Montgomery Bell State Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Montgomery Bell State Park
Replica of the log house where the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was founded in 1810
Montgomery Bell State Park Location in Tennessee
Location	Dickson County, Tennessee, United States
Area	3,782 acres (15.31 km2)
Elevation	758 ft (231 m)
Established	1943
Named for	Montgomery Bell
Visitors	avg. 1,000,000 a year
Governing body	Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation

Montgomery Bell State Park is a cool Tennessee state park in Burns, Tennessee, United States. This big park covers about 3,782 acres. Its official height is 758 feet above sea level. However, the land actually ranges from 580 feet to 860 feet high. The park is open all year for fun activities. You can go boating, hiking, camping, fishing, and play golf here.

This park was built during the Great Depression. It was created by workers from the Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps. Back then, it was called Montgomery Bell Recreational Demonstration Area. The park is named after a famous iron maker, Montgomery Bell. It's also known as the special place where the Cumberland Presbyterian Church began.

Park History: From Iron to Recreation

Montgomery Bell State Park is in a spot that was once busy with the iron industry. This was a big business in Middle Tennessee.

Who Was Montgomery Bell?

The park is named after Montgomery Bell. He came to Tennessee from Pennsylvania. In 1804, Bell bought an iron works business. He made his business grow very big. People called him "Tennessee's First Iron Master."

Bell's business grew even more during the War of 1812. His furnaces made cannonballs for General Andrew Jackson's army. They also made many farm tools. These tools were used all over the Southeastern United States. Montgomery Bell became very wealthy. Before he died in 1855, he started to free his slaves. He sent 88 people to Liberia.

Laurel Furnace: An Old Iron Works

Laurel Furnace was an important iron furnace in this area. It was built in 1815 by Robert Napier. By 1820, Napier was making 660 tons of iron. This iron was worth over $32,000. The pig iron from Laurel Furnace was sent to Turnbull Forge. There, it was made into better quality iron. You can still see the ruins of this old furnace in the park today.

Birthplace of a Church

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church started here in 1810. It began in the log cabin home of Reverend Samuel McAdow. This cabin was located right where the park is now. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church is a small Christian group.

Today, a copy of McAdow's cabin stands in the park. A special sandstone chapel is also nearby. These two buildings are popular places to visit in Montgomery Bell State Park.

Building the Park During the Great Depression

Montgomery Bell State Park was created during the Great Depression. It was part of a program called the Recreational Demonstration Area. This program built 46 public parks across 24 states. The National Park Service used workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration. These groups helped build Montgomery Bell Recreational Demonstration Area.

After World War II, many of these areas became state parks. Montgomery Bell State Park was given to Tennessee in 1943.

Movies and More

The 1987 movie Ernest Goes to Camp was filmed right here at the park!

Park Resort: Stay and Play

Montgomery Bell State Park is also known as Montgomery Bell State Resort Park. It has a Lodge, a conference center, cabins, and a golf course.

The Lodge and Cabins

The Resort Lodge was built in 1951. It has 117 hotel rooms. The Lodge sits next to Lake Acorn. It was fully updated in October 2020. The rooms are big and have balconies that look over the lake.

The Lodge has a restaurant, a lounge, and an outdoor swimming pool. There's also an exercise room, an outdoor fire pit, and free Wi-Fi. The Lodge has over 6,000 square feet of space for events. There are also two outdoor event spots. The Lake Acorn Pavilion has great views of the lake. It can hold up to 200 people.

The park also has eight modern cabins. These cabins are fully furnished. They are part of a plan to build eco-friendly homes in Tennessee's state parks.

Dining and Golf

The restaurant and lounge were also updated in October 2020. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. You can enjoy classic foods like Hot Chicken and Waffles. They also offer local drinks. The restaurant can also provide food for events.

The Frank G. Clement Golf Course was built in the 1970s. It is an 18-hole course. It's a par 72 course.

Recreation: Fun for Everyone

Montgomery Bell State Park is open all year for many activities.

Trails and Water Fun

There are 20 miles of mountain biking trails in the park. You can go Boating and fishing on Lake Acorn and Lake Woodhaven. Creech Hollow Lake is also open for fishing, but you can't use boats there. You might catch fish like crappie, channel catfish, bluegill, and shellcracker.

The park has 19 miles of hiking trails. You can even camp overnight on some trails. Lake Acorn has a beach where you can go swimming.

Camping and Golfing

There's a large camping area for groups like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. The park has 121 campsites for RVs and tents.

The Montgomery Bell Golf Course is also a big draw. It was built in 1973 and updated in 1988. Hole #2 is a special hole, 446 yards long. It has trees along the fairways and four sand traps near the green. The course is very wooded and you might see lots of wildlife. Every spring, the park hosts The Dogwood Classic golf event.