Harrison Bay State Park holds a ton of special memories for me. Most of these wonderful memories come in the form of camping, family reunions and company picnics from my early teenage years. HBSP also became my employer the summers of 1985, 1986 and 1988 where I worked as a lifeguard. I have visited often the past couple of years to eat at the Dockside Cafe, a peaceful dockside experience with excellent food.
Camping
There are 128 RV campsites with only a few available to handle any RV’s longer than 65 feet. All have electricity and water hookups. Bath houses are in each of the 4 campgrounds and 1 centralized dumping station. You can purchase items in the park for your camping experience, such as firewood. Wifi is provided.
Pavilions
According to the Harrison Bay State Park website:
Harrison Bay State Park has 2 picnic shelters/pavilions that may be reserved for your next event or gathering. Depending on the shelter, the maximum capacity ranges from 30 to 75 people. The shelters are equipped with picnic tables and a grill. There are no restrooms located at the shelters. Depending upon the shelter, a playground, recreation hall, or horseshoe pits are nearby.
The cost to rent the pavilions for the day range from $41-52. You can make a reservation up to a year in advance.
Other Venues
From HBSP website:
The park offers multiple event venues perfect for weddings, corporate events, family reunions, and more. The Park has an air-conditioned Recreation Hall with restrooms, a full kitchen, a small stage, tables (eight-foot rectangular and five-foot round) and chairs, and a deck that overlooks the lake.
Minimum rental: 1 Day | Availability: Year Round | Capacity: 100
- Monday – Thursday rate: $265 – $281
- Friday – Sunday rate: $265 – $281
Golfing
From HBSP website:
The second Bear Trace course to open, Harrison Bay is destined to become a true classic in this collection designed by Jack Nicklaus. Located approximately 20 minutes north of downtown Chattanooga, the Bear Trace at Harrison Bay is surrounded by both water and heavily-wooded land, making an ideal setting for the course.
Please check their website or call for tee times and prices.
Swimming
As mentioned in the opening paragraph, I was a lifeguard at HBSP for 3 summers. I didn’t lifeguard there in 1987 because the state of Tennessee tore up the old pool and built a new on. I came back for the opening of the new pool in the summer of 1998. According to the website, the pool will not reopen this summer because of lower attendance and there is a huge lake to use for swimming activities.
Birding
Another clip from their website that I found very interesting:
Harrison Bay State Park is located on the largest open water area of Chickamauga Lake. Shorebirds, wintering waterfowl, osprey, and bald eagles are frequently seen. A bald eagle nest is located on the golf course and is the site for the “Eagle Cam” for Tennessee State Parks. One hundred thirty species of birds have been observed.
Other Activities
Being on the lake, there are numerous activities related to water. Boating, fishing and paddling are the most popular. You may bring your own paddleboards or rent one from the marina. The marina has ethanol-free gasoline for sale along with other marine and fishing equipment. Don’t forget about hiking, biking, walking and running the many trails and roadways.
Dockside Cafe
As I have written in other articles, I love getting together with my family. Sharing meals with my brothers and my sisters have been very memorable over the years and Dockside has played host on numerous occasions. Their seafood is excellent. I have always enjoyed their desserts.
Memories
After the new pool opened in 1988, I was home for the summer from attending college where I played football. I started out that summer close to 270 pounds. With a new pool where you could swim laps, my breaks while on lifeguard duty consisted of swimming laps and running the park for cardio work. I did this every day along with sit-ups and push-ups since I did not have access weights. I showed up to the first day of fall football practice at 212 pounds. My coaches weren’t too pleased, most especially my offensive line coach.
Be blessed and safe travels!!!
