When it comes to water parks in the Middle Tennessee area, there’s only one that gives you the option to rent a lakefront cabin to call home base amidst all the water slide shenanigans, and that’s Nashville Shores Lakeside Resort!
I recently went with my family of four and found a bunch of upsides to staying at the park, especially with a baby and (occasionally temperamental) preschooler on different schedules.
First and foremost, the Nashville Shores water park is wonderful. And the best part about staying at a cabin so close? Being first in line, of course! Getting there the earlier, the better is crucial (opens daily at 10 a.m.). Not only do you get to claim “the good spot” under a large, well-shaded umbrella, but you get to quickly test all the slides basically line-free to see which ones are the right fit for the kiddos (that is, if your wife lets you!).
As for the water slides, there are four you can do as a family (including one where you get to race!). There’s three others that are single, with only one possibly being a little too scary for the kids, The Big Scream (as long as you keep your butt up, you’re good!).
Barefootin’ Bay provides a quaint playground area for toddlers and younger children. Situated adjacent to the Bay is one of the park’s largest shaded seating areas, where you can relax or read while keeping a close eye on your kids.
While the water hoses and slides of Barefootin’ Bay do not compare to the more glamorous and colossal Kowabunga Beach, the Bay also gives parents the option to play with their kids in the calm wading pool just off to the side.
When it’s time for baby to nap, that’s when having an on-site, air-conditioned cabin comes in really clutch. You can divide forces and let one of you put baby down and watch some TV (or take a nap yourself!), while the other one stays with the other kid to experience the water park to its fullest. For us, it was wave pool and lazy river time.
So, tell me about these cabins…
Nashville Shores Lakeside Resort boasts 24 lakeside cabins, as well as a handful of hillside cabins, all of which are walkable to and from the water park.
Lakefront cabins are duplexes and come with different loft options. A single lakefront cabin (one side) sleeps 6 people; a maximum of 6 people are allowed at or in a cabin; the entire duplex cabin (both sides) sleeps 12 people. Hillside cabins are stand-alone units, similar to tiny homes, and also sleep 6 people.
All cabins have:
- A/C and heat
- Full kitchens equipped with basic cookware
- Bathroom with stand-up shower
- Direct TV
- A fire ring, a picnic table and a charcoal grill
- Linens, blankets, pillows and bath towels
We all slept well in a loft-less lakeside cabin. Our favorite part was hanging outside and catching fireflies while watching the sunset on the lake.
If you go…
Nashville Shores Lakeside Resort
4001 Bell Road
Hermitage, TN 37076
615-889-7050
Cabin rates start at $175 plus tax per night depending on dates booked. For more information, visit nashvilleshores.com/lodging/cabins/lakefront-cabins.
Nashville Shores Lakeside Resort photos
Lakefront cabins
Lakefront cabin
Lakefront cabin
Hillside cabins
Hillside cabins
Kowabunga Beach
Barefootin’ Bay
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