Cages Bend Campground: Your Serene Escape on Old Hickory Lake

Cages Bend Campground Introduce

Nestled on the picturesque shores of Old Hickory Lake, Cages Bend Campground in Gallatin, Tennessee, offers a refreshing blend of natural beauty and convenient amenities for campers of all kinds. This highly-regarded campground provides an ideal setting for those looking to immerse themselves in the tranquility of lakeside living while remaining within easy reach of urban conveniences. Known for its spacious sites and stunning water views, Cages Bend Campground stands out as a prime destination for a relaxing getaway, whether you're bringing an RV, setting up a tent, or just seeking a peaceful day by the water. Our goal is to provide a detailed and inviting overview of Cages Bend Campground, showcasing why it’s a top choice for locals across Tennessee seeking an authentic and enjoyable outdoor experience.

Cages Bend Campground is ideally situated at 1125 Benders Ferry Rd, Gallatin, TN 37066, USA. This strategic address places it directly on Old Hickory Lake, a significant advantage for water enthusiasts. For residents of Tennessee, the campground offers excellent accessibility, being just a short drive from Nashville – close enough to enjoy the city's attractions, yet far enough to provide a genuine sense of escape and natural serenity. The journey to Cages Bend is well-marked and navigable, ensuring a smooth arrival for all types of vehicles, including large RVs. Its location in Gallatin means visitors can easily access local shops, restaurants, and historical sites within the charming community. Furthermore, the campground’s position on Old Hickory Lake, a 22,500-acre reservoir fed by the Cumberland River, means unparalleled access to water-based activities right from your campsite. The balance of seclusion and accessibility makes Cages Bend Campground a truly convenient and desirable destination for your next outdoor adventure in Middle Tennessee.

Cages Bend Campground is committed to providing a comfortable and well-equipped camping experience, offering a range of services designed to meet the needs of diverse campers. These amenities contribute significantly to the overall enjoyment and ease of your stay.

Spacious Paved Sites with Electric and Water Hookups: A major highlight, as noted by visitors, is the generously sized, paved campsites. Each site is equipped with both electric and water hookups, providing essential conveniences for RVs and a more comfortable experience for tent campers.
Separate Paved Area with Picnic Table and Small Wooden Table: Enhancing the usability of each site, many come with dedicated paved areas featuring a picnic table and a smaller wooden table, perfect for a camp stove or additional prep space, making outdoor dining and cooking a breeze.
Community Bathhouse with Hot Showers and Flush Toilets: The campground provides communal bathroom facilities, including showers and stalls. While some reviews mention a desire for updates, they consistently confirm cleanliness and the availability of plenty of hot water with great pressure, which are crucial for a comfortable camping experience.
Dump Station: A convenient dump station is available near the bathhouse, providing essential service for RVers to empty their waste tanks before departure.
Boat Ramp: For those looking to get out on Old Hickory Lake, the campground offers a boat ramp, providing easy access for launching boats, kayaks, and paddleboards directly into the water.
Laundry Facilities: On-site laundry facilities are available, adding significant convenience for campers, especially those on longer trips.
Playground: For families with children, a playground is available, offering a dedicated space for kids to play and enjoy their time at the campground.
Two Fishing Docks: The campground features two docks specifically for fishing, one inside the campground and another next to the boat ramp, providing excellent opportunities for anglers.

Cages Bend Campground truly shines through its distinctive features and highlights, which consistently earn high praise from visitors. These elements combine to create a memorable and highly enjoyable outdoor experience.

Prime Location on Old Hickory Lake: The campground's setting directly on Old Hickory Lake is its most significant asset. This offers breathtaking views from many sites and immediate access to a vast array of water recreation activities, including paddleboarding, fishing, boating, and swimming.
Very Spacious and Well-Spaced Sites: A recurring theme in positive reviews is the impressive size and spacing of the campsites. Unlike crowded campgrounds, Cages Bend provides ample room between sites, ensuring privacy and a more secluded feel for campers. This allows for a more relaxed and peaceful atmosphere.
Beautiful Views from Most Sites: Many sites, particularly those in certain loops, offer stunning views of Old Hickory Lake, allowing campers to wake up to picturesque sunrises and enjoy serene sunsets over the water. Even sites not directly on the water are often nestled among trees with a pleasant view.
Excellent Value: At approximately $30 per night, many campers find Cages Bend Campground to be an unbeatable value, especially considering the spacious sites, electric and water hookups, and prime lakeside location. This affordability makes it an attractive option for extended stays or frequent visits.
Opportunities for Water Activities: The ease of access to Old Hickory Lake for activities like paddleboarding and shore fishing is a major draw. As one reviewer noted, "Our son put a paddleboard in and it was great. Can also fish off the shore."
Abundant Natural Surroundings: With trees spread throughout the campground and the expansive lake, the natural environment is a significant highlight, perfect for those seeking to connect with nature, observe wildlife (like white-tailed deer and various birds), or simply enjoy the fresh air.
Friendly and Helpful Hosts/Rangers: Several reviews commend the campground hosts and park rangers for their friendliness and helpfulness, contributing to a welcoming and well-managed environment.

For reservations, inquiries, or any questions regarding your visit to Cages Bend Campground, please use the following contact information:

Address: 1125 Benders Ferry Rd, Gallatin, TN 37066, USA

Phone: (615) 824-4989

Mobile Phone: +1 615-824-4989

It is always recommended to contact the campground directly or check their official booking platform for the most current information on availability, seasonal operating dates (typically April 1 to October 31), and specific rules, such as the 10 PM gate closure.

In conclusion, Cages Bend Campground stands out as an exceptional choice for locals in Tennessee seeking a fantastic outdoor experience. Its location on Old Hickory Lake in Gallatin offers the perfect balance of serene natural beauty and convenient proximity to urban attractions. For those living across Tennessee, it's an easily accessible escape, allowing more time for relaxation and recreation rather than lengthy travel. The campground's spacious, paved sites with electric and water hookups provide excellent comfort for both RV and tent campers, a feature highly appreciated by visitors. The availability of clean bathhouses with hot water, a convenient dump station, and on-site laundry facilities further enhance the camping experience, making it much more comfortable than primitive camping. What truly makes Cages Bend suitable for locals is its direct access to Old Hickory Lake, opening up endless opportunities for paddleboarding, fishing, and simply enjoying the scenic waterfront. Despite being close to Nashville, the campground maintains a peaceful atmosphere, offering that 'far away' feeling without the long drive. Its affordability, coupled with the generous spacing of sites and the overall well-maintained environment, makes it an incredible value. While the gate closing at 10 PM is a detail to note, the overwhelmingly positive feedback regarding the views, cleanliness, and friendly staff confirms that Cages Bend Campground is a true gem in Tennessee, perfect for creating cherished outdoor memories right in our backyard.

Cages Bend Campground Photos

Cages Bend Campground Location

Cages Bend Campground

Tennessee Sumner County Gallatin Benders Ferry Road

1125 Benders Ferry Rd, Gallatin, TN 37066, USA

Cages Bend Campground Reviews

Very nice campground on Old Hickory Lake. We stayed for 3 nights at site 27 while visiting Nashville. Not too far away to enjoy the city. Very spacious paved site with separate paved area with picnic table and small wooden table for a camp stove. Electric and water. Dump station near bath house. Trees spread throughout and beautiful view of lake from our site. Sites very spread out and not right on top of each other but at the other loop along lake they were a little closer together. Bathrooms are fine with 3 showers and 3 stalls. It’s not the Hilton so I expect campground bathrooms. They were clean and had plenty of hot water. Our son put a paddleboard in and it was great. Can also fish off the shore. At $30/nights you can’t beat it and I really could not believe how spacious the sites were. Would totally come back. Be aware gate closes at 10pm. The host did not stress that and it is in small print on back of map and we cut it close our first night.
May 30, 2025 · Tammy Davis
Close to Nashville but feels far away. Bathrooms are in desperate need of updates, but the water was hot with great pressure. Small, quaint campground. All sites have great views of the water and are well spaced. We stayed on site 13.
May 22, 2025 · Mrs 9905
Great location near Nashville, on a lake. Access roads are narrow and difficult - go slow. Infrastructure at campground is in need of updating and repair - lots of crumbling asphalt. But sites are large and spacious, you are not on top of neighbors. Nice views of lake. All have water and electric, no sewer.
Apr 20, 2025 · Melissa Jones
Beautiful small COE campground on the lake. The RV sites have water, electricity, and a fire pit. The many sites can be challenging for larger rigs. The bathrooms are extremely dated, appear dirty, and have no handicapped toilets or showers.
Apr 22, 2025 · Lori Gregory
This campground is on one of several peninsula's within the greater Hendersonville & Gallatin area. Surrounded by houses, you can imagine the roads coming in. Cages Bend (the road) is well paved, with a double yellow, but has TONS of low hanging branches. When heading to the campground on Cages Bend, be very careful if you are over 10-11' in height as you will hit branch after branch getting in. We are 46', and there were maybe only 3-4 sites we could get into without a ton of issues. With that said, the campground has a U-Bend on their interior road that we aren't entirely sure whether we could make or not, and honestly wouldn't want to try. We were happy in site #2 and although some sites have much better water views, entering and exiting safely is more important to us so we'd stay in that site again.Pro's:1) Beautiful campground right on the lake. Multiple water front sites, but almost all sites have atleast a water view. Site #1 and #2 don't have water views per say, but are very private with a ton of space, and still with access to the water if you plan to launch paddle boards and kayak's.2) Paddle boards and kayaks can be launched directly from the campground. Board were also stations right off the "beach"3) Family friendly, didn't seem too rowdy.4) Fishing dock with multiple other area's to fish.5) Full boat launch just up the road with easy access parking.6) Although the bathrooms were old and dated, they were clean and smelled good!7) Camps hosts were friendly and responsive.8) Many sites were paved, while others were gravel. Dump station on site with easy access.9) 40 Minutes from downtown Nashville. 5 Minutes to Kroger and 10 minutes to Walmart, Costco, and Sam's Club. Tons of restaurants everywhere.Con's: (most of the cons are road/vehicle size related)1) Cages Bend road can be tree treacherous. Plan to take it slow if you are tall.2) The interior roads in the campground can be tricky to navigate if you are long. 3) Double check on slides and whether or not the site has a retaining wall or not. We had friends that had slides on both sides finding it tricky to fully extend them. We made a campground video with better pictures/info on each site to better make a decision on site selection. Search "McVeycations" on YouTube.4) Booking a site can be tricky as its a very popular campground.If you are over 45' like we are, I'd stick to spots #1 or #2. They don't have water views per say, but are the easiest to enter and exit. You exit the campground without having to navigate the entire place because there is a turn around directly in front of site #2. We camped at Cages Bend in a Fifth Wheel.
Jun 21, 2025 · McVeycations