1) Seven Points Campground
One of the most popular lakes near Nashville is the J. Percy Priest Lake. There are several parks and campgrounds on the lake but one of the absolute best is the Seven Points Campground on the north shore. The campground has its own swimming beach for swimming, paddle boarding, sunbathing or just relaxing in the sun. There is a boat ramp for launching your boat to try some fishing with the lake supporting a large range of fish including small and largemouth bass, striped bass, crappie, catfish and trout. There are also trophy-sized buffalo fish with the state record smallmouth buffalo (62 lbs. 7 oz) and largemouth buffalo (62 lbs) being pulled from Percy Priest! The campground has 59 campsites that are nicely spaced from one another and are shaded. Some sites are even right on the lake for the perfect setting for your morning cup of coffee. The campsites have picnic tables and grills with restrooms and showers nearby. Hiking trails are nearby for exploring the park and you can hike out to the Three Hickories Nature Trail at the Cook Recreation Area nearby. Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the great outdoors!
2) Nashville Shores Lakeside Resort
Another campground on Percy Priest Lake offers a very different experience from the classic camping of Seven Points. The Nashville Shores Lakeside Resort really is a full amenity resort with marina, waterpark, zip line park, jet-ski rentals and more. The resort is only 10 miles from the Grand Ole Opry and downtown Nashville. Spend the day exploring downtown or escape the city to stay right on the shores of Percy Priest with some of the sites you can pull your camper right up to the edge of the lake. Drop a line right from your campsite to catch some channel cats for lunch! There is also the option of staying in one of the lakeside cabins which are fully furnished and have a private bath and kitchen. A fun-packed camping adventure for the whole family!
3) Bledsoe Creek State Park
A little further out is Bledsoe Creek State Park. The park is on Bledsoe Creek, which feeds into the Old Hickory Reservoir. The land where the park sits now used to be prime hunting ground for the Native American tribes that lived in the area before the settlers arrived. There are several miles of trails throughout the park, including the High Ridge Trail, Shoreline Trail and Owl Ridge Trail. Look for some of the heron rookeries down by Old Hickory Lake and keep an eye out for many of the owls, hawks and eagles that frequent the park. The campground has 58 paved campsites nestled in the woods with trails down to the creek. The campsites all have water and most of them have electric hookups. Restrooms with hot showers and a laundry facility are nearby all of the sites. For something a little different, you can also try camping at Hammock Camping! There are three walk-in hammock-only campsites behind the main campground area. Might be a relaxing way to spend the night in the summer!
4) Nashville KOA Resort
The Nashville KOA Resort has the option for tent campers to enjoy all the luxuries of an RV resort. There are tent sites, RV sites (large ones welcome up to 102’) and cabins for rent. All are situated in a fun park atmosphere with a swimming pool, hot tub, outdoor movie theater, fitness center and dog park. The campsites are spacious and some even have a large outdoor patio area. Planned activities like movie nights, fall festivals and of course, outdoor music events are scheduled throughout the year Besides the music-themed attractions in Nashville, many visitors love to visit the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere. Take a day trip from the KOA to the zoo to see the Tiger Crossroad exhibit, the Grassmere Historic Farm or the Flamingo Lagoon. Try the Soaring Eagle Zip Line or play at the Jungle Gym playground. The zoo is only 15 miles south of the KOA campground so a great place to visit during your stay.
5) Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park: Nashville
Right next door to the KOA are two more outstanding campgrounds, the Two Rivers Campground and the Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park. All three campgrounds have similar amenities and maintain well-kept grounds so you can’t go wrong with any of them. Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park has a swimming pool, ice cream shop, mini putt and playground. There is an indoor rec center with games for rainy days and a camp store on site. Choose from one of the eight cabins, RV sites or tent campsites, all with picnic tables and fire rings. Restrooms with hot showers are nearby and there is a laundry facility as well. While you won’t have to worry about bears showing up at your campsite you might get a visit from a costumed Yogi Bear. Did you know Yogi is modeled after a grizzly bear? Nashville does not have any grizzly bears nor does it have black bears, but there are two populations of black bears that live in Tennessee, the Appalachian and Cumberland populations. The Nashville Zoo has Andean Bears (sometimes called spectacled bears) if you’d like to see a real bear up close (safely!). The only animals that you might see at your campsite at the Yogi Bear park are chipmunks, ground squirrels and maybe the occasional dog on its way to the dog run!
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