Disney's Mystery Lake - Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee

Visitors to Reelfoot Lake can travel into a State Park, National Wildlife Refuge and Tennessee's Important Bird Area all at once. "Mystery Lake" and "Earthquake Lake" both refer to Reelfoot. Its background consists of legends as well as firsthand accounts of unusual happenings. A slideshow of Reelfoot Lake State Park photographs taken in January 2008 can be seen at Disney called it Mystery Lake - Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee

Disney's "The Secret of Mystery Lake"

Filmed primarily at Reelfoot Lake, "The Secret of Mystery Lake" was shown during the Disney "Mickey Mouse Club's" 1957 second season. Karl Maslowski shot the original footage as a nature documentary in the 1940's. In 1949, he called his documentary "Earthquake Lake" and narrated it himself on a lecture circuit. In 1951, a feature length film called "Mystery Lake" was produced by Larry Lansburgh using Maslowski's footage. The film was later acquired by Disney Studios and broken into seven episodes for the Mickey Mouse Club Serials.

Reelfoot Lake State Park

Reelfoot Lake State Park
3120 State Route 213
Tiptonville, TN 38079-9799

The Reelfoot Lake State Park makes a perfect vacation spot for the fishing, wildlife, or photography enthusiast. As the web site states, Reelfoot is basically a "flooded forest". Fishermen cast their lines mostly for bass, crappie, bream and catfish.

If you would rather just taste the local fish, several restaurants are located just across from the State Park Visitors Center / Museum. Boyette's has always been a local favorite. Visit their web site and call for reservations if you have your heart set on eating there.

The Park has three hiking trails, an Auto Tour, picnic facilities, fishing piers and operates two campgrounds. R.C. Donaldson Memorial Museum features exhibits, audio visual programs and a cypress boardwalk that extends out over the water. A nature center part of the museum is home to non-releasable raptors, snakes and other wildlife. Planned programs include Bald Eagle and Waterfowl Tours and Pontoon Boat Cruises.

Reelfoot Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Reelfoot NWR
4343 Highway 157
Union City, TN 38261