Great Escapes for Spring Break
State parks offer an affordable getaway

Want a weekend away without breaking your budget? Consider visiting a state park. Parks in our region have so much to offer families, including a wide range of accommodations – from primitive campsites to fully stocked cabins. So whether you prefer to experience the great outdoors by a campfire or from a hotel room with a view, you can find something you’ll like at a state park.

Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park (in Millington)
The 13,000 square foot park offers a forest of large oak, cypress and tupelo trees. The park also contains two lakes, a swimming pool, miles of hiking trails, and a boat ramp on the Mississippi River. Deer, turkey, beaver, and some 200 species of birds are found here.
• Cabins: $65 and up. Campsites: $20 and up.
Visit state.tn.us/environment/parks/MeemanShelby.

Fall Creek Falls State Park (Middle Tennessee, near Pikeville)
My family often vacationed here when I was a child and I can’t wait to take my kids. Fall Creek Falls takes reservations up to two years in advance so make sure to call early. The park boasts three distinctive waterfalls. Dramatic Fall Creek Falls (256 feet) is the highest waterfall in the eastern United States. Cane Creek Falls is fun because you can swim in the Cane Creek Cascades near the falls. And for a lovely long hike, check out Piney Falls, the most remote of the three. As a child, this was my favorite. I loved the sound of the rushing water surrounded by the stillness of the forest. Southern Living magazine readers voted Fall Creek Falls the best state park in the Southeast.
• Inn rooms: $79 and up. Cabins: $115 and up. Campsites: $20 and up.
Visit state.tn.us/environment/parks/FallCreekFalls/.

Pickwick Landing State Park (West Tennessee, near Savannah)
Pickwick Landing State Park on Pickwick Lake near Savannah is a haven for fishing, boating, swimming, and good times. It’s about 1.5 hours from Memphis. The park’s amenities include an inn and restaurant, cabins and camping, and a golf course. Hiking, swimming and play fields are also available.
• Inn rooms: $75 and up; cabins: $104 and up. Campsites $20 and up.
Visit state.tn.us/environment/parks/PickwickLanding/.

Tishomingo State Park  (North Mississippi, near Tishomingo)
Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains near the Mississippi-Alabama border, Tishomingo State Park is home to a striking landscape of massive rock formations and fern-filled crevices found nowhere else in Mississippi. It’s about 120 miles from Memphis. Archaeological excavations confirm the presence of Paleo Indians in the area as early as 7000 B.C. The famous Natchez Trace Parkway runs directly through the park.
• Cabins: $50 and up. Campsites: $16 and up.
Visit mississippistateparks.reserveamerica.com/ms/Tishomingo.

Village Creek State Park (West Arkansas, near Wynne)
Located just 45 minutes west of Memphis, you’ll feel like you’ve traveled much farther when you visit Village Creek State Park. This park offers great hiking and fishing, and the cabins are clean and comfortable. We love eating home-cooked meals on a  park cabin’s screened-in porch overlooking the woods.
• Cabins start at $85. Campsite fees begin at $18.

To find reviews on state parks nationwide written by people who have actually visited there, go to stateparks.com.