Two weekends ago, 122 dragboat entries from about 25 states and Canada came to Nickajack Lake for the Outboard Nationals, according to WDEF. That was a record for the event in its 32nd year. The racing was based at Marion County Park and Campground on U.S. Highway 41. Spectators paid $10 at the gate, and children 12 and under got in free.
A Marion County resident who wants a pavilion or the stage at that same park for a family reunion or church picnic pays nothing.
That gap is how the park is built. The land at 9696 Highway 41 is on loan, the money to run it comes mostly from people who pay to camp there, and the big crowds arrive through outside organizations that bring their own events. Put together, those three arrangements give county residents the most useful public stretch of Nickajack Lake for the least money. The racers from earlier this month and the families coming for Halloween on October 31 are using the same setup.
The Saturday the water won
The Southern Outlaw Dragboat Association runs the Outboard Nationals. This year it was presented by Palmetto Boats & Composites, with a guaranteed $30,000 purse for the National Outboard Championship. The county's event calendar listed a boat-ramp closure for the race, so for that weekend the park's everyday launch belonged to the racers.
The weather took part of the weekend. Boats raced Friday and Sunday, and SODA owner Jay Jackson kept them off the water Saturday. He explained the decision to WDEF:
"Well, you know, we had some problems yesterday with weather, and safety is our main factor or priority and we just with the rain and the wind blowing in the opposite direction, we would run into it. I made a decision that we just couldn't run."
The station also talked with Shawn Dunbar, a Canadian racer who won the event last year. He said altitude matters on a mountain-ringed reservoir, and he called Jasper's race "the Indy 500, the Daytona 500 of dragboat racing." Locals tend to think of Nickajack as a fishing lake, so a racer from another country ranking it at the top of his sport is a striking compliment.
The money from those $10 tickets went to the Greater Jasper Jaycees, which SValleyNow describes as a local civic group involved in community and charitable projects. It didn't go to the park. The county supplied the shoreline, a racing association supplied the boats, and a civic club got the proceeds.
Who holds what at 9696 Highway 41
The county's audited financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2024, published by the Tennessee Comptroller, lay out the structure as of that report:
- The land: The Tennessee Valley Authority owns it and lets Marion County use the park land at no charge.
- The operator: The Marion County Conservation Commission was organized in 1989 to manage the park on Nickajack Lake.
- The money: The commission's main revenue is fees for using the park, mostly camping fees.
- The board: The Marion County Board of Commissioners serves as the commission's board, and the county also appoints two members from outside the county commission. The county commission can put money toward operations and maintenance, and it must approve any long-term debt the commission takes on.
So nobody pays rent on the ground, and day-to-day operating money comes mainly from tent and RV campers. The board is made up of the county commissioners residents already elect, plus the two outside members the county appoints. The park is set up as a county fund of its own, and the audit counts it as part of county government.
That's why free pavilions for residents work. Camping keeps the commission running, so the county doesn't need to rent pavilions to its own people to cover costs. The commission holds its own meetings. The county calendar listed one on June 11, 2026, at the Lawson Building.
What the free part covers
The county's outdoors page lists what's at the park: tent and RV sites, a boat ramp, swimming, boating, fishing, pavilions and a stage. The pavilions and stage can be reserved, and rentals are free for Marion County residents. Reservations go through the park at 423-942-6653.
The stage is easy to overlook. A reservable stage on the water works for a small concert, a recital, a ceremony, or a community group that needs to address a crowd. Based on the county's page, a resident books it through the same phone number and at the same price as a pavilion, which is nothing.
The same structure also keeps the park on the county's public calendar. This month it hosted a national race on October 10 and 11, and the county listed a Pumpkin Painting Party there on October 17, from noon to 2 p.m. Next comes Halloween.
October 31 splits between the square and the shoreline
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, nine days after this post goes up. Two county-listed events are on the calendar that day, about an hour apart, at two different places in Jasper.
| Event | Where | Time | Listed details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack-O-Lantern Jamboree | Town Square, Jasper | Starts 4 p.m. | Trick-or-treating, jump houses, music, food trucks, fireworks |
| Halloween in the Park | Marion County Park | 5 to 8 p.m. | Time and location only |
The Jamboree is the long-running party on the courthouse square. We covered its history and namesake in why Jasper's Halloween party still carries Josh Jennings' name. The Marion County Chamber's listing puts this year's start at 4 p.m. on the Town Square. The county's listing for Halloween in the Park gives only the time and place. Families planning around it should call the park number above for details before heading out to Highway 41.
Since the square starts at 4 and the park starts at 5, a family could do both. They'd start downtown and then head out to the lake for the rest of the evening.
If you want the lake from above
The county's outdoors page also lists a hike near the park that most race-weekend visitors never see. TVA's Little Cedar Mountain trail starts about 3 miles northwest of Nickajack Dam. It's a 3-mile loop plus a 1-mile connector to a pond, and it's one of the few TVA trails rated difficult because of its steep climbs and length. The overlook looks out over the mountains and water. The pond is a vernal pond that dries out, so it supports frogs and salamanders instead of fish. Along the way, hikers pass the remains of an old stone wall that once ran several miles along the shoreline.
From the overlook you can see how much of this shoreline the public can reach. A lot of it sits on TVA ground, and the county park is one of the clearest examples of what a local commission can do with land it doesn't have to buy. More on the area is on our Marion County neighborhood page and our Jasper page.
If you've booked a pavilion at the park, camped there, or watched the boats from the bank, I'd like to hear what keeps you coming back to that stretch of Nickajack. Garrett Cox is always glad to talk about life along the lake in Marion County, whether you've been here for decades or are just starting to learn your way around. Let's Connect.
