Reelfoot Lake State Park

Reelfoot Lake owes its existence to one of the most powerful earthquake sequences ever recorded in the eastern United States. Over the winter of 1811 and 1812, a series of tremendous shocks centered on the New Madrid area convulsed the Mississippi Valley, so strong they were felt across much of the continent and reportedly rang church bells far away.

The quakes dropped and warped the land, and in this low-lying area the ground sank while the Mississippi River, according to long-told accounts, briefly ran backward and poured into the new depression. When the water settled, a broad, shallow lake had appeared where forest and lowland had been, drowning stands of trees that still stand as submerged and standing cypress today.

The land here is the ancestral country of the Chickasaw and other Native peoples of the lower Mississippi, who witnessed the upheaval and knew this country long before it was reshaped. The earthquakes left behind a lake so unusual that it has drawn naturalists, hunters, and travelers ever since, a living reminder of how suddenly the earth can remake a landscape.

The defining feature of Reelfoot is its bald cypress, a water-loving tree that thrives with its roots submerged and often sends up woody knees around its base. Because the earthquake flooded a standing forest, the lake is full of these trees, some rising from open water, their reflections doubling them on still mornings into one of the most photographed scenes in the state.

The lake itself is remarkably shallow and studded with stumps and submerged wood, a maze of open water, cypress groves, lily pads, and marsh. That shallowness and abundance of cover make it extraordinarily rich in life, but they also demand care from boaters, which is part of why guided tours are such a popular way to explore the flooded forest safely.

Reelfoot is best known for its bald eagles, which gather here in impressive numbers through the winter to fish the open water, drawing visitors from across the region to watch the great birds perch in the cypress and soar over the lake. Winter eagle tours are among the park's signature experiences.

The eagles are only part of it. The lake and its marshes teem with herons, egrets, ospreys, ducks, geese, and other waterfowl and wading birds, and it lies along a major migratory flyway, so the birdlife shifts with the seasons. Turtles, snakes, and other wetland creatures fill the shallows, making Reelfoot one of the richest wildlife-watching destinations in Tennessee.

The same shallow, fertile waters that support so much wildlife make Reelfoot a celebrated fishing lake, long famous among anglers for its bluegill, crappie, and bass. The cover and food that fill the lake support strong fish populations, and generations of fishermen have prized its waters. Boating, whether by fishing boat, canoe, or a guided pontoon tour, is the classic way to experience the lake.

Winter is the season of the eagles and the clearest views through the bare cypress, and it draws many visitors despite the cold. Spring and fall bring migrating birds and comfortable weather, ideal for boating and wildlife watching. Summer is hot, humid, and buggy in the marshes, but green and full of life, with lily pads blooming across the shallows and the flooded forest at its most lush.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.