HORNBEAK, Tenn. – Towering cypress trees, blue skies and a sunny dock with empty chairs are an open invitation to relaxation at the Blue Bank Resort on Reelfoot Lake. Reelfoot, the only natural lake in Tennessee is an oddity. It was created when a series of violent earthquakes shook the far northwest corner of Tennessee in the winter of 1811-1812.

Reelfoot Lake. Image by Tom Adkinson.

As the story goes, the quakes made the Mississippi River flow backwards and rang church bells in faraway Philadelphia. The lake covers 18,000 acres – small compared to nearby Kentucky Lake, which is 160,000 acres. Its deepest spot is only 19 feet, and the average is only 3.5 feet. It’s a compact five miles wide and 15 miles long, and it is one of the most famous crappie lakes anywhere. Blue Bank Resort offers cabins, motel rooms, a restaurant and fishing guide service.

Trip-planning resource: BlueBankResort.com and TNvacation.com