Montgomery Bell State Park

I loved hiking here. It was quiet and a very nice view. I can’t speak on the camping part because we didn’t camp. If you’re still unsure. Here’s a video I did of my hiking trip:

Nice kid friendly park. It’s just too busy. The State of TN needs to develop another campground.

Camping: we like quiet camping, where we can park our 13′ trailer and kick back. this place meets our wants. They dont put a lot of money into the campground, but it is spacious and clean. Showers have plenty of hot water. Lots of tall trees, but thin enough so that the sun comes in.
Hiking: There are nice moderately-​rigorous trails connecting to the campground. Make sure you get the $ 2.00 Trails Map from the camp store. The one you get at check-​in is not accurate for hiking.
Cost: camping here is very inexpensive,(mid-week, September) for a site with electric and water.

Just got back from a long weekend there and overall had a very good weekend. The staff were all helpful and nice!
THE GOLF COURSE
My husband and I are golfers and played twice while we were there. The course itself was in decent shape. There were some brown areas and spots that were very dry, but the greens and tee boxes were nice. Fairways are wide and very little trouble along the way. Hardly any water comes into play and there aren’t too many bunkers. Seems a little expensive for not being in pristine shape, but we had a great time. Loved that they had two coolers of water on each nine since it was over 90 both days. Driving range has clearly marked distances, and electric carts were smooth.
FOOD
The snack bar at the golf course was great! Tasty burgers, loved the pimento cheese, and all other sandwiches hit the spot. Great selection of chips and snacks, and prices were good for a meal. If you want a place to eat that isn’t the buffet, definitely try it! Not sure what their hours are, and it was closed one day at 6 after we finished golfing, so count on lunch if nothing else. You can sit in the snack bar to eat or they have picnic tables at the ninth green, which are in the shade, so you can watch golfers come in.
The buffet at the inn was not impressive. We liked the breakfast, and found that was generally worth the $ 20 after tip and tax for two, because there was a lot of variety and it was good to feed us before golf. FYI if you get cereal, they will bring out milk… it’s not out on the buffet. The Friday night seafood buffet was not to our liking. The fried shrimp was the best, the baked chicken okay, but we didn’t like much else. Surprised they didn’t have more kid-​friendly things like pizza or chicken fingers, and instead had frogs legs and clam strips. We didn’t know it was seafood night, and they charge more for that due to the menu. The fish was overcooked as well. And they don’t label any of the dishes. Was not worth $ 15 each due to lack of variety and some of the food we had wasn’t very tasty. We avoided the buffet after that except for breakfast and opted for eating at the golf course and in Dickson.
LODGING
We stayed at the inn, and the rooms are just okay. They don’t have many king rooms, so just two doubles for us. No bathroom fan, LOUD air conditioner, and the beds are not very comfortable. The balcony was nice, but the lake view may or may not be obscured by trees. The wifi worked great in our room, but the front desk said it doesn’t work in all rooms… so we got lucky. The walls are THIN… we could hear when people in the next rooms were watching TV or having a conversation. I wouldn’t want to stay here very many nights, but it was fine for two nights.
ACTIVITIES
We didn’t do a whole lot else in activities, but I will say their prices for kayak, canoe, Jon boats, and paddle boats were great! Cash or check only for those, but nice and cheap. The beach swim area looked smaller than I thought it would be. We did the basic orienteering course, but it was sort of pointless because it follows a clearly marked trail. The trail map for the park is available at the ranger station with a suggested donation of $ 2, but it is not extremely detailed. It’s useful to learn distances, approximately where trails start, and how to join trails together. They had a list of weekend activities on a handout, and it was impressive… included a moonlit canoe outing, nature hikes, day canoeing, craft activities, etc. There was a lot and would be great for kids!
CONFERENCE FACILITIES
I attended meetings only and did not do any planning. It was sufficient but nothing spectacular. The rooms aren’t very sound proof so you can hear the room next to you, which was distracting at times. They also were good about keeping drinks replenished. The audio visual stuff all worked just fine as well.

I grew up visiting this park and probably have months of camping days under my belt here with my old Boy Scout troop. As others mention on tripadvisor, what once was a «grand» place is now sort of run down. The trails and creeks are the same but the facilities (restaurant, hotel, etc) are a sad shell of what they once were. It all looks neglected. I can remember coming here as a youth in the 80s and 90s and it was just superb. Now, when you walk in to the main lodge the carpet is stained and worn – a visual indication of failed management?
We are staying in one of the villas and it is very nice. Furniture needs to be replaced, but the construction and setup is nice.
If you are coming here to hike, bike or camp in one of the group camps it is prob still a good bet. I would not, however, stay in the lodge. I hope the state of TN improves the situation and I hear similar state parks are having similar issues.

Deciding to go camping last minute, I had a new tent shipped to the hotel front desk, and that worked out well; …the staff seemed nice there at the facility.
Noticed the hotel had an indoor pool, which –although only for hotel /​villa guests, I was told– looked very tempting.
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[The grounds around the hotel looked a little scruffy, but it was early in the year, so I forgive them waiting ’til the shrubs do their Spring growth.]
Would love to check out some of the hiking trails next time.

We stayed RV site #80 by the creek for
2 weeks. What a wonderful site!
We are from Florida and this is our second time here. The last summer we did tent camping and stayed 4 days. This time, we enjoyed cool early spring with trailing, fishing, and camp fire cooking.
Witnessing the Nature changing it’s color right front of our eyes.
The office people are very friendly and helpful.
We will be back !

We stayed in Barren Lakes campground for a week in early October. The resort lodge is nice. We thought the salad bar was delicious. The dinner buffet was average. The staff and service was very good. The campground is hilly with a scattering of trees. We are in a 40′ RV and it was more difficult than usual to maneuver the turns. Fortunately, we arrived early in the week so we could cut across a few other campsites. You will definitely need to use your levelers here! It doesn’t look like they have level sites anywhere in the park but they do have a few sites with sewer. The sites not being level makes it awkward to set up outside with a «bump up» as soon as you step out your door. The non-​sewer sites don’t seem to be as bad. The bathhouse is typical for KY, old but clean. It seems to be a good park for boaters with plenty of parking around the boat ramp. We were able to get a Direct TV signal but no air TV and the cell service was the minimum so if you want to work, it’s not going to be likely. The lodge has free wifi you can use in the lobby but I found it to be spotty. We used site 1 and 8 and they were about the same. It’s very hilly so you won’t ride a bike except on the paved 2.5 mile trail outside the campground.
It’s about 12 miles from Glasgow and 50 minutes from Mammoth Cave National Park. We found the Kentucky Cultural Center in downtown Glasgow was a gem, especially the 2^nd floor. It’s free and well worth your time. The Marble Dome was a big disappointment. After finding it, we were surprised to see it was a dilapidated building with a dirt ring inside and a smattering of living room chairs along the wall. It was what I would envision as a cock fight ring. I wish I could include a pic here. We drove to the Old Mulkey Meeting House Historic Site and was worth the drive. A beautiful setting with well-​done historical information. A peaceful place. New bathrooms and nice picnic and playground. We took the short and free Ferry ride across the river and drove the scenic drive along the northern border of Tennessee. Scenic with good roads. The Corp of Engineer Dale Hollow Dam Campground in TN was more «campy» feeling with lots of trees and level sites. Well off the road so it was much quieter and scenic.

We stopped at Montgomery Bell State Park on Wednesday April 16, 2014. We had a great cookout there and it was so cold. Too cold but it was still a good time. this weekend was really really strange… but for middle April… weird.
We cookout near the creek side and the kids played in the playground. Everyone had a really great time.

We will be going back with the whole family. The rooms where good sized, loved the lake view from the patio, love that fishing was available right out side. Tons of hiking, nice indoor pool (outdoor pool was still closed) the buffet was good standard buffet food at a reasonable price. The beds and pillows where not the best but ok for a night or two.
I’m excited to go back over the summer months. However, I do wish they had some pet friendly rooms.

this place perfectly suited our needs. it was pretty quiet and the sound of the owls and cicadas was beautiful. the bathrooms were clean and the showers worked well enough. at $ 12 for a tent site you can’t beat it! they also have wood on hand for $ 5 a bundle. you have to pay cash for the wood but can use a credit card for the camping fee.

I live about 30 minutes from Montgomery Bell State Park. I go there for the occasional hike with my husband and dog. This place shouldn’t really be considered a park… it’s more of a resort. They barely provide any sort of information on actual camping. (Remember camping? Tents, fires, roughing it, etc??)
They do, however, give you a plethora of information on their restaurants, hotels, conference centers, where you can park your RVs and whatnot.
It’s a beautiful spot with lots of camping amenities… if you have an RV. If you have a tent, be prepared to basically be put in the front parking lot in the middle of a bunch of groups.

The park hosts a major white supremacists conference every year (called American Remaissance or AmRen) that draws neo-​nazis, the KKK, and other racist and fascist hate groups to the park. Not a safe place for your family.

Beautiful sights but confused staff. I was surprised and like the room, almost all rooms seemed to have a good view of the water or nature which was good. There was a AAA discount which was good, and it was $ 20 off. We were told breakfast was included and then ended up finding out after waking up early to a so/​so not impressive breakfast buffet that it was NOT included and $ 25 for two people. There are boats for rental but the access to this area is very odd, we wanted to fish the day as we were checking out, which is allowed but difficult to get to and from the dock area from the parking lots. A good state park overall but I will try another park before coming back.

So I shall start this review by saying I’m not really much of a state-​park gal. Sure, I enjoy the occasional campfire, but mainly just because of the accompanying s’mores. Mostly I dislike being bitten by assorted bugs, showering outside, and in general doing anything involved in camping. A recent retreat brought me to stay here overnight, as our festivities were held in the conference rooms over the course of two days. Honestly, I have to say I was pretty impressed. The rooms were nicely stocked and the associated food was pretty good, and definitely better than some of the other state park food I’ve experienced in the past. Both rooms could really use some new carpet-they’re really stained and one of them had an active puddle, which I noticed during yoga as I stepped my hand into it. Accommodations were clean and not as nice as I’d usually like, but definitely good compared to other state park experiences. All employees I came across were very friendly. They even gave me coffee during breakfast in my travel mug so that I could take it on the road.
Had a pretty lake with paddle boat and canoe rentals, and a nice shelter area overlooking the lake where we built a fire in the fireplace to make s’mores (even though it was over 100 degrees outside). And I didn’t even get eaten by that many bugs.

So Ive noticed that Tennessee really likes to resort-​ify its state parks: what happened to enjoying the wilderness and protecting its treasures?
Anyways, the reason is that this is a consistently well regarded state park, but despite containing a golf course, two lakes, and a plethora of cabins, campgrounds and hotels, what it doesn’t have are too many hiking trails.
Two long trails roughly circle the perimeter of the large park, but are mostly second-​growth forests occasionally interrupted with a creek, a clearing, or a semi-​abandoned cemetery.
Shorter hikes are also possible around a nice, simple church located near the parking lot and next to a cabin where the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was founded. Nearby, there are a series of deep pits that look like a herd of giant gophers ran through. These are ore mines dug at the turn of the century, and without some background knowledge they probably would have been missed entirely. Despite being in a 1-​square mile area we were where all of these things were found, when we visited we pretty quickly got lost; the maps here are not detailed, and not particularly informative-​if you’re up for a hike, find some good trail maps online.
Swimming and canoeing are also possible on at least one of the lakes, though the water looks sickly and we were unable to paddle very far around.
In sum, a fairly boring park, perhaps worth visiting once.

I stayed at this state park several times in the 90s and 00s with great experiences, so when we were returning from Memphis last September, I wanted to introduce my husband to how beautiful it was. I was surprised when I called and was able to get a reservation at the last minute on a Saturday night at the height of the fall leave-​changing season. I was even more surprised to find most of the inn was empty.
We arrived to find there were no more rooms with queen or king beds… so we’d have to sleep in separate full beds for our «romantic getaway.» (My husband’s rather tall so two people in a full size bed is not an option for us.) This would have been believable had the hotel been bustling with business but we saw very few other guests in the 24 hours we were there. We walked into our room and the smell assaulted us. It smelled dank and stale. The carpet and bedding was extremely outdated and the shower was disturbingly discolored. An inn that had once been the quality of a higher-​end economy hotel was now on par with the lowest economy hotels — the ones with $ 19 nightly rates. But most disturbing of all was the fact that the air conditioning in every room on our floor and the floor below ours leaked some sort of fluid (water? coolant?) and as a result, it appeared to us that mold was growing on the patios and balconies. We didn’t go into any rooms but ours but in our room the carpet beneath the air conditioner was moist as well, making us wonder if we were being exposed to mold as we slept.
I’m well aware the state is on a limited budget and cannot afford to regularly renovate its inns, but if this particular state park’s «state of affairs» is how the State of TN is now handling its State parks, we will not be staying at another one again.

Update from 1^st reviewer, cabins have been torn down & replaced by «green-​Energy» Villas in the woods, on hills miles away from the Inn (Hotel) they literally have everything you would need for this getaway hideaway, EXCEPT you will need coffee filters & hangers & bring your own firewood for the outdoor fireplace (they only deliver in Winter & since it is a «Campground» you have to pay $ 10 & drive to hell & back to get there, plus i wasn’t going to throw old wood in a new rental car) I even offered to pay for it & delivery ‚& we found the cookie sheet too small to go under our dish in the oven, the Villa is massive with cathedral ceilings when you enter there’s a queen size (pull out) sofa with love seat also coffee table, flat screen TV (in each room also) & dining room table for 6 – 8, has a sink island with a couple of bar stools, & FULLY Stocked kitchen, electric stove & oven, with microwave, they had plates cups, GLASSES, dish & silverware service for 8, cutting board, measuring cups, a Fully Stocked Linen closet that included iron & ironing board, broom, one bedroom has a king sized bed, the other room 2 doubles, both with bathrooms to themselves, due to villas being booked EVERY weekend from memorial day to Labor day we ended up moving @ 10AM to a Suite in the Inn (the main hotel) suite has HiFi, phones, laptops OUT, EVERY ROOM Overlooks Acorn Lake @ the hotel/​Inn/​conference center, which is actually built on a peninsula.
the 3 room suite was Huge as well, the 3 rooms same setup as our Villas, with outdoor baloney, all rooms with it’s own baloney & bathroom, but no dishes or cups (just the standard plastic ones, & just a microwave,(Indoor-Fire Marshall LAW) wishing they’ll put a stove in the Suite, but the Inn is near the indoor & outdoor pools as well as the Jacuzzi & the bridge that will get you to the boat rental
PRINT OUT & BRING YOUR OWN MAP (they think you can get around a 5200 acre park without one?), none was ever offered to us or printed on any of their printouts for activities, do REQUEST One! you live & work here, we’re TOURISTS, don’t ASSUME we know where anything is, the staff is friendly & helpful enough,
for the outdoor Villa, bring your own mosquito lamps (2 with lots of refills, wish i would have had 3, & Off with Deet (drugstore.ccom) we really enjoyed the fireplace on one side & the gas grill on the other, & turn off the TV, relax because deep in the woods your phone has NO bars
i wish the check out time for the Villas were later, we seemed rushed because we’re not morning people & there is a list of things they want you to do before you leave, what is housekeeping for? had to put dishes in the dishwasher, sweep, & out by 10AM too early !!! too much! for $ 155 plus tax,
the main manage i talked to was very defensive & in denial about any of the small problems i mentioned
they mowed the hill but i ended up sweeping off the entire steps (~2 flights) & the outdoor patio
the 5 ***** Star rating is correct, we will go back often, we enjoyed the trees & sounds of the woods, it was magical
watch for ticks, & i got a horrible sumac /​poison ivy rash
& eat @ Carl’s Perfect Pig in White Bluff if you can tear yourself away from the park (i RARELY mention another business in another one’s review, but if you’re THIS Close!!)
Hell yeah we’re going back, woods, fresh air & the best ribs I’ve ever eaten in my life @ Carl’s Perfect Pig, they don’t delver
Villa = $ 155 plus at least 10% TN tax (~$ 178)
Suite= $ 199 before tax
the experience PRICELESS
Toll Free: 1−800−250−8613

note we did not go to any campgrounds or camp outside here, but did want to tell you about the Villas & the Inn (hotel)
enjoy
we want to build the Villa, great design or just live here!
Kevin @ the Front Desk Nights was Incredibly Helpful making our schedule possible

This place is off the hook. It’s not a park — its an all-​in-​one rec center. It’s got everything you’d ever want. I drove out here with a friend for the hiking trail and we had no idea what we were getting into. There are camp sites, a camp store, hiking trails, boating, fishing, etc. But, there is also what they call an inn, and I call a hotel. It’s decently priced, 78 a night through the summer and 68 in the winter. Suites run 160 – 195. Cabins, which are placed all throughout the park are 75 a night during the summer. My friends and I have often talked about getting a cabin for the weekend, we really should. The inn also features a restaurant, perfect for those who don’t love to rough it.