric hookups. Two large group day-use shelters are also available on a first come first serve basis or for reservation in the day use area, both shelters have water and electric hookups. A boat ramp, playground, beach, and tennis and volleyball courts are all provided, making the area perfect for families or larger parties. A marina is located adjacent to the campground. 
## Natural Features

 Cordell Hull Lake is situated among rolling hills covered in a mix of shady maple, hickory, oak, beech and chestnut trees. Summer temperatures range from the 60s to the 90s. Wildlife is abundant around the lake. Whitetail deer, wild turkey, quail, squirrels, rabbits and a wide variety of waterfowl are commonly seen throughout the area. 
## Nearby Attractions

 The historic town of Granville, Tennessee, is 25 miles from the campground. Visitors enjoy celebrating the town\'s Heritage Day annually in May. Events include the Uncle Jimmy Thompson Bluegrass Festival, antique car and tractor shows and Civil War living history presentations.

Defeated Creek Campground

 Awesome campground, not a negative thing to say. it’s our favorite campground. It’s a must stay. 

best campground in all of Tennessee 

Defeated Creek is a larger campground area with lots to do. I don't have kind, but I am sure that it would be a great place to bring them! The lake is beautiful and if you hike a little ways up the Bearwaller Gap trail, you can get some great overlooks! It's actually owned by the US Army Corp of Engineers. If you want a more primitive version of camping, take the Bearwaller Gap trail! It has one of the best backcountry sites I have ever been to! Lots of room and a great firepit!

Large campground area with a great backpacking trail nearby

Really, I think that all sites at this campground are pretty great, but the ones along the perimeter are just amazing. The views of Cordell Hull Lake can’t be beat, no matter where you are. It’s a pretty big campground with 155 sites for both tents and RVs, but the sites are so big so you really don’t feel packed in or on top of your neighbor. All of the sites have water and electric, which was nice and convenient. We don’t typically use electricity while we’re camping these days, but it’s nice to be able to charge the phones (cameras). The bathhouses are clean and not too busy, but they did get pretty hot and muggy in the warm weather, and after a few showers some areas of the floor were flooded.

We were at site #10 on Lake Loop, and we loved it. It wasn't completely flat for the tents, but close enough... Site #12 was a bit better as far as the slope goes. The Bearwaller Gap Trail is right near the campground, and the trailhead was super close to our site. It's a 6 mile trail (one way), and it's a pretty strenuous hike. We didn't hike the whole thing but we managed to check out a small portion of the trail while we were there.

Views that can't be beat


Best Campground ever !! We love to camp here  it’s so relaxing and restful.  The campsites are spaced apart and are nice size. We always get sites on the water. The kids ride bikes and fish. 

Best Campground ever!!

Of all of our stays so far (RV resorts, state parks, private campground)...Defeated Creek is our hands-down favorite. **Edited to say...salt lick has it beat in our opinion. It was beautiful, clean and peaceful. Our beautifully shaded site backed up to Cordell Hull Lake, and we had front row seating to the most exquisite sunsets. People were very friendly and the general consensus was that defeated creek is everyone’s favorite campground. And we have our eye 👁 on site #71 for next time! Primo spot! We had site #47 and it was massive...plenty of room for everything even our cornhole set. Book way ahead...it books up fast.  

Tip💡: follow WAZE directions rather than RV Trip Wizard!!! Trip wizard took us a bass ackward way through winding narrow back roads only to end up on the highway we were originally on!👎🏻

Our favorite yet

We stayed 5 days at this beautiful campsite, we were pleased to find the facilities clean with hot water, washer and dryer on site. 

RV pads are well maintained. There's plenty of trees though some pads have only direct sun. 

Found out once we got there that the connection for LTE is pretty sporadic, sometimes you can connect to their unsecured Wi-Fi, but they prefer you not to. 

Sites 51 and 52 are a shared pull through site, so if you book one of them, you will more than likely have people you don't know backed up right close next to you.

Buck is the main guy at the gate him and his wife run it and they are a wealth of information for the surrounding area. They also are a hoot to talk to.

The Marina isn't far from the campsite just across the street, they have ice and firewood along with food and drinks.

Not far from the site is a small fruit stand, ask Buck about it he'll tell you exactly how to get there. They have homemade pastries, jellies and jams, along with some amazing fried pies.

Our stay at defeated campground was pleasant, we met some very nice people from Texas.

 The walk around the grounds in the early morning and late nights once the sun goes down is very peaceful.

If you plan to go hiking on the trails that are surrounding the area please know that there heavily wooded areas with ticks, we found out the hard way. Make sure you have plenty of repellent and/or dress properly for the woods and surrounding area.

We would stay again. Can't wait to go back. 


Family Vacation

A variety of large sites. From full hooks ups to group tent sites.
The trash at the swimming beach was never taken out while we were there, and the dumpsters were all full. The bathrooms were cleaned regularly though, and the views were breathtaking. Dog friendly, but not at the swimming area. Overall it was a great place to go. Out of the way quiet and the lake was beautiful.

Quiet lake front

Very nice campground on Cordell Hull Lake. Kayaking, boating, fishing and swimming are possible. Waterside camping available. Cell service is spotty and minimal WiFi is available to check in with family or check the weather. Very peaceful. Had a nice, stress free 3 day weekend. 

Peaceful stay on the water

We had a 3 night stay &amp; really enjoyed it. Our site was atop a hill overlooking Cordell Hull Lake. The place was nearly full capacity yet quiet. Sites are spread out nicely, many are lakeside or have lake views.

  

Groceries &amp; gas about 10 miles away. Nice area, definitely worth a stop.

Excellent

Full Time Travelers--dates here: October 31-Nov 7, 2021. 
COE Campground.
The views are amazing-- the water, the trees, the ducks, cranes, and so many deer! The deer are everywhere and seem to be ok with people scattered about.  Its pretty cool to see. 
The campsites are pretty spacious. Some are closer together in the rows along the water, but for the most part you get plenty of room with each site. None of the sites were too unlevel. The only full hookups are along the water. 
I've seen this mentioned and I want to touch on it. There were several sites that had been booked and no one staying at them. Sites that we would have taken if available. We were told by a couple that visits this camp often that it happens quite often that sites are booked and not used. 
The grounds are well kept. They mowed twice while we were there. I'm guessing they mowed both days as its the end of the season for the campground, but thats just an assumption. They mowed everything both days. 
The bathrooms are interesting, some are updated, some not. The showers in our bathhouse were operated with a button and shot water out hard for several seconds then shut off. I didn't take a shower in this bathhouse due to this. The showers in the bathhouse across from ours were a little better. 
Overall, the bathrooms were decent and kept clean.
We started out in a large site, #34 --on a hill, but level. We ended our stay in site #24 which overlooks the water.  Both sites were great!  
The views of the mountains and water are splendid. 
The staff that we interacted with were pleasant and kind. 
Overall, our stay was very nice. I would definitely come back. 


Very Nice Views

This was our first time visiting and we found this to be a hidden gem that we’re not sure how it took so long to find. 150 sites with a good potion of them being waterfront and the majority of the others having water views. Multiple bathhouses throughout the park that we found to be clean and functional. Lots to do here with hiking trails, mountain bike trails, beach, playground, boat launch, and all the lake activities. There were lots of deer that roam the grounds in the evening and all night long until the morning, so beware if you’re out walking your dog and you dog likes to chase other animals. There is a Dollar General about 8 minutes away and Walmart and regular grocery stores about 15 minutes away. We’ll really enjoyed our stay and plan to visit again. 

Link to my YouTube review: Campground Review: 
https://youtu.be/AT0dnS4fTec

Hidden Gem

We love this campground. If you are lucky enough to get one of the lake front spots the views are amazing.  Some spots have full hook ups. 

Beautiful spacious spaces  

Stayed here for a week for a fishing vacation. Good fishing, quiet, beautiful sunsets and herds of deer. The spots are flat, some cement, some gravel, depends on where it is. There’s a day use area attached to the campground with a nice walking path. The campground is easy to navigate. About the only downside is the dump station doesn’t have a hose long enough to really do a good flush.  We will certainly stay here again. 

Great COE 

We have stayed here numerous times! It’s our go to camp site. We’ve had different sites but still a well managed park 

Good spot

We’ve stayed at Defeated Creek Campground for six days at a time twice now. We love being down on the lake where the views are awesome! The deer wander around here like they own the place! lol It’s an excellent place to ride your bicycles. There is plenty for children to do. You can even have your canoe or boat right up on the shore at a lakefront lot! Fishing is right there at your doorstep!
Book your trip way in advance at “Recreation.gov” to get a spot in the best campground in the state!

Best campground in Tennessee

We enjoyed our stay. The bathrooms were clean, bring your own hand soap. Our site had a great view of the water and was HUGE. No phone service for AT&amp;T or Verizon. We enjoyed our stay. 