Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park
370 Riddick Rd, Millington, TN
Millington, TN
A deep bottomland hardwood forest on the bluffs above the Mississippi River, a wild green pocket of old cypress swamp and towering trees just north of the city of Memphis.
Meeman-Shelby Forest is a surprising piece of wilderness on the doorstep of Memphis, a deep bottomland hardwood forest that runs along the Chickasaw Bluffs above the Mississippi River. Here, cypress swamps, towering oaks and sweetgums, and quiet backwater lakes fill a landscape that feels far more remote than its short drive from the city would suggest.
The park protects one of the largest remnants of the old bottomland forest that once blanketed the lower Mississippi Valley, most of which was long ago cleared for farming. From the top of the bluff you can look down on the great river as it swings past, and the woods below hold the birds, wildflowers, and river-country wildlife that thrive in this rich, wet ground.
What Guests Love
- Standing on the bluff with the wide Mississippi River rolling by below
- Trails through towering bottomland hardwoods and quiet cypress-tupelo swamp
- Two lakes for fishing and paddling within the forest
- Rich birdlife and the sense of wildness so close to a major city
Worth Knowing
- This is bottomland, so summer brings heat, humidity, and mosquitoes; bring repellent and water
- Parts of the low ground can flood when the Mississippi runs high, so check conditions after heavy rain
- The bluff and river overlooks are a highlight, so build them into your route
- Stay alert for snakes and poison ivy on the forest trails, and keep to the paths
Details
Millington, TN
Learn about Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park
The river, the bluff, and the Chickasaw
The forest sits on the Chickasaw Bluffs, a line of high ground that stands above the flat Mississippi floodplain along the river's eastern bank. This bluff country was long the homeland of the Chickasaw people, who controlled the lower stretches of the river and its crossings for generations before their forced removal to Oklahoma in the 1830s on the Trail of Tears.
The bluffs offered dry, defensible ground above the flood-prone bottoms, and their strategic value shaped the region's history long after. The high vantage over the river that draws visitors to the park's overlooks today was, for centuries, a place of settlement, trade, and travel along one of the continent's great waterways.
A rescued bottomland forest
The lower Mississippi Valley was once covered by vast bottomland hardwood forests, dense woods of oak, sweetgum, cypress, and tupelo adapted to seasonal flooding. Over the past two centuries nearly all of it was cleared for cotton and other crops, making the surviving stands rare and valuable.
The land that became this park was set aside and reforested in the twentieth century, protecting a substantial block of that vanishing habitat. It carries the name of Edward J. Meeman, a Memphis newspaper editor and tireless conservationist who championed parks and wild places across the region. Today the mature forest here gives a glimpse of what much of the lower valley looked like before the plow, a green world of big trees and standing water.
Trails, lakes, and the water
The park is laced with hiking trails that wind through the bottomland forest and out to overlooks on the bluff, passing beneath some genuinely large trees and along the edges of cypress swamp. Boardwalks and paths let visitors get close to the wetter ground without wading, and the shade of the canopy makes even a warm day walkable.
Two lakes within the forest offer fishing and calm-water paddling, and small boats can be launched or rented in season. The Mississippi River itself is the great presence at the western edge, best appreciated from the bluff overlooks where the sheer scale of the water and its traffic of barges comes into view.
Wildlife and the seasons
The rich bottomland is a haven for birds, and the park is a well-known spot for spring and fall migration, when warblers and other songbirds pour through the canopy. Wading birds work the swamp edges, woodpeckers hammer the big dead trees, and hawks and owls hunt the forest, while white-tailed deer, raccoon, beaver, and other river-country animals move through the woods.
Spring brings wildflowers and the migration rush, and it is many visitors' favorite season. Summer is green, hot, and humid, alive with insects and best enjoyed early in the day. Fall turns the hardwoods and thins the crowds, and winter opens the bare woods to long views and quiet walks, with waterfowl gathering on the river and lakes.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Millington
Mississippi River overlooks
Within the park
Bluff-top viewpoints where the wide river and its barge traffic roll past below.
Millington
About 8 miles, a 15 minute drive
A small town north of Memphis with a naval support base and an easygoing base near the park.
Memphis
About 20 miles south, a 35 minute drive
The big river city of Beale Street, barbecue, and the birthplace of much of American music, an easy day out.
Downtown Memphis riverfront
About 20 miles south, a 40 minute drive
Parks and walks along the Mississippi in the heart of the city, with views of the river and its bridges.