Tennessee's Underrated Camping And Hiking Lake State Park Is An Easy Day Trip From Memphis

Little compares to spending time in Tennessee's beautiful, overlooked alternative to Nashville, with fewer crowds and more affordable attractions. After all, Memphis is the soul of the South, a city steeped in blues, barbecue, and adventure. But for those craving quiet trails, lakeside cabins, and open water, the real adventure begins a 1.5-hour drive from Memphis at Chickasaw State Park.

Nestled in Tennessee's over 12,000-acre Chickasaw State Forest, the state park spans 1,400 additional acres in Henderson, Tennessee. Day trips from Memphis are easy at just over an hour and a half's drive via I-40 East and Tennessee Highway 100 East. Even those flying in will likely land at the Memphis International Airport (MEM), the closest large transportation hub, and take a similar route to the park. From the Nashville area, it's a 140-mile drive to Chickasaw, but allow yourself extra travel time if you're flying into Nashville International Airport (BNA), one of the absolute worst airports for layovers in the U.S.

Once you arrive, the stunning Lake Placid offers a sandy beach, swimming, and a boat dock for year-round fishing, pedal boating, and kayaking, and nearby Lake Lajoie offers fishing and boating when its group camping area is closed. Lake Placid is accessible from the park's three campgrounds and cabins, while Lake Lajoie is further down State Highway 100 from the park's main area. Regardless of the area of the park, from hiking beneath the towering pines or roasting marshmallows by the campfire, Chickasaw State Park offers a peaceful, adventure-filled getaway.

Chickasaw State Park has upwards of four miles of multi-use trails for hikers and horseback riders, along with the miles of trails in the surrounding national forest. The park's lake perimeter trails are some of the most popular, like Lake Placid's Lake Shore Trail, an easy 1.8-mile trail. A highlight of the Lake Shore Trail is the wooden footbridge that crosses over the lake's center. 

Though the lake trails offer stunning views, some consider the best trails at Chickasaw State Park the 0.95-mile Forked Pine Nature Trail and the 1.2-mile Friends Nature Trail. The local Chickasaw Riding Stables offers guided horseback rides and rentals from the park's horse stables at the Wrangler Campground. Visitors can also bike along the park's scenic trails or spend a leisurely afternoon at its 18-hole golf course, designed in part by pro golfer Jack Nicklaus.

Lake Placid is open year-round, and its boat dock provides rentals and personal boat launches around the clock during the summer months from Memorial Day to early August and on weekends until October 16. Park-goers have raved about the large sandy beach, swimming area, paddle boat and canoe rentals, and fishing opportunities on the lake. Lake Placid is known for its all-season fishing for multiple bass species, crappie, and catfish populations. Boat rentals are available all year at the park office. 

Chickasaw State Park offers a range of accommodation options, from RV sites and tent camping to furnished cabins and even equestrian campsites. The park's three campgrounds offer a total of 114 sites, all equipped with grills and picnic tables for comfort. Each of the three campgrounds also has restroom and hot shower facilities on site. Check the Tennessee State Park website when reserving for potential site and campground closures for ongoing renovations at the park. 

The RV campground is accessible from Tennessee State Highway 100 by turning onto Campground Road to a double loop formation on the left. It features 53 sites with water and electrical hookups, a portion of which feature pull-through accommodations and sewer access. Sites 23 through 26 are ADA-accessible. The Wrangler Campground offers 32 equestrian-friendly campsites near the park's horse stables and equestrian trails in a loop off Campground Road. The Tent Campground features 29 sites further down Lake Placid on Lake Levee Lane.

The park offers 13 standard two-bedroom or historic one-bedroom cabins around Lake Placid opposite the campgrounds. The cabins come with fireplaces, linens, and full-sized kitchens, starting at $131 per night, available year-round. With Tennessee tourism soaring, many travelers find themselves in the state for new experiences, like driving the Gold Record Road, "the world's number one music destination" on an unbelievably scenic Southern road trip. Whether passing through or on a weekend retreat, Chickasaw provides unique and peaceful accommodation options that make it ideal to settle in and stay awhile.