The park was named after the Standing Stone, a mysterious rock believed to be of Native American origin or importance that once stood along the old Walton Road at what is now Monterey.

Standing Stone State Park is situated atop the eastern section of the Highland Rim, a plateau-like upland that surrounds the Nashville Basin.

The park is located roughly halfway between the rim's edge along the basin to the west and the higher Cumberland Plateau to the east.

Mill Creek, the park's major stream, flows down from its source on Reynolds Mountain (near Allons) to the east and winds its way westward through the hills of northern Overton County before emptying into the Cumberland River.

[2] Native Americans were living in substantial semi-permanent villages and rock shelters in Northern Overton County as early as the Archaic period (c. 8000-1000 BC).

The Cherokee chief Nettle Carrier operated out of a camp located along the creek that now bears his name a few miles east of the park.

[6] Long hunters, who were among the first Euro-Americans to explore the Middle Tennessee region, were active in the Standing Stone area as early as the 1760s.

[8] A few years later, a long hunting expedition led by Kasper Mansker camped in the Oak Hill area, near modern Livingston.

While at Oak Hill, a member of Mansker's expedition named Robert Crockett was ambushed and killed by hostile Cherokees.

Whatever its original purpose, the stone was a well-known landmark for migrants travelling between East and Middle Tennessee in the early 19th century.

The work was carried out by the Resettlement Administration, the WPA, and the Civilian Conservation Corps under the general supervision of the United States Forest Service.

[12] Recreational facilities at Standing Stone State Park include a 36-site campground, 21 cabins ranging from rustic to modern, four group lodges, an Olympic-size pool, multiple picnic areas, and an amphitheatre.