Montgomery Bell State Park, TN - April 2016

(Author's Note 09/05/2016 - This is being posted very late. So, I'll do my best.)

This camp was an enjoyable, but strangely cold, time. My mother camped with us, and the boys were very excited for that. The CFO and I have been to this campground once before, when there was just one boy.

If all State Park organizations modeled themselves from the TN State Parks, the world would be a pretty good place. Clean campsites, friendly staff, a convenient camp store. The only slight thing was that the voters of TN apparently think that parents are not free to decide whether or not their children need bicycle helmets or not. For one who grew up when I wasn't too good to go through the front windshield with the rest of the family, this seems like a tremendous overreach. Children peddling through campgrounds at 10 miles-an-hour cannot possibly benefit from a helmet. Either the helmet is an unnecessary style statement, or it is woefully under whelming protection. But, the TN voters have spoken, the boys wore their helmets, and yes, we had them.

Having just come off a chilling and snow Missouri camp, we were hoping for the warmer weather that more Southern climes guaranteed us. Imagine our surprise when again, we saw it snowing...in April...in TN! This time we did have a space heater in the camper, and it did its part - Mom and the dog happily snuggled together next to the heater on the middle bed. Us on the outside beds had a more chilly time.

All in all it was a great camping trip. We will try TN again, but this time in warming weather.


Campground:
Loops -
There is one large campground loop that is subdivided into a few sub-loops.  Each loop caters to a different level of camper.  The tent sub-loop provide a spacious, grassy area to camp beneath cathedral like pine trees.  The electric sub-loop provides moderately spaced gravel pads with electric and water hook-ups.  The sewer sub-loops packs camper tightly together, with full hook-ups.
Shower Houses -
There were three shower houses. One had coin-operated washers and dryers. The facilities were kept very clean.  The dumpsters were kept at the far end of the loop. (TN recently moved from keeping individual trash cans at each side to dumpsters at the end of the loop.)
Playgrounds -
There was a large play ground and a large activity field, suitable for football games, baseball, kites, or any other sort of field sport.
Trails -
There were several trails in the park.  These range from short nature hikes directly from the campsite to several mile backpacking trails with back country campsites.

Campsites:
Terrain -
The ground is hilly, "hills and hollers" with steeps climbs and babbling creeks.  Middle Tennessee is where the earth begins to change from Mississippi river bottom land to Appalachian foot hills.  This makes for a beauty but hilly area.
Pad Space -
The pads are different depending on the sub-loop type.  Tent sites allow parking parallel to the road. Electric sites offer generally deep gravel pads that contain parking space, picnic tables, and a fire pit. Full sites offer deep pads, but space is minimal to help tight-pack in the RVs.
Amenities -
Each campsite comes with one picnic table (not chained down) and one fire pit.  The electric sites also have one electrical post and one water spigot.  The full hook-up sites add sewer.

Camp Staff:
Check-in Hosts -
There is one check-in at the campground entry.  The check-in office is staffed by State Park employees and rangers.  Everyone was very nice.
Campsite Hosts -
The were no volunteer hosts.
Rangers -
We met one ranger. He was gracious enough to check our water spigot and get it working again.
Programs -
none offered