Natchez Trace State Park is located in Tennessee about half way between Memphis and Nashville about 3 miles off of I-40 from exit 116.
The Area has 3 lakes; Brown’s Lake, Cub Creek Lake and Pin Oak Lake; With Camping only available at Cub Creek and Pin Oak. Pin Oak being the largest of the 3 lakes with 77 sites, 2 bathhouses, 50 amp electric, sewer and water hookups. The campground is located on the shore of Pin Oak Lake and can accommodate RVs up to 80 feet in length. The RV camp also offers a swimming beach, playground, picnic shelter, camping cabins and boat dock.
The boat dock is located near the lodge. There are 4 hiking trails from easy to difficult with one at Pin Oak, two at Cub Creek and one north of the equestrian center. There is a wrangler campground locating in the state park as well.
It was a beautiful campground and lake, reminding me of the Broken Bow area in Oklahoma with it’s tall pine trees.
Dates we camped there: April 22, 2021 – April 24, 2021
Website: https://reserve.tnstateparks.com/natchez-trace/campsites
What we Paid: $85.34 for the two nights, $42.67 per night. They were water, sewer and 50 amp electric.
Reservations: Yes, they take reservations through the State Website. We booked at least 30 days in advance.
You pay online at the time of reservations. There are no extra fees for boats or vehicles when you reserve a site. There are three separate lakes within the park. We stayed at Pin Oak Lake in site 6.
Who we went with: JP and Steve came with us and stayed in a basic cabin with two sets of bunk beds and air conditioning. They didn’t have heat in the cabins.
The Drive down: We drove from Lake Dardanelle, Arkansas to Natchez Trace, the drive was 352 miles and took us about 6 hours. It was mainly I-40 then we took Highway 22 down to Lexington, TN then back up to the park on highway 114. This was a pretty easy drive, a bit curvy the last bit to the park on highway 114. Leaving we took highway 114 North to I-40 as we were driving on to Dayton, TN.
The Sites: The sites we stayed in was Site 6, it was a backin site and was very level. It was a gravel site and was long enough for our 30ft 5th wheel and truck to fit in front of it.
Restrooms/Bathhouses: There were restrooms with showers within walking distance of the sites. They had several showers and toilets in them. The showers are not individual showers, but a row of showers with separate curtains. are a single shower and single toilet in each the men’s and women’s. There were also two washers and dryers in between the men’s and women’s restroom that also had a book exchange in them.
Geocaches/Wizards Unite: There was at least one geocache in the park that I got (along with some lovely ticks!). There were no wizards unite inns, green houses or fortresses near the camping area.
Swimming: There was a decent swimming beach, it was small and was directly behind the playground and had a clear barrier to mark the swimming area.
Boating/Fishing: JP and Steve brought their boats and they fished one day, they did catch a few bass. The boat ramp was on the other side of the park near the lodge and was quite a winding road to get to it. There were a few boat slips that you could use for free in the pin oak camping area, but no within sight of the campsites we were staying at.
Wildlife: We saw quite a few squirrels and lots of birds.
Weather: The weather was very nice, it was April. It was cold at night and warm during the day. Did not have to use the air conditioner.
Pros about the campsites: They were very level on our side of the road and plenty of space between the sites. Ice and Firewood could be purchased at the camphost site. The Camphost was very friendly and helpful. The staff at the lodge were very nice and helpful as well.
Cons about the campsites: The sites on the opposite side across the road were very unlevel and down a steep bank to the site. The Fire pit was very close to the road on our site, we were almost sitting in the road. There was no Grill, just the fire pit with a grate over it.
Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal Program approximately 48,000 acres of land were purchased in the area of the park. This purchase provided jobs for many people. Programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration established many of the buildings still being used today and laid the foundation for what is now Natchez Trace State Park at the core of the large tract of public lands.
The park’s hiking trails, range from a one-half mile up to 4.5 miles, and a 40 mile overnight trail. The trails wind through the forest and fields and along the lakeshores and streams of Natchez Park. Visitors also enjoy the museum that features local and park history, picnic facilities, camping, cabins and lodges, boating and the park’s restaurant.
The park offers activities for visitors of all ages. Fishing is a favorite activity at Natchez Trace and anglers have four lakes from which to choose. Fifty-eight acre Cub Lake and 690 acre Pin Oak Lake are operated by Tennessee State Parks, while 90 acre Maple Creek Lake and 167 acre Brown’s Creek Lake are operated by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
Natchez Trace State Park is located on an alternate route of the old Natchez Trace. This route of the old trace is on the opposite side of the Tennessee River from the Natchez Trace Parkway. The name originally applied to a series of trails and paths that originated with animal migration routes and American Indian trade and travel routes. These were later used by returning boatmen that had floated goods to markets in Natchez and New Orleans from the Nashville area.