Clarksville sits right where Tennessee runs into Kentucky, about 45 minutes north of Nashville and a few miles from the gates of Fort Campbell. It’s a Cumberland River town with a walkable downtown, a state park built around a cave, and enough history to fill a weekend without much driving. Park the rig at Clarksville RV Resort and you’ve got a basecamp that’s tucked off I-24 but close to all of it.
Here’s a weekend of things to do in Clarksville, TN that actually fits into 2 or 3 days.
Where to set up: Clarksville RV Resort
Clarksville RV Resort sits on Tylertown Road, right off I-24 at 1270 Tylertown Road, Clarksville, TN 37040. You get full hookups, 30/50-amp service, pull-through sites sized for the big rigs, clean bathhouses, and laundry on site. There are cabins too, if someone in the group left the camper at home. It’s pet-friendly, and it’s about 45 minutes from Nashville’s music streets, so you can chase downtown Music City one day and be back to a quiet site by dark. Call (931) 774-7901 to check availability.
Friday evening: downtown and the Roxy
Start where the town started. Downtown Clarksville is compact and easy to walk, with brick storefronts, local restaurants, and the Cumberland River a block off Public Square. The anchor here is the Roxy Regional Theatre at 100 Franklin Street, a restored 1947 movie house that now runs live plays and musicals year-round. Box office hours run 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays and one hour before showtime, and you can reserve online anytime. Grab dinner nearby, catch a show, then head back to the rig.
Saturday morning: Dunbar Cave State Park
Dunbar Cave State Park is 10 minutes from downtown and the best morning move in town. The trails are open year-round and wind through hardwood forest and around Swan Lake, an easy few miles that work for most legs and most dogs. The cave itself is the draw: rangers lead seasonal tours into the mouth, where Mississippian-era Native American cave art still marks the walls. Tours book up, so reserve ahead through Tennessee State Parks if a cave walk is on your list. If it’s a hot Saturday, the shade near the cave entrance runs cool all day.
Saturday afternoon: museums and the marina
Back downtown, the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center at 200 South 2nd Street is the second-largest general museum in Tennessee, and it’s a good rainy-day plan too. Model trains, a bubble cap for the kids, rotating art, and Clarksville history all live under one roof. It runs Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m., closed Mondays.
From there, drive out to Liberty Park & Marina at 1188 Cumberland Drive, a riverfront park on the Cumberland with a marina, walking paths, and Freedom Point event lawn. It’s open dawn to dusk, and it’s the easiest place in town to get boots near the water without a boat. If you brought kayaks, this is your put-in.
Sunday: Fort Defiance and a slow river morning
Close the weekend on the bluff. Fort Defiance Civil War Park & Interpretive Center at 120 Duncan Street sits above the spot where the Red River meets the Cumberland, on earthworks Confederate troops raised in 1861. The interpretive center walks you through the town’s Civil War story, and the overlook is worth the stop on its own. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday and Sunday afternoons, with slightly shorter fall and winter hours, so check the day before if Sunday is your window.
Getting around and when to go
Clarksville is a driving town. Everything on this list is inside a 15-minute radius of the resort, and I-24 makes day trips easy: Nashville is 45 minutes southeast, and Land Between the Lakes recreation area is about an hour northwest if you want a second base of exploring. Spring and fall are the sweet spots for weather, though the museums and the Roxy carry a rainy weekend just fine. Summer runs hot and humid, which is exactly when Dunbar Cave’s shade and the river breeze at Liberty Park earn their keep.
Make it your basecamp
A weekend covers the highlights, but Clarksville rewards a longer stay, and the road keeps going from here toward Nashville, the lakes, and Kentucky. Check availability at Clarksville RV Resort and pick your site.
Last updated July 15, 2026. Attraction hours change seasonally, so confirm times with each venue before you go.
