Recreation
![A paved trail winding along a lake on a sunny day.](/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/fseprd1136426.jpg)
Interactive Forest Visitor Map
Use the Interactive Forest Visitor Map to locate roads, campgrounds, trails and other recreation sites on the National Forests of Mississippi. You can zoom in for high resolution detail and change the background map to suit your needs. Download mobile apps: Apple App or Google Play
Current Recreation Conditions
Area Name | Status | Area Conditions |
---|---|---|
Airey Lake | Open | Open for day use only; no camping allowed. Restroom closed. |
Ashe Lake | Open | Day use only. Restrooms are open. |
Beaver Lake | Open | |
Bethel OHV Trails | Open | All loops open. Call before you haul to check current conditions: 601-528-6180. |
Bethel South Motorcycle and Mountain Bike Trails | Open | |
Big Biloxi Recreation Area | Open | Campground is open. Restrooms open. |
Big Creek Landing | Open | Open for day use and river access only; no overnight camping is allowed. |
Big Foot Horse Trail and Camp | Open | Open to camping. |
Black Creek Hiking Trail | Open | Open from Big Creek Landing to CCC Camp and the section from Melvin Breland Road east to Fairley Bridge Landing. Primitive camping is allowed 150 feet off the trail. Overnight camping is not currently allowed at landings. |
Black Creek National Wild and Scenic River | Open | Primitive camping is allowed off the Black Creek Hiking Trail only; no overnight stay on the landings. |
Black Creek Shooting Range | Open | |
Black Creek Wilderness Area | Open | |
Blue Lake Recreation Area | Open | |
Brushy Creek Horse Trail | Open | Dispersed camping is available. Water is not provided. Restrooms are not available. |
Chewalla Lake | Open | Bathhouses are temporarily closed for repairs. Portable toilets are available. |
Chickasaw ATV/Motorcycle Trail | Open | Open seasonally. Call the Tombigbee District Office at 662-285-3264 before you haul. |
Choctaw Lake | Open | RV and tent camping, all year long |
Clear Springs | Open | |
Clear Springs Recreation Area | Open | |
Cypress Creek Landing | Open | Campground is temporarily closed. Open for day use and river access only; no overnight camping is allowed. |
Davis Lake | Open | |
Delta Multiple-Use Trails | Open | |
Delta National Forest Campsites | Open | |
Fairley Bridge Landing | Open | Open for day use and river access only; no overnight camping is allowed. Restroom closed. |
Gavin Forest Educational Tour | Open | |
General Jackson Interpretive Trail | Closed | Hurricane Katrina destroyed the General Jackson Interpretative Trail. The trail remains closed. |
Greentree Reservoir | Open | |
Harrell Prairie | Open | |
Janice Landing | Open | Open for day use. Camping is allowed. Restroom open. |
Lake Tillatoba | Open | |
Leaf Hiking Trail | Closed | Closed. |
Leaf Wilderness Area | Open | Trails aren't available due to storm damage. |
Little Sunflower River | Open | |
Little Tiger ATV/Motorcycle Trail | Open | Trail and restroom now open. |
Longleaf Horse Trail | Open | Restroom now open. |
Marathon Lake | Open | Open March 1-December 15. Restrooms open. |
Moody's Landing | Open | Open for camping and river access. Restroom closed for repairs. |
Noxubee Hills Mountain Bike Trail | Open | Open for use. |
Office Trail | Open | |
Okhissa Lake | Open | Facilities include a boat ramp, parking, gazebo with an expansive view of the lake and two restrooms. |
Owl Creek Mounds Archeological Site | Open | Restroom closed. |
P.O.W. Lake Recreation Area | Open | Open for day use only; no camping allowed. |
Puskus Lake | Open | The lake is open for fishing and boating. A portion of the lake trail is temporarily closed. |
Rattlesnake Bay ATV Trail | Closed | TEMPORARILY CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING. The 10-mile loop and the 3-mile loop are now open. Call Before You Haul for current conditions at 601-528-6180. |
Richardson Creek Trail | Open | |
Shockaloe Base Camp II | Open | |
Shockaloe Trail | Open | Day use only. Self-contained RVs only. Restroom closed. |
Shongelo Lake | Open | Shongelo is a fee area and is open seasonally from May through September. |
South Bethel Bicycle Trail | Closed | TEMPORARILY CLODED DUE TO FLOODING. |
Tall Pines | Open | |
Tishkill Lake | Open | |
Turkey Fork | Open | Fishing, day use. Bathhouse now open. |
Tuxachanie National Hiking Trail | Open | Off-highway parking is available. |
Witch Dance Horse Trail | Open | |
Woodman Springs Shooting Range | Open | Woodman Springs Shooting Range offers a shooting shelter and 25-, 50- and 100-yard markers. It has four concrete shooting tables. No attendant is on duty. |
Spotlights
Choctaw Lake
![A trail meanders alongside a lake with forested banks.](/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/fseprd1120982_tn.jpg)
Choctaw Lake Recreation Area offers a range of outdoor opportunities such as camping, picnicking, swimming, boating, fishing, hiking and bicycling. Facilities include 20 campsites with utility hookups, 35 picnic sites, three picnic pavilions, a swimming area, disc golf course, two bath houses with showers and flush toilets, two boat ramps, an accessible fishing pier and a 3-mile hiking trail.
Choctaw Lake Recreation Area is open all year. Choctaw is a fee area and the fee station is located just beyond the entrance gate. No attendant will be on duty. Therefore, users should make sure that they have correct currency before arriving at the recreation area.
Tuxachanie National Hiking Trail
![Two young men seen from behind walking down a dirt trail through a forest.](/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/fseprd1137238_tn.jpg)
Tuxachanie National Hiking Trail offers the hiker an 11.9-mile voyage through south Mississippi’s vast forest. Rows of live oaks mark the trail’s entrance on Hwy. 49. The first 5 miles of trail follow an old abandoned railroad which once served the sawmill of Dantzler Lumber Company at Howison, MS.
Hikers will encounter a variety of vegetation along the trail. Plains, savannas and swamps lie between the ridges and have an abundance of pitcher plants and palmettos. Wild orchids can occasionally be found. Timbered ridges of longleaf and slash pine add to the scenery.
Off-highway parking is available. Trailhead parking is provided at designated locations (Hwy. 49, Airey Lake and P.O.W. Camp). Drinking water and restrooms are not provided on the trail, but can be found at Airey Lake Recreation Area. This trail is designated for foot travel only. There is, however, a short section that is used in conjunction with the Big Foot Horse Trail. No motorized vehicles allowed.
Tuxachanie is open year-round unless weather conditions require the area to be closed. No user fees required.