Forest landscapes, musical history and an annual craft festival offer different highlights for a trip to McNairy County. When planning, consider whether you mainly want to spend time outdoors, explore cultural themes or time your visit to coincide with an event. You can give each of these different priorities rather than trying to fit them into a packed day-by-day itinerary.
Forests and Hiking
Big Hill Pond State Park encompasses 4,138 acres of forestland and wooded lowlands, with more than 30 miles of hiking trails. The landscape and trail network offer two distinct ways to experience nature: you can make the park a dedicated part of your trip and set aside time for hiking. If you enjoy being outdoors, this is a clear focus alongside the cultural offerings. Nature doesn’t have to be just a brief stop between other activities.
Culture, Music and History
The Latta brings together exhibition and performance spaces: it has three gallery spaces, a learning center adjoining the main gallery and a 200-seat theater. Guest appearances by arts groups, as well as local performances and presentations, take place regularly. This gives you a choice of different cultural formats. If you want to plan around a particular performance, check the specific dates before your trip.
The McNairy County Music Hall of Fame is dedicated to preserving and promoting McNairy County’s distinctive musical heritage. The Ellis Truett Jr. Collection is displayed on a rotating basis at the Tennessee Folklife Learning Center at the Latta. You can also listen to more than 200 recordings of Littlejohn’s music at the county archive in the McNairy County Courthouse and at the Learning Center at the Latta. These offer two different formats: a rotating exhibition and the opportunity to listen to recordings.
The McNairy County Historical Museum presents various aspects of life in early McNairy County in a large central gallery and seven adjoining rooms. The museum’s exhibition space is the historic Ritz Theatre building. Its focus on early life offers a different perspective from the music attractions. A third installation of the Rockabilly Murals honors the African American influence on rockabilly and rock ’n’ roll.
Festival and When to Visit
The McNairy County Broomcorn Festival takes place each year on the third Saturday in September at Hockaday Handmade Brooms & Farm in Selmer. The program includes demonstrations of traditional crafts, music and food. Its recurring date gives your planning a seasonal anchor. If you want to plan your trip around the festival, check the details for the relevant year before you travel.
Getting Around and Finding a Hotel
A car is recommended as the best way to explore the small towns and lake areas. Nearby, Pickwick Lake is in Hardin County, where you can go boating and fishing or take pontoon boat excursions. This destination outside McNairy County adds water-based activities to the nature and culture themes.
You can consider Pickwick Lake as a nearby day trip. Also plan according to whether you want to explore the small towns and lake areas by car. This leaves room to choose the focus of your stay based on what genuinely interests you.
Discover more destinations: Selmer, Adamsville, Jackson County, Williamson, Humphreys, Warren County, Washington County, Jefferson County
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