Meeman-Shelby Forest WMA and State Park

Directions: To Headquarters: From Memphis take TN Highway 388 North until it dead ends,  at the dead end, turn left and go 1 mile to a four-way stop. Look for the Shelby Forest General Store then turn right, go 1 mile, and then take a left turn into the park.  Signs are provided to assist in finding the park.  Eagle Lake may be accessed from the southern end of Meeman-Shelby State Park by taking Island No. 40 Road off of Benjestown Road. Eagle Lake- Lat/Long: 35.0548°N, -89.5399°W  Visitors Center- Lat/Long: 35.34387°N,  -90.03268°W 

To get to the WMA from Memphis, take TN Highway 388 north until it dead ends.  At the dead end, turn left,  go 1 mile to a four-way stop, and look for the Shelby Forest General Store. At this point take Benjestown Road south for about 3 to 4 miles to reach Island No. 40 Road.  Turn right on Island No. 40 Road and follow it to a point where it turns abruptly left (about 1 mile).  At the turn, there is a gate leading into the forest that controls access to a poorly maintained gravel road that leads west to the lake.

The WMA is open all year long, 7 A.M. to 10 P.M., please note hunting seasons.  Free permits can be obtained at the park headquarters (901) 876-5215.  State Park website

TWRA Contact Information: TWRA Region 1 Office 1-731-423-5725, Toll-Free 1-800-372-3928, e-mail the office, TWRA Area Manager: Chris Park 1-731-738-0233

Description: Eagle Lake is a site "off the beaten track."   When accessing the site you must pass through some beautiful upland forest. The site is approximately 13,467 acres.  It is a floodplain lake surrounded by cypress swamp with two-thirds of the park containing bottomland forests of oak, cypress, and tupelo.  

There are two man-made lakes in the uplands and some natural lakes and wetland areas in the bottomland.   A boat launch into the Mississippi River is available.  Access is by a poorly maintained gravel road.  There is a gate at the entrance on Island 40 which is open on an irregular schedule. The gate is closed during high water in the bottoms.

The park hosts one of the finest arrays of plant and animal life in Tennessee.   Some 200 species of birds have been reported from the area. The wide variety of habitats offers year-round opportunities for birding. Deer and turkey are abundant. Barred Owls are abundant across the bottomland forests.  Cerulean Warblers are common breeding birds on the bluffs near the dropoff to the bottomlands.