If you just got stationed here and you're looking for Fort Campbell things to do, the water is a pretty good place to start, since the Cumberland runs right past Clarksville, Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake are a short drive, and the post itself rents boats. I live near Clarksville and bought a Raider Coastal 230 named Doreen this year, and I've spent a lot of 2026 reading up on the water around here, so I figured I'd pass along what I found from the MWR and TWRA and city sources.
Renting from Gear to Go
Fort Campbell MWR runs Gear to Go, and their page says they rent pontoons, canoes, kayaks and boats for fishing and skiing, plus campers, trucks and trailers. You can reserve up to 90 days ahead, with at least one day's rental due when you reserve and the rest due at pickup, and they advertise 10% off each item when you rent a vehicle along with something towable. Current prices are in the brochure on that page, and I didn't copy them here since they change.
The part people seem to miss is the safety requirement. MWR explains that a 2019 Tennessee law requires rental places to give a motorboat orientation before renting out a powerboat, so to rent one from Gear to Go you watch the four videos at rentalboatsafety.com (Introduction, Negligent Operation, Life Jackets and Children on Board), take the short assessment, and then print and fill out the checklist and bring a copy with you. MWR lists a few exemptions, which are Tennessee residents with a TWRA boater education card from a monitored NASBLA exam, out-of-state visitors with a NASBLA-approved boater card, anybody with a Coast Guard operator license, and anybody born on or before January 1, 1989. If you're towing something of theirs there's also a short towing quiz with a small fee, and the details are on their page.
Get the boater card anyway
Even if you're exempt for the rental I'd think about getting certified. TWRA requires a boating safety certificate for anybody born after January 1, 1989 running a boat over 8.5 hp in Tennessee, and they also note it may help with boat insurance and lets you boat in other states that require education. Kentucky has its own rule for operators ages 12 to 17, and since Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake both cross into Kentucky that matters around here. I explained both in Do You Need a Tennessee Boating License?
Where to go
The Cumberland at Clarksville is the closest water to post, and the city's main public ramps are at Liberty Park with its four lanes and McGregor Park downtown, with the rest in my Clarksville TN boat ramps post. Just know it's a working river with barge traffic, and my Boating on the Cumberland post is worth a read before your first trip.
If you rented a kayak or canoe, the Clarksville Blueway is pretty much built for you, with access points at Billy Dunlop Park, Liberty Park, McGregor Park, Robert Clark Park and Trice Landing. The city reminds folks that most of the banks are private and to file a float plan.
Lake Barkley is bigger water with lots of coves and eight marinas on the Corps list, which I covered in my Lake Barkley guide, and Kentucky Lake is the biggest of them all at around 160,300 acres according to TVA, which I compared in Lake Barkley vs Kentucky Lake.
There's water on post too. Visit Clarksville's fishing guide says Fort Campbell has streams and lakes stocked with rainbow and brown trout and that people without a military ID can apply for permits, so check with the post's outdoor recreation folks for the current rules.
A first day out
If it were me planning a first day, I'd get the TWRA card or at least watch the rental safety videos, then pick calm water, since a weekday on a quiet cove is a lot easier than a holiday weekend on the main river. Bring life jackets for everybody, and remember kids 12 and under have to wear one on an open deck while underway in Tennessee per TWRA's handbook. It helps to learn a handful of words like port and starboard and bow and stern, which my boat terms post covers, and to read through how to launch a boat before you're the one backing down the ramp. The city also recommends telling somebody your plan before you go, which costs nothing.
Fort Campbell and the river go way back too, if you're into that, and there's Fort Campbell History, 101st Airborne History and our two-minute river film Film 04. Welcome to the neighborhood.
FAQ
Can you rent a boat at Fort Campbell?
Yes. Fort Campbell MWR Gear to Go rents pontoon boats, fishing boats, canoes and kayaks, with reservations up to 90 days in advance.
What do I need to rent a powerboat from Gear to Go?
Tennessee law requires a motorboat orientation. MWR asks renters to watch four videos at rentalboatsafety.com, pass the assessment and bring the completed checklist, unless an exemption applies.
Where is the closest boat ramp to Fort Campbell?
The City of Clarksville's public ramps on the Cumberland River include Liberty Park and McGregor Park. Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake are a drive away.
Do soldiers need a boating license in Tennessee?
The rule is based on birth date, not military status. TWRA requires a boating safety certificate for operators born after January 1, 1989, on boats over 8.5 hp, with some exceptions.
