Montgomery Bell State Park

1020 Jackson Hill Rd, Burns, TN 37029, USA

Address:	1020 Jackson Hill Rd, Burns, TN 37029, USA
Phone:	+1 615-797-3101
Site:	tnstateparks.com
Rating:	4.4

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 4

Tabatha Leath

I understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Just not sure what Tom saw that was excellent. I just recently stayed at the Montgomery Bell Park Inn as my husband was attending a company conference. While in the conference room my husband stated that the air conditioner wasnt working, it got very stuffy and hot, so they went to lunch at the Inn restaurant which was very good. The group decided to stay and go over their meeting at the table they had eaten at because it was cooler there. Their waiter proceeded to be very rude and said " Im goning to have to clean that table at some point..." and walked away. The group leader told the waiter that the reason they were there was because the conference room they paid money for didnt have any working air conditioning. Mean While, I was there waiting on my husband to finish with his conference. I had an opportunity to wonder around the place a bit. I wanted a drink from a soda & water machine but had no cash, bummer, the machine only took cash. So I proceeded to the front desk which was very helpful to say that they could not give me any cash from my debit card but I could go to their gift shop and purchase drinks thereand then they could take my debit card? Hum? Scratching my Head... I said Ok thats fine thank you. Isnt this the year 2013?? Nobody carries cash much these days and really how hard is to have soda machines that take a debit card? So, anyway I continued to look around some more and went to the paddle boats and swimming area. The paddle boats and canoe boats where very reasonably priced at $5 per Hour, but again they ONLY TOOK CASH! Ugh! Really! I would have gladly paid 10 dollars an hour for a paddle boat if they offered credit or debit service... Please! The swimming area of the lake needed some attention, like more new sand and little more up keep there. they only had one guy working there to help with boat rentals and life jacket dispensing and he also had the bath house duties, so he was going back and forth between the two places. In General the place could be GREAT! but it isnt. It needs a lot of TLC. the Out side of our room that we stayed in had a balcony that over looked the water but it had spider webs and bug debri all over it and the chairs. Housekeeping apparently doesnt do anything to balcony areas. Also, I noticed the entire outside of the Park Inn the Windows were very NASTY and had never been cleaned! Doesnt our State Parks get Funding anymore! If not its Sad because it SHOWS! This Park and other Parks here in TENNESSEE need Upgrades and Lots BETTER UPKEEP! So It could be Great but it isnt and it could be Excellent but it definitely is Not! TN. Gov. Get Modern Please and Take Pride in Your Parks!!

Adam Laudie

There is a time each year when the seasons seem to hang in that giddy free-fall of apogee; gone is the stifling weight of Summers heat, and Winters bite is still still waiting for the last encore of Autumn. Wanting to enjoy to the utmost this perfection of weather, I ventured today along the hiking trails of the Montgomery Bell State Park just east of Dickson, TN. The forest here can only be described as inspiring. What a rich palette of color awaited my hungering eyes as I strode the leaf-strewn path which wound its way through the private hush of a Fall afternoon. Interrupted only by the scolding of a grey squirrel and the blaze of white as a deer pranced away, I wound my way between cedar and beech, tulip poplar and oak, gum and maple. The understory was ablaze with the orange and crimson of the lesser trees, while high overhead rose the canopy of green and gold, reaching so majestically into the sky I felt as if I were treading in some holy cathedral. Below me wound a mossy brook, carving its way through solid slabs of shale, and providing a gentle murmur like the lullaby of mother Earth herself. I spent a few blissful hours along the path. It was like walking backward in time, and I pictured myself in moccasins and buckskin, armed with a flintlock and mind filled with the thoughts of possibility that surely must have been entertained by my ancestors as they plied these hills nearly two centuries ago. Only the deepening shadows forced me from the treasures of that hallowed wood, and it was with reluctance that I made my way back to my car and civilization. Yet as I drove the meandering road back to the highway, I left there a richer man. Nature does that to me. It pays back more than the effort to sojourn. And this state park, nestled among the beauty of the Tennessee hills, made me rich indeed... rich with a heart of gratitude that there are places like this where Earth is still very much the Eden it once was.

Craig Finley

Hiking trails are generally pretty good, and the park on the whole is very pretty. Its hilly and has a lot of hardwood. This time of year (early April) before the leaves are out, you can see a long way through the woods, and the white dogwood blossoms and pink redbuds make a beautiful contrast against the gray of the woods and the blue sky. The mountain bike trail system is very impressive, with lots of fun and picturesque trails. Usually we just go to Monty Bell for a day trip, but last night we stayed overnight in one of the cabins. The cabin it outwardly pretty attractive, a very modern style. The interior layout is very open, and many windows let in natural light. The front patio with outdoor fireplace was our favorite place to hang out. But the whole place seemed very neglected and kind of dirty. As an example, the firescreen on the fireplace was torn up very badly and was inoperable. We fortunately had well-seasoned wood that doesnt pop much, but it would have been a significant fire hazard otherwise. The refrigerator door handle was missing, the upper windows look like they hadnt been cleaned since before last summer, judging from all the spiderwebs and mud-dauber nests that looked fully intact. The interior floors are all stained concrete, which were attractive enough but there was only one rug for the main gathering room and one in a bedroom (none in the other bedroom). There was no coffee table in the gathering room, adding to the impression that the place is extremely sparsely furnished. The floors were dirty, including a very generous hardened smear of something that looked like peanut butter on the floor in front of the dishwasher. It was just kind of yucky inside. Overall as a place to stay, it was pretty disappointing. The upkeep reflects very little regard for the comfort and enjoyment of the guests.

Ally S

The campground in this park is called Four Mile Creek Campground. Enter from the 70 side and go straight down the main road. The campground is on the right. Its easy to miss, so go slow. Checkin is at a little shed at the campground. The shed was staffed by an unprofessionally dressed girl who didnt offer directions to our campsite and seemed put out when asked for a map. This campground feels separate from the rest of the park. Its located a distance from most of the parks amenities and does not feel as well maintained as the rest of the park. The campground is very tight for larger rigs. The road is narrow with low branches that need trimming. We came in on a Friday (big mistake). The park was full. Most spaces do not have enough room to park cars, so people just park their cars hanging out into the narrow little road. Try negotiating a fifth wheel through this mess. Not fun. The campsites are very tight for a state park. We were in site 118. This site is not angled properly, so parking a 37 footer in this space was very difficult. It was raining when we came in and everything was so muddy. The gravel sites need the gravel refreshed badly. The park itself is pretty and seems to have a lot to offer, but Id find a different place to camp if I were to do it all again.