1 hr 50 min
By car from the Public Square, 102 mi
Field Guide 04 · Tennessee State Parks
Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park
Named in 1929 for the Confederate general, on Kentucky Lake around Pilot Knob, one of the highest points in West Tennessee. Cabins, a campground, Eva Beach, the Tennessee River Folklife Museum and the 6.85-mile Red Rock overnight trail.
Benton CountyEvaOpenChecked October 20, 2026
2,700
Acres
671,415
Visitors in fiscal 2022
8
Trails listed, 20 miles
Cabins
Overnight: camping, cabins
6
Activities the state lists
What's there
Things to do
- Birding
- Camping
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Paddling
- Swimming
On site
- Adult-Sized Changing Table
- All-Terrain Wheelchair
- Beach
- Bike Trails
- Birding
- Boat Ramp
- Cabins
- Campground
- Canoe Access
- Colorblind Viewfinder
- Disc Golf Course
- Fishing
- Gift Shop
- Group Lodges
- Museum
- Paddle Rentals
- Playground
- Swimming
- Trails
- Visitor Center
The trails
| Trail | Miles | Difficulty | Surface | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campground Road Loop Trail | 2.75 | — | Natural | Open |
| Chester Hollow Trail | 3.2 | Moderate | Natural | Open |
| Fossil Point Trail | 2.15 | — | Natural | Open |
| Happy Hollow Interpretive Trail | 0.8 | Difficult | Natural | Closed |
| Pafford Wilson Trail | 0.95 | Moderate | Natural | Open |
| Pilot Knob Loop Trail | 3.05 | Easy | Natural | Open |
| Polk Creek Wildflower Trail | 0.3 | Easy | Natural | Open |
| Red Rock Overnight Trail | 6.85 | — | Natural | Open |
As the park's hiking page lists them on October 20, 2026. Lengths are one way unless the trail is a loop, and some trails share ground, so the total is the sum of the list, not the miles on the ground.
Where to camp
- Nathan Bedford Forrest Happy Hollow CampgroundTent & RV
- Nathan Bedford Forrest Lakefront CampgroundPrimitive
- Group CampgroundGroup Camp
Getting there
1825 Pilot Knob Road, Eva, TN 38333
Park office: 1-731-593-6445
The park's page at Tennessee State Parks
Campsites, cabins and lodge rooms are booked online through the park's page or by phone at 1-888-867-2757, the state's reservation line.
Nearby
- Johnsonville State Historic Park4 miles away as the crow flies · 1 hr 30 min from Franklin
- Natchez Trace State Park25 miles away as the crow flies · 1 hr 30 min from Franklin
- Paris Landing State Park25 miles away as the crow flies · 2 hr 10 min from Franklin
- Mousetail Landing State Park30 miles away as the crow flies · 1 hr 50 min from Franklin
How we know
Every fact on this page but the summary at the top is the state's, read on the date above, except the drive: that is Valhalla's route on OpenStreetMap's roads from Franklin's Public Square to the park office, with no traffic, rounded to five minutes. Visits are the park plan's count for the year named, mostly from traffic counters. How the guide was made.
- The park. Tennessee State Parks: the Find a Park list, the park's own page, its hiking page and its camping page, read October 20, 2026.
- Acres. The park's strategic management plan.
- Visitors. The park's strategic management plan, its site fact sheet for fiscal 2022 (July 2021 to June 2022).