reelfoot lake pontoon boat cruise

Our group took our bus from Paducah and made the Reelfoot boat tour part of the day's journey.We were well pleased with the time spent on the boat tour as well as the whole experience in western Tennessee and plan to do it again. Frank Maczuk

First,if you enjoy history there's nothing that comes close to the informative and friendly staff.Your tour guide will be a park ranger who explains the chain of events and geography causing the formation of the lake...mingled with the history comes the nature lesson.The entire length of the cruise the ranger is pointing out the vastly diverse species of plant and animal life whov'e grown so used to human interaction that you have some close-up views of reptile,waterfowl,and birds of prey.There's nothing quite like seeing a bald eagle in the wild for the first time,and if you're lucky a 'coon,deer,or turkey will be visable on the shoreline,then the spectacular beauty of the lake at sunset is awesome!I'm lucky to have access to nature anytime I choose,and still I come to the lake often...you can't experiance what is available here anywhere else in the world.The atmosphere is friendly and everyone will gain something from the cruise,It's a must see if you're in the area.

The Reelfoot Visitor Center offer's two lengths of pontoon cruises. There are morning and sunset cruises that are 3 hours long, and two afternoon cruises that are 1.5 hours each. We chose one of the afternoon cruises. It has been hot this summer, but there was actually a decent breeze blowing. Faith, our tour guide was funny, and absolutely full of knowledge about the lake. This was surprising, since this was her first year. Kudos, Faith! The 1.5 hour tour takes you part way around the lake, then backtracks. We didn't see any eagles, but plenty of heron, egrets, and osprey. The only problem with our cruise was no fault of Faith's, so I will certainly not count off for it. The rest of our passengers were absolute zombies. Faith worked so hard to get participation from the other passengers, but it just didn't happen.We had a great time. I think next time we will take the morning cruise. We will make sure to take seat cushions though. The seats are hard metal chairs. They were bad enough for 1.5 hours. I can't imagine 3 hours without any cushion for my tush.

Whether you are an out-of-area visitor, or a life-long area resident, you'll probably find the Reelfoot Lake pontoon boat cruise well worth the time. There are a variety of cruises available, ranging from short, one-hour trips, up to three-hour trips, plus sunset cruises, and other special trips throughout the season. If you are a first-time visitor, the short one-hour cruise will be the perfect treat, especially if you have children. You depart from the dock at the Ellington Hall Visitor's Center, on Tenn. 21, east of Tiptonville. You'll pass the boardwalk gazebo, and head east along the shoreline of the lake, up to the point where Reelfoot drains out via a spillway. Your trip then returns along the same route. Guides will occasionally stop the boat to point out lake features, or history. You may encounter ducks, snakes in the water (but usually not on the boat), or other types of wildlife around the lake. The guides will point out the old riverbed that use to flow through Reelfoot before the earthquakes of 1811-12. They'll tell you about fishing here, and allow you to ask questions. It's very informative and entertaining. For those wanting to see more of the lake, there is the three-hour cruise. It follows the same path as the one-hour up to the spillway. At that point, it veers northward to an upper portion of the lake. This trip features a stop on an island (with a pit latrine). You are advised to bring insect repellant and a small cooler for drinks, if you like. This trip is not for small children. They'll get bored, and it'll seem like a century to them. But for the nature-minded adults, this trip lets you see a portion of the lake that is not as heavily bordered by homes, playgrounds, roads or other man-made objects. You'll see lilypad fields and cypress trees in the lake in similar ways that many of the first visitors saw them two centuries ago. Now I have never been on the Sunset, Fourth of July, or other special cruises they have. I've always heard good things about them, however. Reservations are highly recommended in advance. If you don't, you may encounter a group tour which will fill the boat. Even with reservations, cruises are not always guarenteed to operate. Low water levels and weather can play havoc on the runs. Reelfoot cruises usually operate at least on weekends from May thru October, with daily runs in the summer season. Call the visitors center at [--]. Also please note: If you are staying at the Reelfoot Lake State Park Inn, you are about 13 miles, or so, from where these rides originate from. You'll have to drive back to Tiptonville, and then east on Tenn. 21 to arrive at the dock. Do not call the park inn for reservations. They'll just give you the number to the vistior's center. Normally, the short cruises go out around 1:30 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. The three-hour cruise leaves at 9 a.m. Sunset cruises depart around 6 p.m. Call the park office for specific schedules. The price for the long cruise and the sunset cruise is $9 adults, and $6 ages 16 and under. The short cruise is $6 for all ages. I highly recommend one of these cruises to local residents and visitors alike. It'll make your lake experience much more enjoyable.