Army Corps of Engineers · Old Hickory Lake · Gallatin, TN

Cages Bend

Cages Bend Campground is located on the shores of Old Hickory Lake, offering campers the opportunity to enjoy activities with a beautiful scenic backdrop. 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.

Reservable · Recreation.gov 43 sites 50 ft max Electric hookupsPets okFires ok

More like this: electric hookups in Tennessee · reservable in Tennessee · big rigs in Tennessee · pets allowed in Tennessee

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗

Photos courtesy of Emily Johnson, USACE · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Standard with electric		42
Host/management		1

Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

Will my RV fit

Towing a trailerRear or front mounted accessoriesi

Tow vehicle length, ftTrailer length, ft

The longest site here provides 50 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

42 sites. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

Site	Entry	Fits, ft	Surface	Shade	Power	Water / sewer	Waterfront	People / vehicles	Fires
02	Back-in	45	Paved	Partial	50 amp	Yes / –		6 / 1	Yes
03	Back-in	45	Gravel	Partial	30/50 amp	Yes / –		6 / 1	Yes
04	Back-in	45	Gravel	Partial	30/50 amp	Yes / –		6 / 1	Yes
05	Back-in	30	Gravel	Full	30/50 amp	Yes / –		6 / 1	Yes
06	Back-in	45	Gravel	Partial	50 amp	Yes / –		6 / 1	Yes
07	Back-in	45	Gravel		50 amp	Yes / –		6 / 1	Yes
08	Back-in	45	Paved	Full	30/50 amp	Yes / –	Lakefront	6 / 1	Yes
09	Back-in	45	Gravel	Full	30/50 amp	Yes / –	Lakefront	6 / 1	Yes
10	Pull-through	50	Gravel	Full	50 amp	Yes / –		6 / 1	Yes
11	Back-in	32	Gravel	Full	50 amp	Yes / –	Lakefront	6 / 1	Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 3:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

Hookups	Electric, water
Max vehicle length	50 ft
Equipment	RVs & trailers, Tents
Pets	Allowed
Campfires	Allowed, subject to restrictions
Fees	No refunds for recreation use fees may be made at the project.
Accessibility	Sites 24, 25, 33, 35 are listed accessible

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. Two docks are also available for fishing only, one is located inside the campground and the other is beside the boat ramp.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →

The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Old Hickory Wfo, 5 miles from the campground at 590 feet, station USC00406806 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 55 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 5 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Nashville, TN, travel North on I-65 and take TN-386/Vietnam Veterans Blvd. Continue to exit 12, Big Station Camp Blvd. Turn right onto Big Station Camp Bldvd. Continue staight across Nashville Pike onto Cages Bend Road. Take Cages Bend Road to Benders Ferry Road. The recreation area will be ahead on the left.

Nearest town	Gallatin, Tennessee
Coordinates	36.3046° N, 86.5168° W · Directions ↗

Charges and cancellations

Once your reservation has been created, there will be a $10.00 fee to cancel and a $10.00 fee to change your site or dates. Cancellations made the day before, or up to the day after your arrival date will also be charged the first nights use fee. No-Shows are charged a $20.00 fee plus the first nights use fee. If your reservation is for 1 night, and you have been charged the first nights use fee, there is no $10.00 serivce fee.

Supplies & services

RV sales & service	Elzy's RV Service ↗	5.1 mi
Dump station	Dump station ↗	11.7 mi
Outdoor gear	Bass Pro Shops ↗	12 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Cages Bend Campground - Campground Review

Other campgrounds nearby

Anderson Road Campground

Historic landmarks nearby

On Register Atlas →

National Historic Landmark · 13 mi

Castalian Springs

National Historic Landmark · 18 mi

First Presbyterian Church

Built 1846

National Historic Landmark · 18 mi

Nashville Union Station and Trainshed

Nashville

Natural features

Old Hickory Lake is a 22,500 acre reservoir just northeast of the Nashville metropolitan area. Fed by the Cumberland River, it stretches for 97 miles, offering an ideal home for several birds and animals in its woodland habitat.

Recreation

Swimming and sailing are popular ways to enjoy the lake, and anglers can find exceptional bank and boat fishing for catfish, crappie and bass.

Nearby

Downtown Nashville, known as "the music city," is just over a thirty minute drive from the campground. Visitors looking for more pier fishing opportunities can explore nearby piers at Rockland, Sanders Ferry, Shutes Branch and Bledsoe Creek State Park. History buffs will appreciate a day trip to the Hermitage, an impressive National Historic Landmark where the seventh U.S. President, Andrew Jackson lived.

Guidebooks for Tennessee

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Best Tent Camping: Tennessee
Johnny Molloy, 2015
Find at Bookshop.org
Campgrounds in and Around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Grueen Huffman, 2010
Find at Bookshop.org
Hiking Tennessee
Kelley Roark, 2016
Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Cages Bend?

Sites at Cages Bend are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Cages Bend?

No refunds for recreation use fees may be made at the project.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Cages Bend?

Check-in 3:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

What does it cost to cancel a reservation at Cages Bend?

Once your reservation has been created, there will be a $10.00 fee to cancel and a $10.00 fee to change your site or dates.

Source: Charges and cancellations

How many sites does Cages Bend have?

43 sites, including 42 standard sites with power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Cages Bend?

The longest site here provides 50 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Does Cages Bend have hookups?

Yes, electric and water hookups at some sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there showers or a dump station at Cages Bend?

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.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Cages Bend?

Yes, pets are allowed at Cages Bend. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Cages Bend?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there accessible sites at Cages Bend?

Sites 24, 25, 33, and 35 are listed accessible on Recreation.gov. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is there cell service at Cages Bend?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 4G LTE at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map