Bumpus Mills Campground
Bumpus Mills, Tennessee
Verified · 3 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $24
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Bumpus Mills Campground
Bumpus Mills Campground is a small U.S. Army Corps of Engineers campground on the upstream, wooded end of Lake Barkley in Stewart County, Tennessee, near the town of Bumpus Mills. Recreation.gov lists a designated swimming site on the property alongside camping, boating, and fishing, and it sits adjacent to the Bumpus Mills Marina. For campers who want a swimming hole steps from their site, this end of Lake Barkley is an easy lake to swim in.
The campground occupies a stretch of Lake Barkley's upper reservoir surrounded by wooded rolling hills in rural Stewart County, TN, with several campsites directly on the water and a boat ramp and marina nearby.
Swimming at Bumpus Mills Campground
Swimming happens off a small onsite beach reached by a short trail from the campground, directly on the reservoir shoreline; it is a low-key lake swim area used by campers and boaters rather than a supervised or heavily developed beach.
How to get to this swimming hole
From Nashville, take I-24 west toward Clarksville, then Highway 79 South for about 20 miles to Highway 120; continue on Highway 120 for about 10 miles, turn onto Tobaccoport Road for 2.8 miles, then Oak Hill Road for 0.9 miles to the campground entrance at 764 Forest Trail, Bumpus Mills, TN 37028.
The hike in
- Time on foot
- well under 5 minutes on foot
Difficulty: easy - flat, short walk on maintained campground path
Trailhead: No formal named trailhead; the path starts inside the campground loop itself. Camper reports describe three short, separate paths from the campground: one to the day-use beach area, one a short nature trail, and one over to the marina.
Not a backcountry trail - it's a very short, flat walk within the developed campground from the camp sites/parking to the swim beach; multiple reviewers call it a 'short trail' and the paths 'very short lovely trails' but no source gives an exact distance in miles or minutes.
This is a walk-to-beach situation, not a hike-in swimming hole; no elevation change, water crossings, or scrambling reported.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
It's a small, low-key reservoir beach (campers describe it as 'a nice little beach') reached by a flat walk from the campground, so entry itself is easy, but it's unsupervised (no lifeguard mentioned anywhere) and sits right next to a boat ramp/marina with pontoon traffic, so watch young kids near the shoreline and boat channel.
Parking
Lot
Park at the campground and walk the short internal path to the beach; several reviewers note the campground's internal roads are narrow and tree-lined ('narrow road and the amount of trees,' 'curvy... rough shape'), so trailers/larger rigs should approach carefully. No separate day-use beach lot or fee was found.
Restrooms
Yes
Campground shower house / restroom building near the sites (not a dedicated beach restroom). Multiple camper reviews note inconsistent maintenance and hot water: 'the first stall never got hot, but the larger (accessible) shower got hot and worked great,' and other reviews mention bugs and cleanliness varying by day.
Hours
The campground (and its beach) is seasonal, roughly early May through early September, per campflare.com; the onsite marina restaurant was reported by one 2023 reviewer as open Fri/Sat/Sun only during their stay.
On the water
The campground has its own boat ramp and sits beside Bumpus Mills Marina; one 2022 reviewer specifically mentions renting a pontoon boat at the marina, and The Dyrt reviewers describe the campground as popular with 'kayakers and boaters.' No official restriction (no-wake, electric-only, etc.) was found in any source, and canoe/paddleboard use, while plausible on a lake like this, wasn't specifically confirmed.
Rentals nearby
Bumpus Mills Marina
Pontoon boat rental (confirmed by a camper review); also has a boat ramp and, per one 2023 reviewer, an onsite restaurant open Friday-Sunday.
Adjacent to Bumpus Mills Campground, about 0.4 mi from the campground per RIDB facility data.
What regulars say
Visitor reports describe a quiet, low-crowd campground ('super quiet,' fireflies at night, friendly camp host) with a small onsite beach and three short walking paths (beach, nature trail, marina). Recurring complaints are about maintenance rather than the water itself: gnat/bug infestations, inconsistent hot water in the shower house, and a reportedly unused/dirty laundry room. One visitor who rented a pontoon at the marina had a positive experience. Access roads into the campground are narrow, tree-lined, and 'curvy... rough shape' per a 2022 report, so larger rigs should take it slow. No visitor commented on water clarity specifically.
Bumpus Mills Campground: FAQ
Does Bumpus Mills Campground charge a fee?
Campsite fees range from about $24 to $30 per night (booked via Recreation.gov); no separate day-use or swim-access fee was found.
Is Bumpus Mills Campground kid friendly?
It's a small, low-key reservoir beach (campers describe it as 'a nice little beach') reached by a flat walk from the campground, so entry itself is easy, but it's unsupervised (no lifeguard mentioned anywhere) and sits right next to a boat ramp/marina with pontoon traffic, so watch young kids near the shoreline and boat channel.
How hard is the hike to Bumpus Mills Campground?
A hike is required (well under 5 minutes on foot). Wear real shoes, since approaches to natural swim spots are often rocky or rooty.
Where do I park for Bumpus Mills Campground?
Park at the campground and walk the short internal path to the beach; several reviewers note the campground's internal roads are narrow and tree-lined ('narrow road and the amount of trees,' 'curvy... rough shape'), so trailers/larger rigs should approach carefully. No separate day-use beach lot or fee was found.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Bumpus Mills Campground?
The campground has its own boat ramp and sits beside Bumpus Mills Marina; one 2022 reviewer specifically mentions renting a pontoon boat at the marina, and The Dyrt reviewers describe the campground as popular with 'kayakers and boaters.' No official restriction (no-wake, electric-only, etc.) was found in any source, and canoe/paddleboard use, while plausible on a lake like this, wasn't specifically confirmed.
When is the best time to visit Bumpus Mills Campground?
Summer, during the campground's operating season (early May through early September).
What are the rules at Bumpus Mills Campground?
Operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District; campground is seasonal (early May through early September) with a 14-day maximum stay in any 30-day period; only heat-treated firewood is permitted per Corps policy.
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