The Mississippi River will always have its own way; no engineering skill can persuade it to do otherwise," writes Mark Twain, its most famous champion. The Mississippi is the most significant river in the United States culturally, commercially, and for its biological diversity. It is an important part of American history, made famous by people like Mark Twain, who was born near Hannibal, Missouri, on the Mississippi River. One of his most famous literary characters is Tom Sawyer. In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, we see a character who is clever and a bit mischievous, who spends his energy finding ways to take it easy. Named after him, is an RV park down on the other side of the river from West Memphis, Arkansas, on land that has been in the family for over 100 years.
"I started the RV park in 1987 and nobody came for 10-15 years," Abbott Widdicombe, owner of Tom Sawyer’s RV Park, laughs, "But the area is so beautiful I could never give it up." There are 100 sites right on the Mississippi in Arkansas. It is about 10 miles away from Memphis and 20 miles away from Graceland. Its upkeep and expansion is purely a labor of love from Widdicombe, as it is in an environment that Widdicombe laughingly calls, "insane."
What makes it insane? It floods almost every year. Yes. The whole park is underwater for a while in the spring and Widdicombe spends the summer rebuilding and drying it out for his busy season in the fall. "Out of 10 years, it'll flood about 7.5 of them," Widdicombe says. "There were 3 years in a row in the 80s where it didn't, but with climate change it happens nearly every year now. I like to say we have four seasons - winter, flood, rebuild, and money season."
Tom Sawyer’s RV Park is located so close to the Mississippi River, sometimes this happens!
Why would Widdicombe continue his RV resort under such extreme conditions? Mainly, because he loves it, but also because the land has a lot of family history. "My grandpa was a posthumous baby born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and his mother then married a timber cruiser. The timber cruiser was cruising along a stretch of forest across from Memphis in 1890 and decided that a city would develop there so he bought land in that area in the early 1900s," Widdicombe recalls. The only way to access the land was by the river or the railroads at that time. Eventually, levees were built and West Memphis started to take off. "There is land outside the levees, though, that is called batture land and this is where the land he bought was," Widdicombe says. The word Batture comes from the French "to beat" and in this case it means land that is beaten by the river, so naturally it floods a lot. Widdicombe's father moved to the area and started a mobile home subdivision. "It has always been a demographically poor area and mobile homes were popular. I was groomed for taking over the business," Widdicombe explains.
Life took a different direction, though, and Widdicombe married a woman from Boston who wouldn't have much to do with the business, or the culture, of Memphis, so they moved to New York City for five years. "After I did my time in New York," he laughs, "I convinced her to move back to Memphis." He used to go down to the spot where the RV park is now and farm the land with a friend as he enjoyed the scenery. "It is just so wild and beautiful and my friend mentioned making an RV park," he says. So he did. And he kept at it for a long time. His resolve was so strong that it eventually cost his marriage, but he kept at it. "I understood that it isn't something you can do overnight," he says, "You can't convince RVers to change their travel plans even if you are advertising until you are blue in the face." Word of mouth, though, is the key to a successful RV park and that is what happened. Now he is at a point where the campground can expand and he can think about the future. "I married a Memphis woman that supports me," he laughs.
Many people agree with the beauty of the land and with the attractions of the area. The main attraction, according to the website, is to watch the river traffic flow down the river. With over 230 reviews at 4.5/5 stars on Google, it is a place that many enjoy. One user notes, "This is how you do an RV park. Very well run. Spacious pull thru sites with concrete pads. Enough trees for some shade. Gorgeous views of the Mississippi River. Some of the sites are right on the river...Quiet. Peaceful. This is a lot more than just a place to pull off the road. It feels like a destination in and of itself."
Of course, it is important to check the water conditions before visiting, especially in the Spring. As the website notes, "We are so close to the Mississippi that sometimes we are in it!" Widdicombe says that they pull up the electric and picnic tables and he has become familiar with the high spots that don't flood. "Parts become like an island that is only accessible by boat," he describes. This remained true, until the major flood of 2011. This flood was among the largest and most damaging in the past century, causing $2.8 billion in damage along the Mississippi. "I was kayaking into my living room and had to duck to not hit the ceiling," he recalls.
The unique aspects of the park cause Widdicombe to come up with some unique solutions. "I want to build some bed and breakfast treehouses on the property," he says. He has built one that has a kitchen and a bath. "When the river floods, you can lie down on your bed, take out the screen, and go fishing," he says humorously. He wants to build more and continue to expand in that direction. "I was really working at it for a while and then it almost cost me another marriage," he laughs, "So now we are focusing on the RV sites." They are building 40 more sites that will be ready next year.
For a well-reviewed, unique and affordable place to stay, Tom Sawyer’s RV Park is an option good as any. In it, you’ll find a lot of peace, and perhaps understand when Mark Twain says, “Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.”