County Profile: Benton

Benton County

Grand Division: West Tennessee

County Seat: Camden

Population (2024 estimate): 16,173

A view from Pilot’s Knob, overlooking Kentucky Lake. (Credit: Benton County Chamber of Commerce)

Water defines Benton County.

Kentucky Lake and the Tennessee River create its entire eastern border. Nearly half of its western border is the Big Sandy River. The Duck River meanders through the county, too, before it feeds into the Tennessee. All of this makes Benton County a Tennessee destination for outdoor adventure.

Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park

The Pilot Knob overlook is in Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park. Go to the overlook (on Pine Knob Road) and you’ll find the fascinating Tennessee River Folklife Interpretive Center and Museum. The center features the life ways and customs of folks on the Tennessee River including musseling, crafts, commercial fishing, and more. The centerpiece is an enormous wooden boat once used by mussel fishermen on the river.

The park is right on Kentucky Lake. There, anglers will find bass in the spring and fall, and catfish in the summer and fall. The park has three boat ramps and there are plenty of marinas nearby for fuel, bait, snacks, souvenirs, and more.

There’s also disc golf, kayak rentals, swimming at the Eva Beach site, camping, and birding. Hikers can hit more than 20 miles of trails and even stay overnight in five backcountry shelters. Cyclists can explore Benton County and the park on a 31-mile out-and-back route by BikeTN.

Birdsong and the Freshwater Pearl Museum

Birdsong Marina Resort (Credit: Birdsong Marina and Resort)

Birdsong is a 58-acre resort in Benton County with a marina right on Kentucky Lake, a campground, an RV park, and a pool. All of it brings in around 300,00 visitors each year, ranking it among Tennessee’s most visited attractions.

  Birdsong is also home to the Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl Farm and Museum. Washboard mussels in the river produce freshwater pearls, Tennessee’s official state gem. The gift shop boasts pearl cuff links, necklaces, pocket knives, earrings, and more. Plenty there for Tennessee gift ideas.

Patsy Cline Memorial

In the woods west of Camden stands a somber memorial to “one of country music’s darkest days.” A short trail leads visitors to a memorial marker and an enormous stone. The site is where a plane crash took the lives of three Grand Ole Opry stars — Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, and Hawkshaw Hawkins — in 1963.

A great day

Credit: Magic Valley Golf Course

I’ve had a trip to Benton County on my list for a minute. The Patsy Cline Memorial is a must-do for me. I’d then play the nine-hole Magic Valley Golf Course on its gently rolling hills. I’d end the day with oysters, a burger, and a beer on the patio of nearby Beaver Dam Restaurant and Marina overlooking the river.

Oh, and don’t miss the Old Time Bluegrass & Fiddlers’ Jamboree in Holladay on April 18th - 19th.