Tims Ford State Park - Winchester, TN - Tennessee State Parks

BIKING
There are seven miles of paved biking/hiking trails that connect all the major areas of the park. A multi-use mountain bike/hiking trail has an out and back total of over 16 miles and runs along the shoreline of Tims Ford Reservoir.
Trail Length: 22 miles
Trail Rating: Intermediate
All children age 16 years and younger are required to wear a helmet while biking.

BIRDING
Essentially an upland park, open field birds such as Indigo Bunting, Song and Field Sparrow share created meadow areas on either side of the park road past the visitor center. Barred Owls can be heard calling and seen on the nearby Spann House Trail. From the scenic Marble Plains overlook, the Ray Branch Shoreline Loop hugs the lake edge and is a good way to spot herons, Pied-billed Grebe and the occasional Bald Eagle.

BOATING
Tims Ford State Park manages eight public boat ramps around the lake and leases two marinas, providing ample access to Tims Ford Lake. Lake View Marina is a leased operation located inside Tims Ford State Park, that provides pontoon boat rentals as well as a boat launch and courtesy dock. The marina also includes a snack bar, bait shop and fish-cleaning area. There is also a small inventory of canoes and kayaks available for rent. Lake View Marina hours are seasonal. They are closed December, January and February. Contact the Marina at 931-967-6711 for more information.
Holiday Landing Resort and Marina is also a leased operation near Tims Ford about 15-minutes (6 ½ miles) from the park office. They offer a full service marina with slip rentals, gas, pontoon boat rentals. This is where you will find the famous Blue Gill Grill, a seasonal restaurant. For more information call 931-455-3151.
For an interactive map of river access sites and water trails go to: http://tnvalleywatertrails.org

FISHING
Tims Ford Lake is a long winding reservoir (10,000 acre) providing boating, skiing, fishing and other water recreation activities. Fishing is decent for Largemouth, Spotted and Smallmouth Bass and is best known for the latter. The lake is stocked annually with Striped Bass and Hybrid Striped Bass which can be caught year-round using various techniques. Striped Bass commonly exceed 15 lbs and hybrids are typically about 7 pounds. Numerous local and professional tournaments are conducted on the lake.
Fishing in the Elk River coldwater tailwaters below the dam during non-generation periods is very productive for Rainbow and Brown Trout.

GOLFING
Just an hour-and-a-half south of Nashville lies another star of the Jack Nicklaus-designed collection. The Bear Trace at Tims Ford has received widespread acclaim almost from the day of its opening. Included among its plaudits are one of the “Top Ten Places You Can Play” and one of the “Best New Destinations” in Tennessee for 1999. Situated on a peninsula surrounded by picturesque Tims Ford Lake, this visually compelling golf course has been described by one national publication as a “glittering newcomer….an intriguing 6,764 yard layout (gold tees) with several different looks.”
Opening holes are a blend of links-style creations that gently roll across former pasture land, then gradually transition to wooded sites dominated by giant oak trees. The back nine presents a stronger test of each golfer’s mettle and culminates with the 18th hole, a 453-yard, par four with traditional Nicklaus bunkers and a deep-water shoreline of Tims Ford. In all, the Tims Ford reservoir is visible from most holes on the course and comes into play on several of the 18 holes, giving the course an excellent balance of challenge and playability.
Learn More About the Course
Reserve a Tee Time

HIKING
There are 6.5 miles of unpaved hiking trails in addition to the 22 miles of bike trails that are also used for hiking. Two of the three trails begin at the visitor center, while the third wraps the shoreline near our marina.
Pets are allowed on the hiking trails, but must be on a leash at all times. Pets should be current on all vaccinations.
Lost Creek Overlook Trail — 1.3 Miles — Natural — Moderate
Overlook Trail — 1.0 Miles — Paved — ADA Accessible
Marble Plains Loop Trail — 1.2 Miles — Natural — Moderate
Ray Branch Shoreline Trail — 6.0 Miles — Natural — Difficult
Evans Loop Trail — 3.0 Miles — Natural — Moderate
Spann House Trail — 4.0 Miles — Natural — Moderate
Highland Rim Wildflower Trail — 0.3 Miles — Natural — Moderate
Tims Ford Bicycle Trail — 6.0 Miles — Paved — Easy
Clifton Doyle Trail — 0.8 Miles — Natural — Easy

SWIMMING
The pool at Tims Ford opens for the 2017 season on Saturday, May 27.
The Olympic-sized, L-shaped pool features a 12-foot diving pool, children's wading pool and bathrooms. Lifeguards are on duty when open. Swimming in Tims Ford Lake is also permitted.
HOURS OF OPERATION
*Wednesday through Sunday: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (except during holiday weeks)
Monday and Tuesday: Closed
During holiday weeks, please call the park for days and hours of operation.
The pool is closed after Labor Day.
ADMISSION
$5:00 per person
$2:50 per person for cabin and campground guests.
Children two years and younger are free.
Debit and credit cards are accepted at the pool entrance.
Season passes are available for $100.00.
SNACK BAR
The Tims Ford Snack Shack will be open! The Snack Shack offers chips, candy, drinks and other items and is conveniently located right outside the pool.

GROUP FACILITIES
Tims Ford - Recreation Building
Rates: $75 — $300
Taxes and fees are not included. Rates subject to change.
The Recreation Building is ideal for parties, receptions, banquets, small meetings and other group gatherings. The building has two meeting rooms – the large meeting room and the small meeting room. Both spaces are accessed from the main entrance way foyer, which also features a lounge area with a large stone fireplace.
The large meeting room has an elevated stage at one end. Seating capacity is approximately 60 people theater style or 35 people at tables. The small meeting room can also accommodate approximately 60 people seated theater style.
Both rooms have easy access to bathrooms. Basic audio-video equipment is available, including TVs, speakers, and microphones. There is no kitchen, but food may be catered in.
Reservations may be made up to two years in advance. Please contact the park office directly for detailed pricing, reservations and more information.

Tims Ford - Visitor Center Meeting Room
Rates: $100
Taxes and fees are not included. Rates subject to change.
Located inside of the Tims Ford State Park Visitor Center is a small conference room. This venue holds approximately 20-30 guests for a meeting, luncheon, or other gathering. The rental comes with tables, chairs, and a podium.
Reservations may be made up to two years in advance. Please contact the park office directly for detailed pricing, reservations and more information.

DELUXE CABINS
Rates: $125 — $150
Taxes and fees are not included. Rates subject to change. $5 reservation fee per cabin is non-refundable. $10 cancellation fee per cabin applies.
The park has 20 beautiful cabins situated on the wooded slopes of Tims Ford Lake. The cabins are completely equipped, including appliances, cooking, serving utensils, and linens. Every cabin features a seasonal gas fireplace, outdoor balconies, one TV with 12 channels of DirecTV and a charcoal grill. Cabins have two bedrooms with two double beds in each bedroom.
During the winter, Cabins #14-#20 are closed from December 1 through through the end of February. Cabins #1-#13 remain open.
Cabin guests pay half price admission to the swimming pool.

CAMPING
Rates: $20 — $31.25
Taxes and fees are not included. Rates subject to change. $5 reservation fee per site is non-refundable.
Tims Ford State Park offers a 52-site campground, with water, 30 amp electric service, picnic table, and fire ring with grill at each site, and a dumping station available at the entrance to the campground.
The campground can accommodate RVs up to 40 feet in length on several sites and are able to accommodate both RVs and tents. The campsites are limited to 6 people per site, and one RV and one tent, or two tents per site. Two of the campsites are ADA compliant and are set aside for that reason. Two centrally located bathhouses provide hot showers and bathrooms.
A playground is located within the campground, and several other playgrounds are located throughout the park.
Campsites are available year-round and the maximum stay is two weeks.

PAVILIONS
Rates: $40
Taxes and fees are not included. Rates subject to change.
Tims Ford State Park has 2 picnic shelters/pavilions that may be reserved for your next event or gathering. The maximum capacity of each is 75 people. The shelters are equipped with picnic tables, a grill and access to restrooms. Depending upon the shelter, access to trails, the lake or a ball field is nearby.
Full day shelter reservations may be made online or by calling the park. If you are interested in reserving a shelter for less than a full day, please contact the park office for availability information.
Picnic shelters or pavilions may be reserved online up to one year in advance with a paid reservation fee. There is a $3.00 cancellation fee for picnic shelter or pavilion reservations cancelled 8 days or more in advance of the reserved date. Reservations cancelled 7 days or less in advance of the reserved date forfeit all paid fees.