If you search things to do in Clarksville TN you'll get a long list with restaurants and a cave and all the downtown stuff, which is all good, but I bought a boat this year so I'm a little biased and this is the water list. Everything in here is sourced so you can check it.
Downtown on the river
I'd start at McGregor Park since it's free and right downtown. The city says McGregor Park on N. Riverside Drive has a one-mile walking trail along the Cumberland, a boat ramp, and the "As the River Flows" exhibit about the river and the town. It's a good spot to watch a towboat push barges past, and those things are a lot bigger in person than they look on a map.
Fort Defiance is up on the bluff where the Red meets the Cumberland, where the Confederates built a fort that Union gunboats found empty in February 1862, and the city runs the site as a park and interpretive center now. It's a history stop that's really all about the river, since you're looking right down at the water that made Clarksville matter, and the story is in Film 04 and my Clarksville history post.
Liberty Park
Liberty Park off Cumberland Drive is kind of the river hub, and the city lists a four-lane boat ramp into the Cumberland, Clarksville Marina, a 10-acre fishing pond and the Wilma Rudolph Event Center. Visit Clarksville says the pond is great for young anglers and mentions a playground and dog park too, and there's a grill at the marina. I wrote a whole post on Liberty Park and Clarksville Marina.
Paddling the Blueway
The Clarksville Blueway is a water trail on the Cumberland, the Red River, the West Fork of the Red and Spring Creek, with public access at Billy Dunlop Park, Liberty Park, McGregor Park, Robert Clark Park and Trice Landing. The city's rules are worth repeating, which are that most of the riverbank is private and getting out on it is trespassing, you should wear a life vest and carry a phone and tell somebody your float plan, and you should give anglers a wide berth. They also say to note the river mile markers in case you need to call for help, which is smart and something I never would have thought of.
Fishing
Visit Clarksville says Field and Stream named this part of the Cumberland the best catfishing water in the world, which is a big claim, and they note the Tennessee state record blue catfish, 112 pounds, came out of the Cumberland at nearby Woodlawn in 1998. For bank fishing they point to Smith Branch Recreation Area on the Cumberland, which has a boat ramp too, and Billy Dunlop Park and Port Royal State Park on the Red River. You'll want a Tennessee fishing license from TWRA first. Doreen has a fishbox and a rod locker and rod holders on the hardtop, so fishing's definitely on the list for us.
Getting out in a boat
If you've got a boat, the main public ramps are Liberty Park and McGregor Park plus Trice Landing near the Red River, and Clarksville TN boat ramps has the details along with the stuff I couldn't confirm. If you're new to it, how to launch a boat and boat terms for beginners are worth reading first, no shame in it, I read them too.
If you don't have a boat but you've got Fort Campbell access, MWR's Gear to Go rents pontoons, fishing boats, canoes and kayaks, and I covered how that works in Fort Campbell things to do on the water.
Bigger trips
Lake Barkley technically starts at Clarksville, since the Corps counts it all the way up to Cheatham Dam, but the wide part and Land Between the Lakes are a drive up into Kentucky, and I wrote up Lake Barkley for boaters and Lake Barkley vs Kentucky Lake. The one on my bucket list is running up the Cumberland from Clarksville through Cheatham Lock to the downtown Nashville riverfront, which is why I wrote up Cheatham Lock and the Cumberland in Nashville.
Before any of it, Tennessee requires kids 12 and under to wear a life jacket on an open deck while underway per TWRA's handbook, and if you were born after January 1, 1989 and you're running more than 8.5 hp you need the TWRA certificate. The city says it plain that drinking and driving a boat is dangerous and illegal, and the barges always win, so stay clear of the tows.
The river is the reason this town exists, and it's a big part of why I spent most of this year getting a boat built way out in Washington, which you can see on the build page. If you're new to Clarksville, I'd go stand by the river for a minute before you go find the rest of the list.
FAQ
What is there to do on the water in Clarksville TN?
Walk the RiverWalk at McGregor Park, fish or launch at Liberty Park, paddle the Clarksville Blueway, fish the Cumberland and Red rivers, visit Fort Defiance above the confluence, or take a day trip to Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake.
Can you kayak in Clarksville TN?
Yes. The city's Clarksville Blueway is a water trail on the Cumberland, Red River, West Fork of the Red and Spring Creek, with public access at Billy Dunlop, Liberty, McGregor, Robert Clark and Trice Landing.
Is there good fishing in Clarksville TN?
Visit Clarksville points to Smith Branch on the Cumberland and Billy Dunlop Park and Port Royal State Park on the Red River, plus the Liberty Park pond for kids. The state record blue catfish came from the Cumberland at Woodlawn in 1998.
Where can I rent a boat near Clarksville?
Military families with base access can rent from Fort Campbell MWR Gear to Go. Marinas on Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake also rent boats, so call ahead for details.
