Camping in the south vs north.

[crackerJack]

Welcome from Scottsville - Bowling Green, KY

I recommend Dale Hollow Lake. Its a large lake fed from the Obey River, a tributary of the Cumberland, on the KY TN line. It has very clean, clear water, and is not surrounded by McMansions. Great fishing, several campgrounds and marinas.
Bledsoe Creek SP and Fall Creek Falls SP are very nice too.

Definitely need AC, we camp March to November.

My sis just sold her house in Hermitage, a very nice area. Lebanon and Mt Juliet are nice areas. Pay attention to your commute, traffic is a major factor coming into the city from sides. Mainly 65-24 split and 40-24 split

Welcome to the South

 

[mainahman]

I will add those to the list as well! That is one thing im slowly learning! Is if im north of the city, then traffic is a bit more than if im south of the city, and driving to franklin, vs driving to franklin through nashville.

Welcome from Scottsville - Bowling Green, KY

I recommend Dale Hollow Lake. Its a large lake fed from the Obey River, a tributary of the Cumberland, on the KY TN line. It has very clean, clear water, and is not surrounded by McMansions. Great fishing, several campgrounds and marinas.
Bledsoe Creek SP and Fall Creek Falls SP are very nice too.

Definitely need AC, we camp March to November.

My sis just sold her house in Hermitage, a very nice area. Lebanon and Mt Juliet are nice areas. Pay attention to your commute, traffic is a major factor coming into the city from sides. Mainly 65-24 split and 40-24 split

Welcome to the South

 

[dcfan99]

Actually Franklin is a very diverse community and is fairly affordable in some places. If you are working in Franklin you should look south to Thompson Station or Spring Hill. Schools are still good (not sure if that's an issue for you) and traffic is very manageable. I would not want the daily commute from north of town to Franklin. Also the communities along 840 would make your commute relatively easy.

On your tags, I take my trailer out of state regularly so that is the reason I have mine registered. There is no permanent tag available, but you could just register 1x and then not update the sticker.

Good luck in your search!

 

[mainahman]

im Really liking areas south of the city, like Spring hill and Chapel Hill, Unionville. Those are the areas that fit into our housing budget, which is about 100,000 and below. Smyrna, and La vergne look promising. As much as there might be "More" north of the city, id really like to avoid driving straight through it every day like some work friends do. We can always drive into Nashville for the weekend or something. Schools are a big deal for us for sure! That pretty much ruled out all of Nashville proper, as ive seen the ratings on those schools...

 

[Travelhoveler]

Hello, I am here in Middle Tennessee (but worked in Maine a few years, living Downeast on MDI. Where are you in Maine?)

Middle Tennessee is pretty decent country for camping. You can camp year-round due to our climate, about the only months I'd advise you to avoid are July and August. This week, temps here are in the 60s and lows in the 30s. Pretty ideal, if you ask me. But then again, it hasn't been below 2° all winter here, pretty mild compared to, say, Fort Kent.

Our best-in-the-nation state parks are open year-round are rarely crowded except on summer and holiday weekends. We never bother with reservations most of the time. Within an hour or two of Franklin are Henry Horton, Davy Crockett, Old Stone Fort, Bledsoe Creek and Tims Ford state parks. Add another hour or so and you can reach our favorites, Standing Stone, Mousetail Landing and Nathan Bedford Forrest. We really like going to the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (U.S. Forest Service; it has all sorts of campgrounds, but we prefer boondocking with an annual permit).

Tags are not required, but we always buy one (cheap) since we travel all over and outside the state. You can get a permanent tag for $75, but you'd want to make sure you're keeping the camper long enough to pay it off. You'll pay sales tax based on its NADA value the first time you register it.

Your sea kayaks will be next to useless except on the lakes; however, we have outstanding rivers and some of the best whitewater in the country. Middle Tennessee rivers are pretty pastoral but highly scenic, and the Duck River just south of Franklin is the most biologically diverse stream in North America.

By the way, when looking at locations, you might want to scratch Old Hickory from your list; it's a nice place but you don't even want to think about commuting through East Nashville. Your other options are all pretty redneck IMO, but at least the drive time will be much better.

This must be a pretty big move for you. I bet before this, you thought a Southerner was anyone who lived below Kittery.

 

[mainahman]

Were in central Maine, about a half hour or so north of the Capital of Augusta. Ive looked into middle Tennessee weather, and everything's mild! -19 or so according to the bank clock here this morning...Id rather be in my camper!! Ill look into the perm tag then, as we bought the camper new last year and still owe 5 years on it, i don't see it going anywhere any time soon, and its more then 75 bucks a year to register it here if i remember right, so that's money well spent! Were definitely looking forward to some good lake kayaking! Thats all we do, here as i dont feel comfortable on a river quite yet, but there's a few lakes near by that ive researched, so that will be good. as nice as i can see it being to be north of the city, im slowly starting to see the benefits in commute to be south of the city, and not have to deal with driving through the city every day to get to Franklin. Were coming down in April to house shop, and visit etc. Im really liking the areas of Mt Pleasant, and Chapel hill, or unionville. We cant quite afford to get into spring hill, unless a deal opens up, but still want to be within a 40 minute drive of Franklin. It is a huge move for us! Ive never "lived" anywhere else in my life. Im 26, and ive been here 26 years, visited many states many times, but not to live. I feel comfortable as "home" to about NY then the rest is pretty different. We have vacationed by car in Virginia in august, so we at least know what to expect weather wise in the summer, but i agree everything Kittery down is southern! I wont miss the snow! another 6+ inches coming in over night.. Is it spring yet?

Hello, I am here in Middle Tennessee (but worked in Maine a few years, living Downeast on MDI. Where are you in Maine?)

Middle Tennessee is pretty decent country for camping. You can camp year-round due to our climate, about the only months I'd advise you to avoid are July and August. This week, temps here are in the 60s and lows in the 30s. Pretty ideal, if you ask me. But then again, it hasn't been below 2° all winter here, pretty mild compared to, say, Fort Kent.

Our best-in-the-nation state parks are open year-round are rarely crowded except on summer and holiday weekends. We never bother with reservations most of the time. Within an hour or two of Franklin are Henry Horton, Davy Crockett, Old Stone Fort, Bledsoe Creek and Tims Ford state parks. Add another hour or so and you can reach our favorites, Standing Stone, Mousetail Landing and Nathan Bedford Forrest. We really like going to the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (U.S. Forest Service; it has all sorts of campgrounds, but we prefer boondocking with an annual permit).

Tags are not required, but we always buy one (cheap) since we travel all over and outside the state. You can get a permanent tag for $75, but you'd want to make sure you're keeping the camper long enough to pay it off. You'll pay sales tax based on its NADA value the first time you register it.

Your sea kayaks will be next to useless except on the lakes; however, we have outstanding rivers and some of the best whitewater in the country. Middle Tennessee rivers are pretty pastoral but highly scenic, and the Duck River just south of Franklin is the most biologically diverse stream in North America.

By the way, when looking at locations, you might want to scratch Old Hickory from your list; it's a nice place but you don't even want to think about commuting through East Nashville. Your other options are all pretty redneck IMO, but at least the drive time will be much better.

This must be a pretty big move for you. I bet before this, you thought a Southerner was anyone who lived below Kittery.

 

[lizzyg]

I live in Davidson County, and we usually camp at least 10 months a year. A couple years ago, we camped at least twice each month for the whole year. I thinks TN has some of the best parks.

Check out TN State Parks

And Core of Engineers-Recreation.gov

I live less then 10 miles for Seven Points, and we camp there a lot. I don't thinks you have to go far to enjoy camping. I always think it's kinda of funny that we feel like we have to travel hours away to camp, and where you choose, those folks go to your area to camp! So we usually stay close to home.

I get home from work around 530-545pm, camper packed up, at camp site around 615-630pm, the weekend started about 730pm. Can't beat that~~

Enjoy TN

Liz

 

[mainahman]

Ill give it a look! Im really looking forward to camping much more then we can here! That and just getting a carport to park the camper under in case of bad weather.

 

[Genie2010]

Remember us poor old New Englanders when you go...

 

[mainahman]

Ill wave on the way through! Heck were moving in the week of july 4th...im pretty sure ill sweat off a few more pounds unloading the moving truck!

 

[Sdickson501]

Im in AR not TN but something idk if there is a difference in is the wildlife and pests, down in AR we have misquotes awful. And in the mountains we have bear, and the same as tent camping, you can't keep food in a pup when there's a bear threat. I've always been paranoid about bear, my kids know not to take food or drinks in the tent/pup (this will be our first year not in a tent) I guess that's all I've got, besides reiterating the humidity thing, its bad, and makes all the difference it can be in the 70's and feel like 90s if the humidity is up or be in the 80s and feel wonderful if the humidity is low welcome to our side of the Mason-Dixon

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[mainahman]

Skeeters are the Maine state bird between those and black flies your liable to get carried off up here! Anyone chime in on the bear situation? The only bear i wanna run into is my wife cause ive done something wrong. My trailer is named Picnic Basket after all, but i dont want no real life yogis!

 

[Travelhoveler]

It may surprise others, but there are more black bears in parts of Tennessee than anywhere else in the United States. In the Great Smoky Mountains, there are about two per square mile, one of the highest ratios anywhere. There is just so much mast and food for them. You read a lot about bears in Yosemite, but there are far more in the Great Smoky Mountains NP, even though it is a much smaller park. If you camp a lot in East Tennessee, you will eventually encounter them. Just use common sense, stow your food in bear boxes or out of sight in a vehicle, and don't leave food out in your campsite.

That said, there are not many in Middle Tennessee, where they are confined to the most northern sections of the Cumberland Plateau, though occasionally one will wander further west.

No black flies here. You'll like that.

 

[mainahman]

good to know about bears!! and thankfully on black flies!!!!

 

[Travelhoveler]

good to know about bears!! and thankfully on black flies!!!!

No one has told you about chiggers yet, I imagine.

 

[mainahman]

What's a chigger? It's not one of those mole sized hornets is it?

 

[dcfan99]

Skeeters are the Maine state bird between those and black flies your liable to get carried off up here! Anyone chime in on the bear situation? The only bear i wanna run into is my wife cause ive done something wrong. My trailer is named Picnic Basket after all, but i dont want no real life yogis!

I've seen quite a few black bear camping in the Smokies. However, as long as you follow food precautions (no food or coolers in camper, only in car or bear safe) they leave you alone.

 

[mainahman]

Ill keep that in mind when in the smokies for sure!

 

[mainahman]

Anyone have a clue what it would cost to have AC installed?

 

[Sdickson501]

On the chigher thing, are you joking or you really don't know? Chiggers are worse than misquotes. You can't see them they are like invisible fleas that get in your skin. They tend to stay together "I got into some chiggers" I would compare them closely to seed ticks besides the fact you can't see them, seed ticks are about the size of a sugar crystal and come in waves as well.

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