Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park

Meeman-Shelby, north of Memphis, is a nice addition for your camping travels.  Very quiet with decent, if old, shower and toilet facilities. Lots of mosquitoes due to the forest surrounds so be prepared.  Some sites have dual levels so be prepared there, too.  Not much privacy between sites.

Out of the Way Serene Forest

Unless you are in love with mosquitos you may want to stay away from here in the summer, other than that it's a pretty nice place to escape for the weekend.  We spent most of our time hiking around on the trail system within the park and fishing a little bit.  I'm from the south so mosquitos are pretty much the norm for summer, so they didn't deter us.

Bring Mosquito Spray

campground was clean, quiet, with playground. Bathrooms were clean.  15 minute drive to the Mississippi R. boat ramp was cool to see! we changed sites because of close neighbors and were accommodated helpfully. the best part was the blue grass music at the Shelby General Store. so much local, authentic fun:)

Visit Shelby Forest General Store!

Campground is very rustic, shaded and sites are kinda small. Cell service is spotty. Some sites are really close together and some are decent size. The day area around Poplar Tree Lake is nice with kayak, flat bottom fishing boats and paddle boats for rent. Cabins seem very nice from the outside. Lots of nice playgrounds and a disc golf course. 

Huge State Park

This was one of the first state parks in Tennessee I visited on my trip through the state. Despite being an older feeling camp it offered many unique features and options for keeping myself entertained. [(Check Out Their Website)](https://tnstateparks.com/parks/meeman-shelby)

When it came to camping not only were there tent sites but also cabins which had a very rustic feel. I opted for a tent site which ran $25 and had full electrical hookups (site 40), a big perk for charging my devices at the end of a busy day. My site had a bbq grill and fire ring in addition to a picnic table and was well shaded. I felt like the sites along this side of the road were a little more spacious than the other side of the road which were a little more close together.

I was about half way down the loop and a short distance from the restroom and showers which were in decent shape but nothing super special. The water pressure here was good for showering.

My favorite thing about this camp was the outdoor activities which seemed to be everywhere. I hiked both the Woodland and Pioneer Springs trails [(MAP)](https://tnstateparks.com/assets/pdf/additional-content/park-maps/37-meeman-shelby-sm.jpg), each about 4 miles and along the way enjoyed just taking in the outdoors. I will say that if you do any trails in late summer here you will need mosquito spray because they come in droves.

You can travel to the boat ramp and marina and rent boats there or bring your own to take advantage of the lake which winds through various types of vegetation and allows you to see the lake in a way you cannot from the shore line. I most enjoyed taking out a kayak and exploring the swampy feeling area, though I will say being so close to the Mississippi River I was afraid of what I might find lurking in the water.

[Book Your Site Here](https://reserve.tnstateparks.com/meeman-shelby-forest)

TIPS:

*   Bring citronella candles for your table when camping and try to put a dryer sheet in your pocket to ward off mosquitoes. In addition to spray these will make your trip here a bit more comfortable.
*   Bring your own firewood if you want to have a campground. There were signs around camp saying not to move wood.

Older Feeling Park With Nice Features

My family and I live about 25 min from the campground at Meeman-Shelby State Park. We have been several times and have camped with tents, pop-ups, and now with our Geo-Pro. We love this campground.

Pros:
-49 available sites
-all sites with water, 30A, fire ring, grill and picnic table
-a variety of hiking/biking trails
-update playground
-lake with rental kayaks, canoes, boats (in season)
-fully functioning bathhouse that is dated but clean

Cons:
-no sewer at any sites
-some sites on the back sides of the camp ground are subject to erosion and can be unlevel and not ideal for kids
-large park so many of the activities outside the campground require driving
-1 bathhouse which can be an issue on certain weekends
-MOSQUITOS. If you go after the weather warms up, be forewarned that the mosquitos will eat you alive. We mostly camp at Meeman-Shelby in the fall/winter. We do not camp Spring/Summer.

There is a disc golf course that is very popular. There is a nature center that is under renovation that has snakes, spiders and owls to see. There are cabins to rent but we have never stayed in one. They look nice from the outside.

I’ve included several pictures of camp sites and the grounds. All in all, Meeman-Shelby is a great park and is perfect for families. Make sure to schedule a friday night dinner at the General Store. Steak and live music that sets the tone for a great camping weekend!

Perfect weekend campground in the Mid-South

We had a great time at this campsite.  Large camping areas with fire ring, grill and picnic table.

This campsite is right by a hiking trail so it was pretty easy to get firewood. The bathrooms/ showers area are well maintained and easy to get too. All in all a great trip and will be going again real soon.

Nice campground

The campground is generally more expensive than the other surrounding camping spots in the area. However, the camp is very nice. It didn’t feel crowded, the restrooms are clean, and the views are nice, especially camps 36-45. There is also good amount of hiking around. There is a longer 12 mile hike close by, and other shorter more challenging and less challenging trails. There is also a lake near by. 

Nice hiking and camping 

This is my neighborhood campground, so i might be a little biased. A great spot to spend the weekend with lots of good trails, a big lake for paddling and fishing, and quaint camp sites. The bathrooms are clean but have strong serial killer vibes. There used to be a pool here. I’d love to see that open again! 

Plenty to see and do

This park has tons of trees. Every site feels like it was cut right out of the trees. They are all RV sites with electric and water but I pitched a tent with no problem. I wasn’t able to stay and explore but if you’re looking for somewhere quite this is the place. 

Straight up in the forest 

My friend and I camped for the weekend and it was great. Nice grounds. Showers, bathrooms were clean. 

Nice Family oriented 

The primitive sites (there are three) are on a separate and I maintained road off of the campsite loop. Spacious sites, but if the weather is wet, it can be a bit iffy getting to them in a low clearance vehicle. That said, facilities and staff were nice.

Primitive sites available

Place was beautiful but the mold in the bathroom was worse then expected for a state park.

Peaceful and eerie…

This is a great place to check out. Staff and Rangers are great! Come in the Fall when the humidity and mosquitoes are at bay!

Great Fall spot!

Some nice shady spots and quiet.  Was there in October and it was nice and quiet. Dogs are allowed. I did not have wifi or cell service (TMobile). But visitors with another service had wifi. There is wifi at the camp store/check in building. 

Nice quiet campground 

Good enough campground for one night stay. A bit of a walk to the bathrooms, but they were clean—flushing toilets and showers. At least 20 minutes to nearest grocery store.

Really big state park

Campsites are mostly spacious and hosts are friendly and helpful.  We really enjoyed the trails and roads for walking/biking. 

Not crowded and pretty quiet.
August in Tennessee is hot and muggy!

Great location for walking, hiking, biking 

Ample spaces in some campgrounds while some have small area, still larger than most of other camping locations. It can still be better if they can make camp bed with gravel for tent camping

Nice Campground

We live close and love being able to break away and isolate ourselves from the world. There is no cell reception really at campsites and that just makes it better. Quiet and clean spot for a weekend away. 

Perfect for a weekend hideout ♥️

Just so beautiful. Trails were well marked but not for faint of heart. Campsites were pretty close together and bathrooms not too great. Little black bugs swarmed on warm nights right a dusk for an hour. There’s an airport nearby and planes were constantly flying over one of the nights. We were the only tent there. Tent pads aren’t clearly marked but plenty of level ground to set up. Lake was gorgeous too, I was literally the only one out there. 