Park Office / Visitor Center

Great Visitor Center with a museum/exhibit room and gift shop. It touches on the creation of Reelfoot Lake, the Mississippi river, the seismic activity that continues to this day and had formed Reelfoot lake. The Reelfoot Lake State Park appeared well maintained during our visit and the people who were out all seemed to be enjoying themselves. One is immediately drawn to the Birds of Prey that are being rehabilitated after being rescued and hopefully to be released in the future. There were several eagles as well as a bevy of owls there. From the bird sanctuary the lake catches your eye. Tree lined, the lake was placid and smooth. There is a walkway built out so you can get to the lake edge without fighting through tree roots: at least by the visitor center. It is a nice park, clean and well maintained. I was told a tornado had touched down and had damaged the original walkway as well as some other buildings. There is a new walkway already replacing the old one and one has to look to see the damage; mostly trees which had been knocked down. We walked about for a bit until the sun set. It was a nice ending to a pleasant day.

So awesome seeing the animals they're rehabilitating behind the building. The young lady park ranger who was feeding the 2 bald eagles was lovely! So friendly and shared info with me about the various animals.

The entire park was very well kept, clean, spacious with plenty to do. Abundant wildlife, a nice museum, they had numerous activities for the young ones, a great ensemble of critters to see, the eagles were amazing, owls, hawks, plenty of snakes. The pontoon tour was the best thing we did. Very nice cruise.

A nice well kept museum, history of the area and lake, the park is well kept and the bald eagles and red tail Hawks are amazing to see.the walkway to the lake is another interesting thing to do.

Very pretty lake with cypress trees. Visitor center has a gift shop, museum, some snakes, & birds. Lots of picture opportunities.

You need to make sure you visit the museum along with being there for the boardwalk. It is the best way to see the many views of the lake, cypress and water birds.

The Park office and visitor center was a little hard to find as its name is different on the building. I got a State Park Passport there that you can get a stamp at all the Tennessee state parks as you visit them. My friend and I signed up on the website to take a one hour pontoon boat ride. Branding, our guide, did a great job telling us about the lake and pointing out wildlife. We saw several bald eagle families. It was a beautiful lake and very nice and interesting ride.

First time coming!! Loved the state park. Stayed at the airport and there was hardly anyone there. Visitor center had stuff for rv or tent campers. Bought a couple t-shirts and some more stuff. Will be back!!

The 2-hour sunset cruise was so relaxing and informative. It's a bargain at $20. It's a ranger-led pontoon cruise on the lake and through some "cuts" where you see lots of birds including blue herons, bald eagles, and multiple other birds. The jumping Asian carp kept everyone entertained. The season for the sunset cruise ends in early September; however, there are cruises scheduled in October during the White Pelican Festival, which sounds like so much fun! Reelfoot Lake is a very unique and special place in the corner of north west Tennessee.

It was a great experience for me and I have been back several times and will go back every chance I get the people were great and they took care of all our needs

Really nice state park where you can find walking trails or fishing spots. Very nice place to spend a few hours.

Reelfoot Lake State Park is 3 hours from Nashville, and if that's making you pause- DO NOT PAUSE. GO. It's that amazing. It's the closest to a Louisiana swamp as your going to get in Nashville. It's absolutely gorgeous. The lake was formed as an offshoot from the Mississippi River after a series of earthquakes in the early 1800s. It is a flooded forest with cypress trees reaching out of the water. It has fishing, boating, a museum, a gift shop, a nature center, picnic pavilions, playgrounds, boating, two campgrounds, and seven hiking trails- the Airpark Trail (1.25 miles loop), the Black Bayou Trail (.7 mile), the Boardwalk (.45 mile loop), the Brough Slough Trail (.3 mile), the Deep Swamp Trail (3.6 miles loop), the Keystone Trail (.6 mile), and the Walking Loop Trail (.4 mile). It has a youth ninja course, and an aviary that has AMERICAN BALD EAGLES, which I've never seen before in person. Surrounding the park, there were boat tours of the lake you could sign up for, personal guided tours of the park, and gift shops with recovered cypress bark and roots for sale.

B Beautiful park and the raptor rehab was awesome!! What a great experience to see bald eagles that close up!!! Will bring my wife next time!!!

Great place. Park Rangers are super helpful. Lot of Lakeside support businesses. Plenty of spots to launch boats and watercraft. Piers everywhere to walk out on the lake for the views or fishing.

Beautiful place to vacation! You get your own boat and it really feels like yours. No one breathing down your neck. (Jon the bait guy who basically does everything helped us & made us feel so welcomed) $TIP THAT MAN$ .. No one is Telling you how to do it or what to do. Ask questions and they will help you 100%. They let you do you so don't mess it up! Very relaxing & a total get-away! My girlfriend & I ended up here having to leave Panama City Beach because hurricane Sally was stirring up. We wanted to spend our day on a lake fishing and relaxing. We got 3 nights and a boat all 3 days. They have a restaurant in the BlueBank Resort Marina. Amazing food. Good service. Great whiskey. The only negative is the flies and spiders at night. But that comes with nature and night time so one can't really complain about that. But just a warning. 5/5 for a relaxing get-away!!

Trails are all washed out from this year's flooding. Bet luck after they've had time to clear debris and rebuild.

Would you get up at 6AM on a chilly Saturday and drive 100+ miles to see some freaking birds on a lake? I say yes if the lake was created by the most powerful earthquakes to hit eastern US in recorded history and the birds are white pelicans (Finding Nemo anyone?) on their annual migration. The 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes were so powerful that the mighty Mississippi flowed backward for 10-24 hours to fill up the area of 20 square miles what is Reelfoot Lake today. I was fascinated by the history, which is why we drove 100 miles north to check out the lake not long after moving to Memphis. Months later, we visited the lake again to partake in a white pelican canoe float, guided by the knowledgeable and hospitable state park naturalists David and Robin. It was a windy day, the water was choppy, and the numerous cypress stumps in the lake added to the challenge, but we were rewarded by the sight of white pelicans, with one of which we literally brushed shoulders. These guys only started to make this lake a stop on their migrating trips in recent years. I wonder why it took them so long. Hello? The lake was formed two hundred years ago! After making it to shore safely, we went for lunch at Boyette's, the oldest restaurant in town. I had never dined in a place that has been in business for 91 years and boy do they know how to fry catfish. Later we took a hike around the lake. The short trail recommended by David has several well-maintained boardwalks, on which I could walk forever. The air was crisp, sky blue, leaves golden, and how I wish the trail would never end. (link to some photos: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/6xTneiihymOQHqwCdV5iLQ?select=sOCgi3qBXOeHucUc86TV1g#sOCgi3qBXOeHucUc86TV1g) We will be back in late January or February for the Bald Eagle and Waterfowl Tours, and I can't wait to try some crappie.

This lake holds some of my cherished memories of the time I spent in Tiptonville. I remember having b-b-que with friends here at the lake during summer or just simply coming here to relax, reflect, or unwind when I was feeling homesick or lonely. Ahhh...memories from my not-so-distant past came flooding when I came here again after so many years. I cannot believe it has been more than 10 years since the last time I set foot in this lake. The lake offers a hauntingly beautiful and serene view that is unlike anything I have seen before. The bald cypress trees that grows on the water lends a surreal and magical feel to the lake. Reelfoot lake is a natural lake that came into being as a result of a series of earthquake a little over 100 years ago. The park is popular for fishing and boating as well as duck hunting. The park also offers easy to moderate hiking trails to the wetlands. The park has a small playground for children as well as picnic areas and is a popular spot for the summer. In addition, there is a bald eagle habitat located close to the lake. There are few restaurants and accommodations along the highway where the state park is located, such as Boyette's and Blue Bank. Some of these places offers packages for whatever is in season, such as duck hunting, fishing, etc. There is a museum located in the area that tells the story about the lake, its history, and the people of the area.

Good Eagle sightings because of a Good Guide My wife and I recent went to Reelfoot Lake to see the Eagles (no, not a concert - the REAL eagles). Anyway, we had each been there years ago, but we had not had a guided tour on our first visits. Truly, the best way to see the eagles is with a Tour Guide. Jerry was very pleasant, friendly and he knew where to take us - as well as what we could expect to see - he's been doing this since 2001. He even had a telescope/monocular on a tripod so that everyone could see the eagles up close. I was able to get a few good pictures of the eagles. We highly recommend the Tour. It lasts for about 2 hours and you also get an insightful history of Reelfoot Lake and how it was formed by the earthquake in 1811-1812 - the Mississippi River actually flowed Backwards to create the lake. Yes, we did get to see several eagles, and we also got to see a large flock of Snow Geese in flight; we had not seen the Geese before, and not everyone does. We were told that sometimes there can be upwards of 500,000 Snow Geese at Reelfoot - that would an incredible sight to see. For the small fee, you get such a great trip and will most likely get to see eagles if you go in February. There are also a number of eagles that "live there", as well as those that are simply "passing through" either going North or South. It was time well spent - and we saw the Eagles! They have other good educational programs worth seeing at the Visitor Center as well. The lake is known for its good fishing as well. Although not everyone "goes fishing", most people like "eating fish" - and the fish is very good at Boyette's across the street. We went on the 10:00 am Eagle Tour and ate lunch at Boyette's. Great trip! (TIP) Although we forgot ours, you can remember to take your binoculars so you can see the eagles better. If you have one, you may want to take your camera as well.

"It goes past the powers of my pen to try to describe Reelfoot Lake for you so that you, reading this, will get the picture of it in your mind as I have it in mine. For Reelfoot Lake is like no other lake that I know anything about. It is an after-thought of Creation. The rest of this continent was made and had dried in the sun for thousands of years-millions of years, for all I know-before Reelfoot came to be. It's the newest big thing in nature on this hemisphere, probably, for it was formed by the great earthquake of 1811. "That earthquake of 1811 surely altered the face of the earth on the then far frontier of this country. It changed the course of rivers, it converted hills into what are now the sunk lands of three states, and it turned the solid ground to jelly and made it roll in waves like the sea. And in the midst of the retching of the land and the vomiting of the waters it depressed to varying depths a section of the earth crust sixty miles long, taking it down -- trees, hills, hollows, and all, and a crack broke through to the Mississippi River so that for three days the river ran up stream, filling the hole." --Irvis S. Cobb "Fish Head"

My daughter and I camped here in mid-August 2009. Not the brightest thing for us to do, and we now know why people don't camp in the south during the summer. I have never in my life seen so many mosquitoes in so little space. On the plus side, the campground was easy to reach, the staff was friendly, and we enjoyed our short stay. We were serenaded by coyotes at night, and once in our tents we enjoyed a quiet night. I'd like to come back to see this place again, when the bugs are all dead.