Wolf River Beach!
This hidden gem of a beach location (well, technically a sandbar) is a great little getaway for individuals and families in the Memphis, TN area. It’s the perfect “Beach within Reach”.
How to get there
I thought about explaining in detail how to get there (blast from the ’90s past). However, Google maps speak a thousand words!
First, a Google Maps link that puts a marker on the beach area:
(dont use this for directions)
https://goo.gl/maps/JZhNphBcHdgBssiC7
Next, a Google Maps link to the parking area. This is where you want to go first.
(use this for directions)
https://goo.gl/maps/5UDYpFtJeP2X5W2j9
Wolf River Beach Water Level
Important to know before you go!
One important detail that will save you some hassle…
Know the water level before making the trip to the beach!
Find out how below!
After my family and I first discovered the beach, we felt as if we had really found a diamond in the rough. Then we went back again on a different day, and David Copperfield must have pulled off a magic trick….because the same beach was totally not there! Poof, it was gone. No sand, no people, just water! Well turns out that after heavy rain, the river swells up, and completely floods over the sand. Not to worry though. After a few days, the sandy beach comes back.
So, here’s a tip! You can actually check the water level to know whether not a beach will be there so you don’t have to waste a trip. Click on the link below to see a graph of the Wolf River water level.
But before you check out the chart, here is how to read it. If the height is 4ft or less, the water level will be perfect! The river will be nice and shallow for the kiddos, and there will be a whole lot of beach to enjoy.
If the water level is at about 6.5 feet, you probably don’t want to go in the water. And there will only be a little bit of sand to enjoy.
If the water level is 8ft or higher, poof, the beach will be non-existent. Don’t even bother making the trip unless you just want to see a rushing river.
Example Wolf River water level graph and how to read it.
Last by certainly not least…
KEEP OUR BEACH CLEAN…. PLEASE!!
Leave no trace that you were there, except for your footprints.
Please do a quick survey 🙂
How can we as Memphians encourage other people to pick up their own trash?
See what others said:
I always tell people to pick up their trash on the trail. im normally carrying a full bag of trash and I think the guilt helps. I also told a man to not forget his plastic water bottle. he was kind about it luckily. idk i think there should be people to scream ” shame” at others
In my apartment complex, I move aside the big items and sometimes take a garbage bag out there and pick it up myself. It’s my community and responsibility to help as well.
Often times we don’t think ahead for little details and a trash can someone has to empty is asking alot for a beach thats only usable depending on water levels. However an alternative might be like places do for dog walkers, a little trash bag dispenser and a sign that says here’s a trash bag, please collect your mess and take it with you. Make it funny or personable, use a photo of an iconic mom on the sign.