Filed under: Campgrounds & RV Parks, Nature & Wildlife, Outdoor Recreation & Hiking, RV Campgrounds, State & National Parks, Uncategorized
Henry Horton S.P., Tennessee
November 30, 2012 by Traveler8343 · 2 Comments
As winter approached and sub-freezing temperatures were just around the corner, I still had some winterizing left to do with my Fun Finder trailer. After flushing the tanks as we left Top Sail RV Park in Santa Rosa, Florida months ago, we ended up having to use the toilet on the way home. When it came time to winterize I was not going to do it if there was any waste in the system.
So-o, we needed to find a dump site and clean out the tanks properly. We decided that it was a good time to check Tennessee’s state park system, which is purported to offer full facilities at their campsites. Henry Horton State Park in Chapel Hill, Tennessee is only 27 miles from our new home. We headed there one cloudy afternoon, planning on an open-ended stay at the campsite (a benefit of retirement) and a thorough cleaning of our black and gray water tanks before we left.
Henry Horton is a 1,532-acre state park named after Governor Horton (1927-1933), 36th governor of Tennessee. The park features 75 campsites situated near the scenic Duck River, the longest mostly navigable river, located fully within the state of Tennessee. It is further distinguished by containing 151 species of fish, making it one of the most biologically diverse rivers in North America. 19 of the campsites are primitive tent sites. The remaining 56 are RV sites with water and electric hookups. There is a dump station near the entrance. All sites have tables, grills and fire rings, and most are wooded. A large group tent camp site is also available.
The RV sites have deteriorated over the years, with many of the pads cracked and broken. This wasn’t surprising, though, since even many new RV parks have broken pads caused by the weight of many modern RVs. The electric hookups are 30A, I think; we tripped the fuse shortly after arriving, something we hadn’t done before with 30A service. The electric outlets are standard household receptacles, so bring along a converter plug for your 30A electric cable. Also bring along a rake or leaf blower if there’s a chance the pad is buried under fallen leaves. Ours was and, having arrived in the dark, we had some trouble locating the pad.
The campground host told us of hopes that funds would be made available in 2013 to renovate the park and its campsites. Let’s hope that the money is there during these times of economic troubles.
Amenities include 4 hiking trails, a picnic area, a restaurant, an inn, an Olympic-sized pool, and a trap and skeet range. The Duck River is nearby, where you can fish, canoe or kayak. Two bathhouses are available seasonally. Also available are cabins and an 18-hole golf course said to be one of the nicest in the state. For more information about the park, please call the park office at (931) 364-2222 or visit www.tnstateparks.com/HenryHorton.
Brochure: http://www.tn.gov/environment/parks/brochures/pdf/henryhorton.pdf
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Howdy 8343,
Where have you been? been missing you! Be glad HHorton isn't over in East Tennessee, where the Middle Easterners have taken over; they wouldn't know what to do in an RV park, but park their camels, next to your trailer and camels do 'SMELL' Wish y'all had chosen Oklahoma, now, for your 'new' home!
Hello Butterbean,
Good hearing from you. Thanks for writing in. I see that Facebook has left you with half of a face. I lost my chin, as you can see from my photo. I've been lying low for a while, not feeling up to doing much of anything. You know, sometimes you just want to go to your cave and be left alone… I've been thinking about you and the "desertification" of the American Southwest, a fancy way of saying when you've got a whole lot of sun and no rain. Take care and keep checking in. I'll try not to disappoint you.