Peeling Back The Layers Of Middle Fork Bottoms State Park
Written & Photographed by Margee Stanfield
“When you pull up to the park for the first time … it is a big old field with some trails. That's about the first impression you get. But as you sort of peel those layers back, you start seeing all these little things. You start getting a different perspective,” Jacob Newby, Middle Fork Bottoms’ Park Ranger, said.
This image Newby described felt fitting for Middle Fork Bottoms, as I recalled going on runs here. I originally came for the flat and vast land to have a straightforward place to run. Yet, on my runs, I found myself uncovering all these nooks and crannies and details of the park. I noticed a certain patch of trees where an abundance of fireflies seemed to congregate on summer evenings. A deer running out in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. The rush of the running water beneath me as I crossed over a bridge.
Even when running — something inherently fast-paced — I was made to slow down mentally. To notice. To appreciate.
Newby labels this type of encounter with the Park a “slow burn,” a concept he is familiar with, for that was the story of his journey, too.
“Part of how I like to tell that story is that the first time I came here, I came with my wife before it was a State Park, and I went, ‘I do not wanna work here.’ Two months later, I accepted the job. It's just because it's so not in your face about it. But when you do start to give it time and pay attention to it, it really is beautiful.”
That slow burn started with the Park’s very formation.
The property was originally farmland, owned by a few farmers, but after season after season of flood damage ruining their crops, they threw in the towel. Some time after that, the Tennessee River Basin Authority acquired the property.
“They're the ones responsible for morphing it from raw farmland to presentable flood mitigation recreational areas. They put in our parking lots, they put in our gates, they put in this trail, they put in the lakes that we have,” Michael Champagne, park manager, said. “But they don't have the resources to manage the park. So the West Tennessee River Basin got to a point where they kind of needed to back out.”
And that’s when Tennessee State Parks stepped in. Middle Fork Bottoms was officially dedicated in August of 2024 and will now forever be a State Park.
“The sentiment we've heard a lot is that ‘Finally, West Tennessee gets something!’ Because it feels like this part of the state is ignored at times,” Champagne said.
The park is home to a variety of ecosystems and wildlife, particularly an abundance of birds. Fishing, birding, paddling, hiking, biking, and even 5K races are among the various ways people utilize the park. Schools visit for field trips, photographers capture portraits in the tall grasses, fishermen hunker down at their favorite spots, and kids (and adults) learn about conservation through educational programs.
Newby leads many of the park’s events and programs, and he sees the public’s involvement in them as crucial to the park’s care and betterment.
“I'm out here about 40 hours a week. People are out here all the time,” Newby explained. “That's a valuable conservation resource to have them care about the park and preserve the park in their own ways. We can build that up with those educational programs, by getting people just out here to come hang out with us and understand why it's important.”
Middle Fork Bottoms is not just a place to be enjoyed by the public, but, in turn, protected by it.
“I can't protect the whole park all the time. Michael can't protect the whole park all the time. So, having those stewards out here all the time — it's just a more effective use of resources. And it makes people feel good,” Newby said.
I asked Champagne and Newby what they thought Middle Fork Bottoms adds to life in West Tennessee and why they think the park is important.
Newby pointed to the fact that all Tennessee State Parks are free to enter, offering people an activity that is not a financial burden while also providing an opportunity to spend their time in a physical and mentally healthy way, connecting with nature.
“I mean, there's no beating in that,” Newby said
Champagne added that with surrounding towns growing rapidly, especially Jackson, the fact that the nearly 900-acre spread of Middle Fork Bottoms will remain a construction-free — save for their amenities and facilities — preserve forever is a big deal.
But there is still more work to be done. The slow burn continues as people like Champagne and Newby work to further design and develop the park.
“ Sometimes we have guests that are getting impatient with certain aspects of the park. I just wish that the general public knew we have plans. We have good quality plans,” Champagne said. “And the process has started. Like right now, we're designing all of our facilities. We're going to add some more trails. We're gonna add some boardwalks. We're going to add some water access points.”
This newborn State Park will continue to grow and evolve physically, but the growth Champagne desires to see the most goes back to people taking the time to see and appreciate the Park for what it truly is, in all its unfolding beauty.
“ I hope that over the next five or 10 years, just everybody in general will grow to respect what this place is more. Sometimes it gets labeled as an empty swamp. That couldn't be the furthest thing from the truth. It is a very special resource that's going to be protected in West Tennessee,” Champagne said.
