Army Corps of Engineers · Cordell Hull Lake · Gainesboro, TN

Salt Lick Creek

Salt Lick Creek Campground is located on Cordell Hull Lake on the Cumberland River System, just 10 miles from Gainesboro, TN. The lake itself was named after one of America's outstanding statesmen and one of Tennessee's finest volunteers. Hull was born in a log cabin in the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains. Families and friends enjoy coming to the lake for boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, hunting, and relaxing in the outdoors.

Reservable · Recreation.gov 151 sites 106 ft max Full hookupsPets okFires ok

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

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗

Photos courtesy of USACE, AAW · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Standard with electric		142
group standard electric		3
group shelter electric		1
Host/management		5

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 29 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

146 sites in 4 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

Site	Loop	Type	Entry	Fits, ft	Surface	Power	Water / sewer	People / vehicles	Fires
001	LAKE	Electric	Back-in	20	Gravel	20/50 amp	Yes / –	8 / 2	Yes
002	LAKE	Electric	Back-in	20	Gravel	20/50 amp	Yes / –	8 / 2	Yes
003	LAKE	Electric	Pull-through	20	Gravel	20/50 amp	Yes / –	8 / 2	Yes
004	LAKE	Electric	Back-in	20	Gravel	20/50 amp	Yes / –	8 / 2	Yes
005	LAKE	Electric	Pull-through	40	Gravel	20/50 amp	Yes / –	8 / 2	Yes
006	LAKE	Electric	Back-in	20	Gravel	20/50 amp	Yes / –	8 / 2	Yes
007	LAKE	Electric	Back-in	20	Gravel	20/50 amp	Yes / –	8 / 2	Yes
008	LAKE	Electric	Back-in	20	Gravel	20/50 amp	Yes / –	8 / 2	Yes
009	LAKE	Electric	Pull-through	29	Gravel	20/50 amp	Yes / –	8 / 2	Yes
010	LAKE	Electric	Back-in	20	Gravel	20/50 amp	Yes / –	8 / 2	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 2:00 PM.

Campground map of Salt Lick Creek — Campground map published by Army Corps of Engineers on Recreation.gov, credited to LAN. Open the image for full size.

Amenities & rules

Hookups	Electric, water, sewer
Max vehicle length	106 ft
Equipment	RVs & trailers, Tents
Pets	Allowed
Campfires	Allowed, subject to restrictions

The campground offers 150 family sites and one large, group shelter, all with electric hookups. Amenities include flush toilets, showers, drinking water, laundry facilities, and a dump station. Also within the site is a boat ramp, playground and visitor center.

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 Gainesboro, 9 miles from the campground at 487 feet, station USC00403370 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 57 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 5 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Carthage, go 4 miles west on SR-25, then north on SR-80, then east on SR-85 to Gladice. Turn right on Smith Bend Road and follow signs.

Nearest town	Gainesboro, Tennessee
Coordinates	36.3228° N, 85.8086° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Dump station	Dump station ↗	0.9 mi
RV sales & service	Blue Compass ↗	33.9 mi
Outdoor gear	Vance Outdoor Power Equipment ↗	46.7 mi

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

Explore

Video

Campground Review - Salt Lick Creek. Gainesboro, Tennessee

Worth a stop

The historic town of Granville, TN is a 45-minute drive from the campground. Visitors enjoy celebrating the town's Heritage Day in May. Events include the Uncle Jimmy Thompson Bluegrass Festival, antique car and tractor shows, and Confederate Civil War living history presentations.

4.6 mi
Granville Marina ↗Boat launch
5.7 mi
Defeated Creek Marina ↗Boat launch

Other campgrounds nearby

Center Hill Lake Primitive Camping Areas

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

T.B. Sutton General StoreBuilding · Granville · 3.6 mi
Jackson County High SchoolBuilding · Gainesboro · 8.6 mi
Gainesboro Historic DistrictHistoric district · Gainesboro · 8.7 mi

Natural features

Cordell Hull Lake is situated among rolling hills wooded with a mixture of shady maple, hickory, oak, beech and chestnut trees. Summer temperatures range from the 60s to the 90s. Wildlife is abundant around the lake. Whitetail deer, wild turkeys, quail, squirrels, rabbits, and a wide variety of waterfowl are commonly seen throughout the area.

Recreation

The 12,000-acre lake stretches 72 miles upstream and has 381 miles of shoreline, offering recreational activities for just about any type of visitor. Anglers enjoy fishing for white bass, rockfish, largemouth bass, catfish, shad and crappie. Boating, sailing, water skiing, and jet skiing are popular activities on the water. Many miles of hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking trails surround the lake. The 6-mile Bearwaller Gap Trail has a trailhead in nearby Defeated Creek Park. Other trails in the area include the Turkey Creek Nature Trail and Bear Wheels Trail.

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 Salt Lick Creek?

Sites at Salt Lick Creek are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Salt Lick Creek?

Check-in 3:00 PM, checkout 2:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Salt Lick Creek have?

151 sites, including 142 standard sites with power, 3 group standard electric, and 1 group shelter electric.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Salt Lick Creek?

Recreation.gov lists no practical vehicle capacity limit for the largest site here, which usually means pull-through or open parking. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Does Salt Lick Creek have hookups?

Yes, electric, water, and sewer hookups at some sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there showers or a dump station at Salt Lick Creek?

Amenities include flush toilets, showers, drinking water, laundry facilities, and a dump station.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Salt Lick Creek?

Yes, pets are allowed at Salt Lick Creek. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Salt Lick Creek?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Salt Lick Creek?

The 12,000-acre lake stretches 72 miles upstream and has 381 miles of shoreline, offering recreational activities for just about any type of visitor. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Salt Lick Creek?

Gainesboro, Tennessee. The historic town of Granville, TN is a 45-minute drive from the campground.

Source: Getting there

What if Salt Lick Creek is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Defeated Creek Park (5.8 mi), Center Hill Lake Primitive Camping Areas (15.3 mi), and Long Branch (15.5 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby