Find Adventure at Tim's Ford State Park

2 min read

A Ford once stood along the Elk River where Tim's Ford Dam now stands. The land was owned by Abner Mansfield Tims, who provided transportation across the river. Until 1885, this was the only way to cross the river. The Tennessee Valley Authority decided to use that Ford as the namesake for the reservoir.

In 1969 they set aside 1000 acres of land on the most scenic portion of the lake to form a public park. This became Tims Ford State Park, covering around 2200 acres. They have 5 miles of paved trails and 15 miles of natural trails. One special feature that the younger kids would enjoy is a Storybook trail, coming soon with new trail markers with the featured book.

Today we had the honor to sit down with Ranger Mark Matzkin and Ranger Kelsey Garcia. Mark spent 10 years at the Chief Ranger Station and has been at Tims Ford for 3 years now. Kelsey worked at Fairview Campground when they opened some Ranger positions and has been serving for 6 months now.

The activities at TFSP range from golfing on a Jack Nicklaus-designed course, a part of The Bear Trace, camping, boating, hiking, fishing, biking, and picnicking.

At the marina, you can rent a pontoon boat or a kayak to get out on the water. Also at the marina is a place to get burgers, BBQ, or pizza. They also have ice cream to enjoy while looking at the breathtaking scenery.

Accommodations include 20 cabins with water views, and campgrounds from rustic on an island, to hookups for tents or travel trailers and RVs.

Golfing at Bear Trace is another popular activity at the park. The Tims Ford Reservoir can be seen from most holes on the course and plays a role on several of them. This gives the course an excellent balance of challenge and playability.