“Camping / RV in Gallatin, TN”
Cages Bend Campground is located on the shores of Old Hickory Lake, offering campers and day-use picnickers the opportunity to enjoy activities with a beautiful scenic backdrop. It is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District. Water recreation is the major attraction for lake-goers, but with white-tailed deer, migratory song birds and waterfowl abundant in the area, Birding and wildlife photography is popular as well. The campground offers a playground for families, a boat ramp for easy lake access, showers for comfort and a group picnic shelter for convenient entertaining. All sites have electric and water hookups and four sites meet accessibility standards. Laundry facilities are also onsite. Swimming and sailing are popular ways to enjoy the lake, and anglers can find exceptional bank and boat fishing for catfish, crappie and bass. Directions: North of Nashville, TN, on I-65 exit onto Vietnam Veterans Blvd E, follow until it rejoins Gallatin Road (Hwy 31E), once on Gallatin Road, turn right onto Cages Bend Rd S, turn left onto Benders Ferry Rd. Follow signs into campground.
Reviews of Cages Bend Campground
17 people have reviewed this location
Ratings Summary
Cell Coverage
Verizon 4G
Confirmed by 9 users | Last reported on June 14, 2021AT&T 4G
Confirmed by 9 users | Last reported on May 09, 2021T-Mobile 5G
Confirmed by 1 users | Last reported on August 09, 2023We picked Cages Bend so we could camp close to family in Hendersonville. Our site was amazing. It had 180 degree views of the water and a very private picnic area. It's absolutely worth the $4 extra for a waterfront site.
Be cautious if you're using the showers. One of the women's showers didn't have any heat regulation during our stay and the water was scalding once it heated up. It was either scalding or off, there was no in between. The middle shower was lukewarm, which I don't love, but at least it was tolerable.
Verizon - DOWNLOAD: 16.90Mb/s, UPLOAD: 3.73Mb/s
AT&T - DOWNLOAD: 45.42Mb/s, UPLOAD: 15.93Mb/s
Nightly Rate: $24.00
Days Stayed: 14
Site Number: 11
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
AT&T 4G
This was our first Army Corps of Engineers park. And now I'm spoiled. Cages Bend is set in a spectacular area. The trees are beautiful and the lake is so peaceful. Our spot was very spacious. Plenty of room for the Airstream and the truck! I love how all the spots are staggered so you're not right on top of your neighbor.
The waterfront sites looked really nice. At the time I booked there weren't any available but I wasn't heartbroken... from our site you could still see the water from two directions.
Our site was elevated and you stepped down into the picnic area. Almost all of them are like that. Every site I saw had its own picnic area. I think our picnic table had a wasp nest in or near it. As they were present every time we sat down to eat. I even managed to get stung unfortunately. Hazards of being outside with nature.
The bathrooms and showers are a little older but very clean and well maintained.
When I read the list of amenities online it said there was laundry. There is one washer and one dryer set outside the bathhouse and was almost always occupied. Not a big deal, being full time, I saw their was laundry and got excited. But their are plenty of laundromats in the area.
The park was full the entire time we were there but it was extremely quiet the entire time as well. We will certainly put this on the list to stay again as we have to be in Nashville every year for a convention.
Nightly Rate: $25.00
Days Stayed: 7
Site Number: 6
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
AT&T 4G
We camped here Labor Day weekend and booked while we were driving north on I-75. We snagged a last minute cancellation and got an awesome spot! Waterfront on the Cumberland River. Electric and water at the site and a dump station in the park. Host was friendly and helpful, easy angled back in site, and good proximity to grocery shopping. Bathrooms were clean. Cell service worked just fine, but we only used it to peruse social media, not a work day.
Nightly Rate: $29.00
Days Stayed: 2
Site Number: 15
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
AT&T 4G
All of the Army Corp of Engineers parks we've stayed at have been terrific and this one had the bonus of being close to Nashville (about 30 minute drive after rush hour) and being set in a beautiful suburban neighborhood. We highly recommend Cages Bend!
Value:
At just $25/night, the park is a tremendous value! All the sites are big and most of them have water views. We were in site #4 and it was huge- beyond all the room for our rig, we had an elevated picnic area with table, lots of grass, and a partial waterview. Most of the sites look big enough for any rig and spacious with the exception of site #1 that had a wicked angle you'd have to negotiate. The only other thing to keep in mind is that the roads approaching the park are very narrow and windy so you're best to attempt them at times with lower traffic.
Dog-Friendliness:
There's no dog park at Cages Bend (we haven't found an Army Corp of Engineer park that has one) but the spacious grounds are good for walking your pup and there's plenty of grass at the sites for your pup to relax at. Many fellow campers brought their dogs so there were plenty of socialization opportunities.
Runner and Biker's Rave:
Besides the park loop, there isn't a run or bike-friendly path out of the park so you'll need to be careful hitting the roads surrounding the park. While the neighborhoods are very scenic, there's no shoulder and they're very windy making visibility pretty poor.
Overall, the park is an awesome place to stay if you're visiting Nashville but want a quiet place to re-energize at the end of a long day!
Nightly Rate: $25.00
Days Stayed: 3
Site Number: 4
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
AT&T 4G
Another great COE campground. Water & Electric hookups, level sites with picnic tables, fire rings and lantern poles. Our site was the only pull thru, the rest are back ins but easy access to all. Bathrooms/showers are older but clean. Only 1 washer and dryer outside the bathroom/shower building but both are clean, work well (did 4 loads) and I was the only person using them. Friendly hosts.
Extremely clean and quiet. An excellent location for exploring Nashville and the surrounding area without feeling you are in the city.
We used our senior pass to get 1/2 off the camping fee.
Nightly Rate: $12.00
Days Stayed: 2
Site Number: 10
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
I had no idea there were so many Army Corps of Engineers (COE) campgrounds available to old geezers like me who get a half-price discount. Plus they are well laid out, clean, and working properly. The shower room was a bit outdated but clean and provided plenty of hot water. We had a lakeside view, level concrete pad, and complete privacy due to the angle layout of each site. We used the one washer and dryer ($1.50) ea.) and there was no waiting for them to free up. AT&T service was at least three to four bars. Certainly a five star overnight stop, but unless you are a boat person there is not much to do but sit and enjoy the views.
Since this latest fantastic COE discovery I have been in a fever looking for these gems all over the country and making my plans.
Nightly Rate: $14.00
Days Stayed: 1
Site Number: 28
Cell Coverage Rating
AT&T 4G
A beautiful, quiet place to camp, 2 or 3 miles from a Kroger to resupply. The grounds are well maintained and we had a beautiful lot backing right onto Old Hickory Lake with Canadian geese , blue Herons, and ducks to keep ;you occupied. We will definitely be back. The only down issue is a really narrow but smooth road to get to the recreation area
Nightly Rate: $13.00
Days Stayed: 3
Site Number: 31
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
This was a pretty nice campground and during the week was very peaceful and quiet. The only bathhouse was a bit old and somewhat run down, but clean. The interior roads were very narrow and hard to manage for some bigger rigs.
There were several kids riding bikes all over and through everyone's sites without caring. I didn't care for that.
Most people were friendly and we may go back. It's close to shopping and other areas for outings.
This is the first Corp park where they insisted on physically seeing and checking out our Access pass card upon arrival. Be sure you have it ready as they will not let you enter until they see your card.
Nightly Rate: $29.00
Days Stayed: 4
Site Number: 17
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
Beautiful and peaceful. We were right on the water. Very clean.
Nightly Rate: $24.00
Days Stayed: 3
Site Number: 34
Cell Coverage Rating
AT&T 4G
The staff has a lot to be desired and could be a lot friendlier. As far as site it was AMAZING AND THE VIEWS SPECTACULAR! Get new staff to greet your camping families! Your right now 4th on my list because of staff. Feel free to email me. Thanks
Nightly Rate: $30.00
Days Stayed: 2
Site Number: 10
Cell Coverage Rating
AT&T 4G
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Cages Bend Campground
Hours
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Parking
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Pets Allowed
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Restrooms
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Wifi
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Credit Cards Accepted
- Affiliation
- Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE)
- Back In RV Sites Count
- 12
- Check In
- 3:00 PM
- Check Out
- 2:00 PM
- Last Nightly Rate
- 35.0
- Longest Vehicle Length Reported
- 36.0
- Lowest Nightly Rate
- 12.0
- Max Length
- 27
- Max Stay
- 14
- Pull Through RV Sites Count
- 1
- Season End
- fall
- Season Start
- spring
- Sites Count
- 43
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Paved Sites
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Fifty Amp
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Full Hookup
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Rec Facilities
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Pull Through
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Tent Sites
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Dump Station
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Big Rigs
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Open Seasonally
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Age Restricted
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Back In RV Sites
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Boondock
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Cabin Sites
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Dispersed Sites
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Firewood
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Fulltime Residents
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Group Tent Sites
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Laundry
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Mobile Homes
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Permit Required
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Potable Water
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Propane
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Public Water
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Pull Through RV Sites
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Reservations
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Sewer Hookup
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Showers
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Sites
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Standard Tent Sites
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Vehicle Wash Permitted
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Water Hookup
Campground, Restrooms
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