Mousetail Landing State Park
by Katijane Shoffner
A few weekends ago, we decided to go on a last minute camping trip to Mousetail Landing in Linden, Tennessee within Perry County just across the river from Parsons. We enjoyed it so much we are now making a camping blog series! We are going to five different campsites throughout our coverage area and giving you the lowdown as well as tips and tricks. Be on the lookout for the next four camping blogs.
A hiking trail marker on one of the trails.
About the Park
Our first blog is about Mousetail Landing State Park where there are many different activities. The things you can do include paddling, boating, swimming, hiking, biking, and fishing. If you plan on paddling make sure you bring your own canoe or kayak. Boating on a pontoon boat or a speedboat is a lot of fun. Although, you will have to have your own boat or find a rental. You can also tube down the Tennessee River behind your boat.
They have a swimming beach that is open year round. This is just like a real beach minus the salt water but would be a great place to break out your sandcastle skills. There are five different trails at Mousetail: two biking and three hiking. During our hiking experience, we encountered a fallen tree that we had to climb over. We also went over the bridge and through the woods. You can fish from the primitive campsite and they also have a fishing pier that is located near the swimming beach, but the best way to experience fishing is with a boat.
They have two different campgrounds: the main campground and the primitive campsite. The main campground is better for RV’s and has bathhouses located on the site. The primitive campsite is better for tents, but it does not have bathhouses. Most of the sites in the primitive sites are located on the water. We stayed in the primitive site. During our stay, we hiked and swam.
The History
Mousetail landing was established in 1986, making it one of the more recent additions to the Tennessee State Parks. The name is thought to have been derived from an event during the Civil War where a tannery located on the site of the present day state park caught fire. The tannery was infested with a very large amount of mice which fled the burning tannery in the direction of the landing (some people even say that the mice’s tails were on fire), giving the landing its present name. Don’t worry we didn’t encounter any mice!
What should i bring?
Here is a list of things to bring for the less experienced campers like me since this trip is only my second time at a campsite.
A good way to stay organized while camping is to have tubs to sort your supplies. In your kitchen tub, it would be a good idea to include paper plates, cups, trash bags, Ziploc bags, tin foil, napkins/paper towels, matches, hand sanitizer, baby wipes, dish rags, skillet, pots, scissors, spatulas, a lighter, firestarter, and silverware. In an activity tub you could include binoculars, card games, bubbles, football, ball and mitt, drawing pads, magnifying glasses, puzzle, crayons, goggles, innertube, swim floats, and beach supplies. For personal item storage, you could bring a backpack or duffle bag depending on the duration of your stay. Some of these such items include clothing (the type of clothing you have will depend on the weather so be sure to check the weather before you leave), swimsuit, flip flops, walking shoes, insect repellant, sunscreen, prescriptions, sports gear, sunglasses, hat, rain gear, toiletries, and a laundry bag. Some other items that you may need that may not fit in a tub is a tent, camp chairs, marshmallow roasters, cot/air mattress( if you have an air mattress make sure you have a pump), sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, hammock, camp stove, drinking water, ice cooler, charcoal, firewood (you can’t bring in firewood unless it has a state or federal seal certifying that the wood has been heat treated so the best thing to do is just collect firewood at the campsite), and a fan.
More INformation
Here is a link to this campsite: https://tnstateparks.com/parks/mousetail-landing