Local Amish

Finding your way out of the hustle and bustle of the 21st century is as simple as taking a turn down a country road in Lawrence County. When you find yourself sharing that lane with a horse-drawn buggy, you are in Amish country, the largest settlement of Old Order Amish in the South. It begins just north of our Campground (which is actually built upon on a former Amish farm) in Ethridge and is spread out over several miles east and west of U.S. Highway 43. 

The Amish emigrated to our area from Ohio and Mississippi in 1944. Today over 250 Amish families live in the area.

Many Amish families have stands at their farm, and offer a wide variety of baked goods, jams and jellies, leather goods, produce, soap, furniture, saddles, harnesses among many other items for sale. Handmade signs at the end of an Amish driveway will direct you to these sellers; otherwise the family does not do business with the public. Free maps of the Amish community are available at the Amish Heritage Welcome Center and Museum. Look for the building with the paved parking lot, and American flags on top located within walking distance of the campground. Please note, the Amish do not do business on the Sabbath.

Photographing the Amish and their property is strictly forbidden. This belief is based on the second commandment, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth,” (Exodus 20:4). This is also the reason why Amish dolls do not have faces, and there are no mirrors present in Amish homes.

The Amish make for excellent neighbors, and we ask that guests in Amish country treat it's residents with friendship, courtesy, and respect, just as they would visitors in their own homes.

To learn more about the Amish, visit the Amish Heritage Welcome Center, located within walking distance of the campground. They offer horse drawn wagon rides through the Amish countryside, with stops at several Amish farms, as well as guided, educational tours through the historic Amish Heritage Museum which borders the campground. Their large family owned and operated gift shop features nothing but quality, handcrafted items, all on consignment by local Amish. They also offer free maps of the Amish community. For more information, please call (931) 321-8687 or visit their website at www.amishheritagewelcomecenter.com