Edgar Evins State Park, TN

June 30^th  – July 7^th

The Tennessee State Park system is amazing and we were met with yet another surprise as we arrived at Edgar Evins State Park... our campsite is on a wooden dock, much like a pier.  Yes, the pictures on the website showed the dock rails and the description indicated a wood parking surface but it simply did not register much less make sense. 

Well, it is fun to park on the dock and pretend you are on a houseboat or in a tree house.  Our site is bordered by trees and we park at the mid-point of their height.  Below us the ground drops at a steep angle to the lake.  We were not the only ones smiling at the experience, our cat was amazed as she steps out of the trailer onto a wooden dock suspended over dry land and connected to land only at the road. 

The park is part of the Center Hill Lake area, formed when the Caney River was dammed.  There are several campgrounds, picnic area, boat docks, and marinas bordering the lake which allow ample access to the water.  

View of Marina from the campsite

Our interests are canoeing and hiking while others prefer motorized boats and fishing.  There are large fish in the lake but mostly the catch we observe are 6”-10”.  However, a few campers specialize in catfish and caught huge fish with interesting schemes. 

Unfortunately much of our stay was a huge rain event where the lake rose about 4 feet.  The original plan was to relocate to Smithville for the Smithville Jamboree; however, the continued rain changed our plans.  

Yes, it did rain and these campers were prepared

When our campsite became available due to a cancellation we opted to spend a few more days on the 'dock' knowing we would be high and dry.  The remainder of the time we enjoyed the campground, the dock, and the area.

Campground shore line