On a blistering, steamy day in early July, I spent a few hours at beautiful Reelfoot Lake State Park in northwest Tennessee.
I've always been curious about Reelfoot Lake. It was created by the
massive earthquakes on the New Madrid Fault in 1811-1812 that made the Mississippi River run backward for a short while. That's very interesting, but the bald cypresses that grow there are the real reason I wanted to see it. The lake covers what used to be a cypress forest. The trees still thrive at water's edge.
Reelfoot Lake is a wintering place for many waterfowl, and it's also a great place to fish for crappie, bluegill, bass, and catfish,according to locals. Much of the lake has a floor of cypress stumps that provides habitat for a large variety of aquatic species.
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"The largest Buffalo ever caught in Reelfoot Lake.
Caught 10-20-23. Weight 66 lbs." |
The visitors center and park headquarters are on the west side of the lake, near Tiptonville. They have exhibits and a wonderful boardwalk about half-a-mile long that lets you experience first-hand the cypress swamp at the edge of the lake. I saw more cypress knees in the hour that I spent on the boardwalk than I've seen in the entire rest of my life.
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| Mosquito repellant is a good idea. |
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| The boardwalk and the lake beyond |
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| Bald cypress trunk and knees |
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| Cypress trees and the boardwalk |
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