Meeman Shelby Forest State Park

This review is for the campground at Meeman Shelby.
Cold, yucky bathrooms with luke warm showers. Not up to par with other state and national park campgrounds we’ve visited.
Do not expect to get any wifi signal what-​so-​ever if you are using a Verizon plan.
Winding, hilly roads are not well marked, so do not try to enter the park after dark.

Gorgeous place to go for hiking or camping. They have quite a few trails that are dog friendly (as long as the pups remain on a leash), and they vary from being tough with inclines, or flatter. There are also some beautiful small-​ish bodies of water where people were just sitting and relaxing, and some even had small boats out on them. Highly recommend this place for a nice outdoorsy walk on a weekend with the family, or even by yourself. Just be sure to check in with the visitor’s station so they know you’re out there.

The good: park ranger in office late.
The bad: mosquitoes and Google Maps leading us to a super scary back entrance which is one of the reasons we got in late.
The really bad: worst bathhouse ever. Only cold water. Broken and mildewed tile. Stopped up drain so I was standing in gross, ankle-​deep, public shower water before I realized what was happening. Stall doors were too big; you had to stand on the toilet to get the door open-​close. To top it off, the bathhouse was filled with mosquitoes; got bit while showering!
We were only there for a quick overnight stop so I can’t comment on any other features. Grounds were pretty… understandably damp, but it looked like one little rainstorm would turn the whole place into a big mudpit.
Not the campground for me.

This is such a nice park. There are several trail heads and some terrain that is very unMemphis-​like. Great trails for hiking/​running.

First… Please go to the Shelby Forrest General Store for a burger while you are in the area!!!
Actually getting out to the trail areas can be a bit confusing if you are not familiar with the park already or have a map. We drove around looking at the not-​so-​great signage and final settled on an empty lot that was marked «trail parking». It was the Chickasaw trail entrance, but we did not know this at first because we passed the trail entrance! We walked along the pavement and found something absolutely eerie and amazing!
It was an abandoned summer camp-​like area with a pool the cafeteria and surrounded by about 12 cabins, give or take a few. It was creepy! There were no cars parked at the trail parking to begin with, there were no sounds of birds or anything! It was like being dropped in the middle of a horror script or even worse, a Chernobyl-​like town. There were still mattresses, beds, other furniture, cleaner and canned goods on the shelves. I cannot explain how spooky it was and the feeling that I was not supposed to be there kept surfacing. On our way out of «Chernobyl» we stopped at a small storage cabin and while we were peeping in, we heard a loud bang behind us and we took off running towards the car in fear of our lives! Alright, now that I have given you all a scare, the site turned out to be harmless and we could tell that at least the park was aware of this area because the grass had been recently mowed; however, every other aspect of the site has been untouched for years. We finally searched and found an article by the Memphis Flyer saying it was built by the CCC as part of the New Deal and was closed in early 2000s to campers and the area has just deteriorated since.
If you can find this area, it is great to explore. This area of the park could be so great if they would restore the cabins and rent them out with the big pool there and plenty of room to barbeque and play sports. You can tell there was a very long zip line over a ridge that would be great as well. If anyone is interested in leading a restoration campaign for this site, I would be interested.
Oh by the way, the actual Chickasaw trail was pretty cool.

Awesome just freaking awesome place for camping! The online reservations takes only a second to complete and it’s only $ 25 per night for up to 4 people. The campground is relatively quiet with ample shade. Each campsite comes complete with a picnic bench, fire pit, water, and electricity.
Be sure to bring bug spray and you will be fine. Also here is a small story,
After sitting by the fire for a few hours, I decided to turn in for the night. About 10 minutes later, I hear this vicious growling sound outside my tent. After yelling who’s there a few times, I get the nerve to look. I zip open the door and turn on my flashlight. I found myself staring into the eyes of the biggest raccoon ever. Then I noticed two of his friends. We had a short staring contest which he did win! I quickly zipped up the door and left them alone. So the moral of the story, when camping here don’t forget to pick up the dog food. They were fighting over dog food! Shortly after they had a trash party.
That was a true camping experience! Can’t wait to do it again! (Note to self: put up dog food and trash before laying down)

Very nice hike. Went here on a Saturday morning not knowing what to expect. Hilly, woodsy trail all throughout, very peaceful. Took the 3 mile loop, and the weather was really mild and great for June. Will definitely be coming back!

We packed a picnic, fishing poles, bikes, loaded the canoe and headed out on an «it’s gonna rain soon» afternoon. (We push the envelope… what can I say!)
The general store enroute to park was very rustic and cool. You can get snacks, something hot from the grill, bait or a fishing license. NOTE: SS# is required for all who want to purchase a fishing license, even children (which is a bummer because I never travel with that info and have too many kids to memorize all their socials). Needless to say none of the kids could fish!!! (Kids will now start learning their own socials)
The drive through the forest to the lake was nice but not extraordinary. We noticed lots of trails, covered picnic areas and places to fish or put your boat in. There were hikers, joggers and even some bike riders.
The picnic areas were clean. There were BBQ pits, tables and restrooms.
The lake is beautiful and on the other side of the park is the Mississippi River.
We spent a few good hours enjoying ourselves but eventually got slammed with a major rain storm and gusty winds. Trees were down on the road that had to be removed. The forecast is something to consider before we head thy way again but it was fun in spite of getting soaked.
Definitely a revisit next time we’re in town.

This park is one of my favorite things about Memphis. Although Overton Park and Shelby Farms are great outdoor spaces, I don’t consider a «walk in the park» a «hike.» I’m a California transplant who misses real mountains and real hiking. Shelby Forest is the closest thing I’ve found to fill that void.
The WoodlandTrail #2 is my favorite starting point. It is a 3-​mile loop with enough hilly inclines to make it challenging if you pick up the pace. The scenery is woodsy and beautiful with small streams and log walks.
The rest of the trails in the park seem fairly flat. Trail #4 is paved for bicycle, but is nonetheless surprisingly pretty. In some sections, the trees form beautiful archways over the asphalt, and there are a number of rustic stone picnic tables in secluded wooded areas off the main path.
The Chickasaw Bluff Trail #1 towards Poplar Tree Lake is a long hike (about 5 miles from the Woodland Trail Shelter). Again, its mostly flat, but as it nears Poplar Tree Lake the terrain and scenery get a little more interesting. There is a Cypress tree forest about ½ mile in from the lake. It was dry when I hiked it during the summer, but last January the trees sat in pools of water evoking a haunting beauty that only Cypress trees can.

Headed here on a slightly rainy Sunday in March. The place was empty, just how I like it. The trails are hilly and challenging, I would not recommend a novice to come here.
Good luck geocaching on your cell phone, there is absolutely no service up here. I guess that is why it would be good for camping.
Very long walk, very challenging. If you like hills and crazy looking stairs, this is the place to hike it out.

Meeman Shelby park is a great park if you’re looking for some hilly, woodsy trails to hike. I usually like to take the three mile loop, which takes me around a small stream, up a huge flight of wooden stairs and a giant hill, and back down again. I’ve spotted all sorts of little critters on my hike. Be sure to wear your bug spray and be wary of going on a really hot day — once you get out on the trail, there aren’t any water fountain stops, ponds, or bathrooms. It’s a thickly-​wooded trail, all the way. In my opinion, the best time to go, if you’re not down with bugs and mega-​heat is around September or April. There’s also a one mile loop for those who don’t want to go that far. You can stop on the banks of the Mississippi to do some fishing or launch your boat, or even have a picnic.

I found this park around the time I decided to try training for a triathlon. The same same triathlon I never completed, but that is besides the point. What is so great about this park is the fact that it is only about 20 minutes outside of Memphis, but when you get there, you feel like you are waaaay out in the country. I like the accessibility of this. It is a great place to road bike, and a highlight of this is Jackson’s Hill. Being that Memphis is so flat, hills are rare, and this is one of the best ones that are available for training. You can also ride all the way down for some nice views of the river, and depending on the time of the year, you can see some sweet flooding. This park also has nice camping, cabin rentals, hiking, and frisbee golf. An all and all nice get away from the city and it’s problems, and somewhere you can go even for a few hours after work. Good stuff.