Sumner County: Old Hickory Lake and Historical Discoveries
Accommodation in Sumner County
Sumner County combines the expansive waters of Old Hickory Lake with historic homes, traces of early settlements, and cultural sites. Those wishing to plan a trip with nature, activity, and history will find various points of interest here: days on the water, short walks through distinctive landscapes, historic buildings, and events at the restored Palace Theater. When choosing a vacation rental or holiday home, the desired pace of the trip is particularly important.
Water Activities at Old Hickory Lake
Old Hickory Lake covers 22,500 acres of water and offers opportunities for a variety of recreational activities. Pleasure boats, sailboats, personal watercraft, and fishing boats operate on the lake. This makes the region suitable for different ideas of a day by the water, without all travelers having to define relaxation in the same way.
Old Hickory Lake has four designated swimming beaches with picnic tables, grills, restrooms, and boat ramps. Those wishing to combine time by the water with a nature walk can plan to visit the Old Hickory Lake Nature Trail. The trail is 1.1 miles long in total and includes three loops: Willow Swamp Loop, Wildlife Loop, and Woodland Loop. Bledsoe Creek State Park also has a fishing pier accessible from the parking areas via paved paths.
Nature and Active Days
For a more athletic option, there is the mountain biking course at Lock 4 Park in Middle Tennessee. This opportunity adds another form of activity to the offerings at the lake. Those traveling with companions who have different interests can include water activities, a short nature trail, and a more active excursion in their itinerary. Sumner County is only a few minutes from Nashville and can therefore also be combined with a detour to the nearby major city.
Historic Homes and Early Settlement History
The county’s history is reflected in several distinct sites. Rock Castle is a historic house on the shore of Old Hickory Lake in the Federal and Georgian styles. Cragfont was the home of General James Winchester and was built between 1798 and 1802. The building represents the architecture of the late Georgian period and is furnished with Federal antiques.
Wynnewood is the largest surviving log house building in Tennessee and one of only 31 National Historic Landmarks in the state. Its main building was constructed in 1828 by A. R. Wynne, William Cage, and Stephen Roberts as a stagecoach stop on the Nashville-Knoxville Road. At Bledsoe’s Fort Historical Park, the grounds, paths, interpretive areas, historic buildings, and cemetery landscape preserve the memory of Isaac Bledsoe’s frontier station, early settlers’ buildings, and the first years of settlement in Sumner County. The park also includes the Hugh Rogan Cottage and the Nathaniel Parker Cabin. At Historic Mansker’s Station, visitors can experience life on the Tennessee frontier in the 18th century.
Culture in Historic Buildings
More recent cultural offerings are also connected with the region’s history. The Monthaven Arts & Cultural Center is located in a historic mansion that has been transformed into a creative center. The Palace Theater in Gallatin opened in 1913 as a silent movie theater. The restored theater hosts films, concerts, and community performances. Pineapples were grown in Tennessee at Oak Grove Farms. The South Tunnel General Store was built in 1859, expanding the selection of historic destinations with a 19th-century building.
Choose the Right Starting Point
If your focus is on swimming, boating, or fishing, your accommodation search should take the desired time by the water into account. For historical discoveries and cultural variety, a different focus may be appropriate. A vacation rental in Sumner County provides the setting to plan your days flexibly between nature, the lake, and history, without limiting the trip to just one activity. For further orientation, you can also include Gallatin, Hendersonville, and Cottontown in your search.
For the overarching travel overview: Tennessee.
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