Shelter and playground
TAILWATER REC AREA
Boat Ramp has guide lights
Tailwater Rec Area
Tailwater Rec Area

Featured amenities

Pet Friendly Pet Friendly
River Access River Access

About Tailwater Rec Area

Tailwater Recreation Area is located just below Cordell Hull Lake and Dam on the Cumberland River System, outside the town of Carthage, TN. The lake itself was named after one of America's outstanding statesmen and one of Tennessee's finest volunteers. Hull was born in a log cabin in the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains. Families and friends enjoy coming to the lake for boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, hunting and relaxing in the outdoors. Click here for a virtual tour of the Cordell Hull Lake facilities.

Activities & Attractions

Nearby

Boating

Boating

Spring Summer Fall
Fishing

Fishing

Year-round
Hiking

Hiking

Year-round
Hunting

Hunting

Year-round
Swimming

Swimming

Summer

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently closed

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Pet friendly Pet friendly
River Access River Access
Water Access

Water Access

  • River Access
Pets and Policies

Pets and Policies

  • Pet friendly
Missing information?

Reviews

2 reviews

Summary

AI generated

A reservation was made but had to be canceled the next day, resulting in no refund. The individual noted a $10 fee to reschedule, despite availability. Overall, the experience highlighted challenges with the cancellation policy.

Based on guest feedback

3.0

Overall rating

Based on 2 reviews

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Showing 2 reviews

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Kimberly Q

October 18, 2025

Made a reservation and needed to cancel it the next day but couldnt get a refund....I understand but it was going to cost $10 to move it to another day even though they had plenty of openings

Helpful

Kimberly Q

October 18, 2025

Made a reservation and needed to cancel it the next day but couldnt get a refund....I understand but it was going to cost $10 to move it to another day even though they had plenty of openings

Helpful

Location & Directions for Tailwater Rec Area

71 Corps Lane, Carthage, TN 37030-9710 United States

Elevation: 152 ft

Getting There

From I-40, take Exit 258, travel north on HWY 53/25, turn right on SR-26 and travel for 2 mi. Turn right on Corps Lane and follow signs into recreation area.

Nearest town

Carthage, TN - 3.4 mi

About 7 min to downtown

Highway access

Tailwater Rec Area is accessible via I-40 at Exit 258, followed by HWY 53/25 and SR-26. The campground is located approximately 2 miles from SR-26.

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: October 7, 2026

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Explore Carthage, TN

Population: 2,327

Nearby city: Hendersonville, TN

Approx. 38 mi away (straight-line distance)

Elevation: 518 ft

Carthage, TN

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US Army Corps of Engineers Logo
Managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers