Bledsoe Creek State Park - Geographical and Natural Setting

Geographical and Natural Setting

The Cumberland River, which enters Tennessee from the mountains of Kentucky to the northeast, flows westward across Sumner County en route to the Nashville area. Old Hickory Lake, created in 1954 by the completion of Old Hickory Dam and Lock near Hendersonville, spans a 97-mile (156 km) section of the river between the dam and Cordell Hull Dam near Carthage. Approximately 30 miles (48 km) upstream from Old Hickory Dam, the Cumberland River absorbs Bledsoe Creek, which flows southward from its source on the northern Highland Rim, forming an embayment that spans the lower 2 miles (3.2 km) of the creek. Bledsoe Creek State Park spans most of the northwest shore of this embayment.

Bledsoe Creek State Park is situated just off Tennessee State Route 25 (Hartsville Pike), roughly halfway between Gallatin and Hartsville, and 35 miles (56 km) northeast of Nashville. The park is located entirely in Sumner County. The park is managed by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, which leases the land from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Bledsoe Creek State Park is located in the Central Basin physiographic region. The park's terrain consists of low hills that give way to a flat shoreline. Approximately 68% of the park is forested and 12% is aquatic, with the remainder being open fields or developed land. Fauna include whitetail deer, wild turkey, beaver, bobcat, fox, and muskrat. Bald eagles and golden eagles are occasionally spotted in winter.