Big Hill Pond is a great hikers park, allowing visitors to walk through the woods, along the bottom lands of a nearby river, and climb to the top of an old fire tower for a birds-eye view.

This park, however, is not for the casual drive-by tourist. And once you leave the park office area, the roads are mainly gravel, narrow and steep.

Big Hill Pond is about 5,000 acres of western Tennessee timber lands and hardwood bottom lands, along Cypress Creek and the Tuscumbia River. There are oxbow lakes within the park, and there is nice fishing.

On a historical note, a burrow pit for a railroad placed in the area in the 1800s helped create what was then just a big 35-acre pond. Over time cypress and other trees grew up around the pond. This area, along with other water sites, were eventually incorporated into the park. There is also a Union Civil War earthwork still visible, but only with a hike, that guarded the old railroad. A railroad still runs through the park, and you will have to cross it to get to the Civil War site.

The observation tower is 70 feet high, requiring a nice climb, and if you pull a boat to the park's main lake, please note it is a steep ramp you will have to unload from.

I found it to be a nice park, but be prepared to walk a good distance from your car in order to be able to really enjoy it.