Tims Ford State Park

Once a favored hunting and fishing territory by Native Americans, Tims Ford State Park is located on Tims Ford Reservoir in the rolling hills of southern middle Tennessee. The manmade 10,700-acre Tims Ford Lake is considered to be among the most beautiful in the state, as well as being one of the top bass fishing and boating lakes in the Southeast. Year-round fishing provides nice catches of bluegill, catfish, small and largemouth bass and crappie. The lake has three full-service marinas as well as a snack bar, bait shop, fish cleaning area, boat rentals, boat ramps and docks. Archaeological excavations have uncovered many artifacts and ...

Once a favored hunting and fishing territory by Native Americans, Tims Ford State Park is located on Tims Ford Reservoir in the rolling hills of southern middle Tennessee. The manmade 10,700-acre Tims Ford Lake is considered to be among the most beautiful in the state, as well as being one of the top bass fishing and boating lakes in the Southeast. Year-round fishing provides nice catches of bluegill, catfish, small and largemouth bass and crappie. The lake has three full-service marinas as well as a snack bar, bait shop, fish cleaning area, boat rentals, boat ramps and docks. Archaeological excavations have uncovered many artifacts and home sites indicating that the area had been occupied as much as 12,000 years ago. Before the lake was created, the area was mostly home to farmers and other long-time families. The park is well known for its Jack Nicklaus-designed 18-hole Bear Trace by Tims Ford Golf Course. Situated on a peninsula surrounded by Tims Ford Lake, the course has been described as scenic and challenging.

The park has almost five miles of paved trails, rental cabins, campgrounds, recreation hall, picnic areas, swimming pool, playgrounds, playing fields and much more. Free park programs in the summer include crafts, games, nature walk, campfire, storytelling, music and environmental education. In the autumn, Tims Ford celebrates the history of the Elk River Valley, the land that was bought by the TVA and flooded to create Tims Ford Reservoir. The annual Heritage Day Celebration remembers the families and communities who had spent generations living in the area. Check with the park to see the specific date for Heritage Day.

About the Expert

Jackie Sheckler Finch has written several guidebooks, including The Unofficial Guide to Campgrounds in the Great Lakes States, and four times she was named Travel Writer of the Year by Midwest Travel Writers Association.