Located on the shores of Kentucky Lake, one of the largest manmade lakes in the world, and the Tennessee River, Camden and Benton County offer some of the best hunting and fishing in the South. Camden is also famous for North America’s only freshwater pearl farm.
Plan a vacation around the area’s recreational playground. Camden is ideal water sports enthusiasts with beautiful Kentucky Lake and the scenic Tennessee River close at hand. Spend time in the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge while biking, birding, boating, fishing, horseback riding, hunting or watching wildlife. You’ll find a rich diversity of waterfowl, aquatic life and other creatures. April brings great crappie fishing at Birdsong, Eagle and Beaverdam creeks. You'll also find the fishing's fine for largemouth, spotted and smallmouth bass, catfish and bluegill. For more adventure, jump in the saddle and tour the hills and valleys on the Birdsong Trail Ride.
Stay in the great outdoors at Birdsong Resort, where you can enjoy the lake, camp, fish and hike. Nearby, visit the Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl Museum, Farm, Tour & Jewelry Showroom. It’s the only pearl farm in the United States.
Country music superstar Patsy Cline already had a string of hits to her credit when “Crazy” became the number two country hit in 1962. In Camden, an engraved rock marks the spot where Cline’s life ended abruptly in a plane crash on March 5, 1963. The Patsy Cline Memorial Weekend in early March pays homage to the star and those who perished with her.
In November 1864, Confederate troops under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest, the “wizard of the saddle,” destroyed the Union supply depot at Johnsonville. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps expanded a local historic park at Pilot Knob to create Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park, popular for picnicking, camping, hiking and fishing.
Find your way through the park to Eva and the Tennessee River Folklife Interpretive Center on Pilot Knob, the highest point in West Tennessee. Discover displays about Tennessee River travel during the 1800s and learn more about General Forrest. There is a spectacular view of Kentucky Lake as well as the trailhead for four hikes that wind through more than 20 miles of the park’s 2,587 acres. A long-distance backpacking trail has backcountry shelters and primitive campsites.
