Clarkco State Park: Noxubee/Pascagoula Loop (Blog Hike #1100)

Trails: Noxubee, Chickasawhay, Pascagoula, and Yalabusha Trails
Hike Location: Clarkco State Park
Geographic Location: north of Quitman, MS (32.09761, -88.69413)
Length: 2.8 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2026
Overview: A loop hike mostly through pine forest passing an observation tower along Ivy Lake.
Park Information: https://www.mdwfp.com/parks-destinations/park/clarkco-state-park
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming November 27, 2026)

Directions to the trailhead: From the intersection of US 45 and SR 145 on the north side of Quitman, take SR 145 north 0.2 miles to the signed park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the entrance fee, then stop at the park office to pick up a trail map.  Next drive the cabin road south across Ivy Lake's dam to the cabin area and park by a vacant cabin; do NOT take a parking spot at a cabin that is occupied.  Cabin #3 is the closest cabin to this trailhead.

The hike: Developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps and opening in 1938, Clarkco State Park occupies 815 acres in the rolling hills south of Meridian.  The park's center is 65-acre man-made Ivy Lake, which offers boating, fishing, tubing, and water skiing.  Lodging includes a 43-site developed campground and 20 cabins.  The park is named for Clarke County, Mississippi in which it is located.

            For hikers, Clarkco State Park offers one of the largest and best trail systems in the Mississippi state parks system: 14 miles of trails beckon exploration.  The hike described here goes into the more remote southern part of the park, but it also takes you to the popular observation tower beside Ivy Lake and through the park's cabin area.  Thus, this route offers a good introduction to everything Clarkco State Park has to offer.

Trailhead near cabin #3

            There are 2 main points of entry for the south part of the trail system: the park's campground and the park's cabin area.  The park's campground was closed for renovations on my visit, so I picked up the Noxubee Trail where it leaves the cabin road just west of cabin #3.  The Noxubee Trail heads south on a track wide enough to be an old forest road.  Dense pine woods line either side of the trail, and pine trees appear everywhere in this part of the park.

Hiking the Noxubee Trail

            At 0.3 miles, the narrower Chickasawhay Trail exits right.  Trails at Clarkco State Park are unblazed, but intersections such as this one are signed.  The Chickasawhay Trail explores the very southern end of the park, but most of it was closed on my visit.  Thus, I kept left to stay on the Noxubee Trail.  The Noxubee Trail curves gently left to begin a more eastern course as other trails exit right and left.

Major trail intersection

            0.6 miles into the hike, you reach a major intersection.  The Noxubee Trail angles left and quickly returns to the park's cabin area.  To extend my hike, I turned right to begin an open portion of the Chickasawhay Trail.  The Chickasawhay Trail climbs gradually as it heads further south, still surrounded by pine forest.  Parts of this trail were muddy from recent rains on my visit, but I took care with my footing and glopped my way through the sticky red clay.

Starting the Pascagoula Trail

            Just past 0.9 miles, you reach another major trail intersection.  A fire lane continues straight, and the closed (on my visit) portion of the Chickasawhay Trail continues to the right.  I turned left to leave the Chickasawhay Trail and begin the Pascagoula Trail.  The Pascagoula Trail heads northeast on a rolling course through...you guessed it...more pine forest.  I enjoy hiking past tall stately pines, so I enjoyed this hike.

            At 1.35 miles, you reach the highest point on this hike, where the Tombigbee Trail exits left.  As I mentioned before, all of these intersections are signed.  This hike angles right to stay with the Pascagoula Trail as it dips through a surprisingly steep and deep ravine.  After some more ridgetop walking, a moderate descent brings you to the north end of the Pascagoula Trail at its intersection with the Yalabusha Trail at 2.1 miles.  We will eventually go left on the Yalabusha Trail to head back to cabin #3, but first turn right to reach the wooden observation tower that overlooks Ivy Lake.

View from observation tower

Yalabusha Trail through the park's yurt area

            Quickly you reach the observation tower, and climbing about 2 dozen steps raises you to the observation platform.  Trunks from some tall trees partially obstruct the view, but the lake was a tranquil scene on the damp chilly early February morning that I came here.  Continuing east on the Yalabusha Trail would eventually take you around the lake to the park's campground, so next you need to retrace your steps to the end of the Pascagoula Trail and then continue west on the Yalabusha Trail.  The Yalabusha Trail climbs and descends one final ridge before depositing you on the park's cabin access road.  Turn left to do a short road walk, return to cabin #3, and complete the hike.

Homochitto National Forest: Clear Springs Lake Trail (Blog Hike #1059)

Trail: Clear Springs Lake Trail
Hike Location: Homochitto National Forest, Clear Springs Recreation Area
Geographic Location: southeast of Roxie, MS (31.42591, -90.98519)
Length: 1.3 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: February 2025
Overview: A short loop hike around Clear Springs Lake.
Area Information: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r08/mississippi/recreation/clear-springs-recreation-area
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=980760
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video:

Directions to the trailhead: From Roxie, take US 84 east 6.5 miles to Clear Springs Road and turn right on Clear Springs Road; there is a national forest sign at this intersection.  Drive narrow and winding Clear Springs Rd. 4 miles to the recreation area entrance.  Pay the entrance fee, and park in the day use parking area near the picnic shelters beside the lake.

The hike: Located in the rural southwest quadrant of Mississippi east of Natchez, Homochitto National Forest (pronounced like home-uh-CHEAT-uh) protects 191,839 acres mostly of recovering farmland.  The forest was established in 1936 as Mississippi's first national forest, and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) worked to reforest the land and build many of the roads and recreation areas we use today.  The forest is named for the Homochitto River, which drains most of its land.  The river's name in turn probably comes from the Choctaw word for "big red."

            For recreation, the forest is most famous for its many miles of bridle trails, but it also has a few dayhiking options.  I came here on the last day of a 23 day hiking trip with a long drive home in front of me, so I chose to hike the forest's shortest trail: the 1.3 mile Clear Springs Lake Trail described here.  This trail forms a loop around its namesake lake, and the scenic lake views combine with the relatively steep hills and good wildlife viewing to make a fantastic short rustic hike.

Drinking fountain at trailhead

            From the main information board, begin a counterclockwise journey around Clear Springs Lake by heading west on the single track trail with the lake to your left.  The Clear Springs Lake Trail is mostly unmarked but entirely easy to follow.  The drinking fountain at the trailhead was turned off for the winter when I came here in late February, but several picnic tables occupy scenic spots beside the lake.  Clear Springs Lake was not particularly clear on my visit: the lake is fed by a combination of streams and springs, and this area had received large amounts of rain the week preceding my visit.

Picnic shelter across the lake

            Ignore several side trails that exit right; they lead uphill to the campground and another picnic area.  The lake makes for above average birding, and I heard and saw lots of common birds on this hike.  After following the trail closest to the lake for 0.3 miles, you reach Clear Springs Dam, which forms the lake.  Turn left to hike across the earthen dam and access the less developed south side of Clear Springs Lake.

Clear Springs Lake, as seen from the dam

            The next 0.4 miles stay close to the south shore of the lake.  The forest is dominated by pine trees, as you would expect for reverting farmland from the 1930's.  Some narrow trail and a decent number of small ups-and-downs make the going more challenging than you might expect, but broad views open up across the lake.  Old patches of asphalt can be seen in the trail surface, indicating that this trail might have been partially paved at one time.  At 0.7 miles, the trail curves right to briefly leave the lake and begin heading southeast high above a small side stream.

Hiking along the lake

            After crossing the stream and returning to the lake area, the trail curves right to round a low ridge before passing the east/upstream end of the lake.  You pass through a muddy area before intersecting the much longer red-blazed Richardson Creek Trail at 1.1 miles.  Turn left to continue the loop around the lake and cross the lake's main feeder stream on a wooden footbridge.

Footbridge over Richardson Creek

Final turn

            After less than 500 feet on the Richardson Creek Trail, you need to turn left to leave the Richardson Creek Trail and begin the final leg of our loop.  The blue arrow here is one of the few trail markers I saw on the entire Clear Springs Lake Trail.  A short flat walk through more pines deposits you at the picnic area to complete the hike.

Shepard State Park: Marshwalk and Oscar Trails, et. al. (Blog Hike #1043)

Trails: Marshwalk, Delta, Golf, and Oscar Trails
Hike Location: Shepard State Park
Geographic Location: Gautier, MS (30.37519, -88.63086)
Length: 2.7 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: February 2025
Overview: A double loop over and around Lamott Bayou's salt marsh.
Park Information: https://shepardstatepark.com/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=979603
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video:

Directions to the trailhead: In southeast Mississippi, take I-10 to Gautier-Vancleave Road (exit 61).  Exit and go south on Gautier-Vancleave Rd.  Drive Gautier-Vancleave Rd. south 3.2 miles to US 90 and turn left on US 90.  Drive US 90 east 2.4 miles to Oak Street; there is a traffic light at this intersection.  Turn right on Oak St., then 2 blocks later turn left on Graveline Road.  Drive Graveline Rd. 1.2 narrow and winding miles to the signed park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the entrance fee at the park office to obtain a code to open the park gate, then drive the main park road 0.3 miles to the parking lot for the athletic field, dog park, and Marshwalk on the left.  Park in this lot.

The hike: Located in the bootheel of Mississippi less than 2 miles from the Gulf of Mexico/America, Shepard State Park consists of 395 acres in and along Lamott Bayou's salt marsh.  Despite the state park name, the park has been maintained and operated by the City of Gautier since 2013.  The park retains state park level amenities, which include a 38-site developed campground, a picnic pavilion, an archery range, a dog park, and a disc golf course, which is reviewed in Parking Full Time Disc Golf Reviews.

            For hikers, Shepard State Park offers 13 trails, but most of its trails are short nature trails that are less than 1 mile in length.  The park's longest trail is the 2 mile Oscar Trail, and the park's most scenic and popular trail is the Marshwalk, an elevated walkway over the salt marsh.  Combining those two trails with the short Delta and Golf Trails forms the hike described here.  While I was not sure what to expect when I drove into this park, I had a very pleasant hike here with abundant marsh scenery.

Marshwalk trailhead

            From the parking lot, head northwest around the restroom building and across the lightly wooded sandy dirt area to reach the signed start of the Marshwalk.  At 1005 feet in length, this Marshwalk is the largest pier ever constructed over a marsh in Mississippi, and it is the only one with Thruflow decking, which offers low maintenance and high traction.  The walkway offers great views across Lamott Bayou's marsh, and the Marshwalk won the Small Project Award of Merit for its engineering when it opened in 2021.  A large number of interpretive signs tell about the marsh's flora and fauna.  I expected to do some good wildlife and bird viewing on this walkway, but I honestly did not see much wildlife when I came here on a warm and humid late morning in early February.

Hiking the Marshwalk

            At 0.25 miles, you reach the other end of the Marshwalk and a trail intersection.  The option going left leads across the India Bridge to the Oscar Trail, and we will go that way eventually.  To extend the hike, turn right at this intersection and the next one to begin the Delta Trail.  The trail, road, and bridge names at this park form a non-standard phonetic alphabet, which is why many of them seem so unusual: the names tell you nothing about what you will see on the trail.  The trails at this park are unmarked, but small green signs mark trail intersections.

Starting the Delta Trail

            The 0.3 mile Delta Trail takes you around a short loop on the north side of Lamott Bayou's marsh.  Where the trail splits to form its loop, angle right to stay close to the marsh.  Dense woods featuring tall pine trees, magnolia, holly, and palmetto cover this area.

            At 0.4 miles, turn right to cross a wooden bridge across a small arm of Lamott Bayou.  Next you climb slightly to reach the lightly wooded sandy dirt area you started in; you can see your car a few hundred feet away.  Turn left twice to re-cross the small arm of Lamott Bayou, now hiking on the Golf Trail.  The front nine of this park's disc golf course is also located in this area.

Hiking through pine woods

            Just shy of 0.6 miles, you come out at Cherokee Road.  Turn left to walk a short distance on this dirt/gravel road, then turn left again where the signed Delta Trail enters the woods.  At 0.65 miles, you close the short Delta/Golf Trail loop.  Turn right and then left to retrace your steps to the marsh.  Where the Marshwalk exits left, continue straight to cross the India Bridge and begin the Oscar Trail.

Start of Oscar Trail's loop

            After a short but steep climb, the Oscar Trail splits to form its loop at 0.8 miles into the hike.  Turn left to begin a clockwise journey around the Oscar Trail.  The next section is my favorite part of the Oscar Trail: it heads southbound with Lamott Bayou's marsh just through the live oaks and palmettos to the left.  No clear views of the marsh emerge, so be thankful for the new Marshwalk.

Hiking beside the marsh

            For the next mile the Oscar Trail embarks on a gently undulating course roughly parallel to the marsh's edge.  The trail winds almost as much as a mountain bike trail, but you should ignore several shortcut trails that exit right.  At 1.8 miles, the trail curves left to begin heading north flush against the park's west boundary.  I shared this part of the trail with a turtle, and the hiking is pleasant if unremarkable.

Passing a turtle

            2.1 miles into the hike, you reach an unsigned trail intersection.  Follow the yellow arrow that directs you to turn right to stay on the Oscar Trail; the option going slightly left leads to the Yankee Trail, which is a mountain bike trail.  After hiking east for 0.3 miles, you close the Oscar Trail's loop.  Continue straight to return to the Marshwalk, then turn right to retrace your steps across the Marshwalk to the parking lot and complete the hike.  This park has many other short trails, and the Romeo and Tango Trails are located on the other side of the parking lot if you want to extend your hike.  Those trails offer nice walks through the woods but scenery similar to what you have already seen.

Roosevelt State Park: Civil War Hill Trail et. al. (Blog Hike #1007)

Trails: Muscadine, Civil War Hill, and Rolling Hill Trails
Hike Location: Roosevelt State Park
Geographic Location: Morton, MS (32.32016, -89.67672)
Length: 3.2 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2024
Overview: A rolling lollipop loop through pine forest.
Park Information: https://www.mdwfp.com/parks-destinations/state-parks/roosevelt/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=957132
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video:

Directions to the trailhead: East of Jackson, take I-20 to SR 13 (exit 77).  Exit and go north on SR 13.  Drive SR 13 north 0.7 miles to the park entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the park, pay the small entrance fee at the gatehouse, and notice the signed start of the Muscadine Trail on the right just past the gatehouse.  Drive another 0.2 miles to the park's lodge, and park in the parking lot in front of the lodge.

The hike: Located in the piney woods just off I-20 between Jackson and Meridian, Roosevelt State Park protects 550 acres centered on 150-acre Shadow Lake.  The park was built in the late 1930's by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), and it was one of Mississippi's original state parks.  The park is named after President Franklin Delano Roosevelt; he established the CCC but has no known ties to this area.

            The park has a very developed feel considering its location in the middle of the pine woods.  Those developments include a 20-room motel-style lodge, a 109-site developed campground, 15 cabins, several picnic areas, fishing and boating on Shadow Lake, a swimming pool, some athletic fields, a disc golf course, and 6 hiking trails totaling 4.8 miles.  3 of the trails can be accessed from the park's main day-use area, and combining those 3 trails forms the 3.2 mile lollipop loop described here.

Start of Muscadine Trail

            There are several points where you could enter the trail system, but this hike starts where the Lakeview and Muscadine trails cross the park entrance road near the gatehouse.  To get there from the lodge parking lot, walk back out the park entrance road past the soccer field.  Just before the park's campground road exits right, turn left to begin the Muscadine Trail by walking through a wooden portal.

            Marked with red paint blazes, the wide single-track dirt Muscadine Trail heads north into the woods on a rolling course.  Pine trees dominate this forest, and many of these trees probably date to the CCC era.  0.5 miles into the hike, the park's Old Campground comes close on the left.

Hiking the Muscadine Trail

            Just past the campground, the orange-blazed Rolling Hill Trail exits right.  This intersection marks the start of the loop portion of this hike.  We will use the Rolling Hill Trail as our return route, so for now you want to continue straight on the red-blazed Muscadine Trail, thus hiking the loop clockwise.

Start of Civil War Hill Trail

            In only a couple hundred more feet, you reach another trail intersection.  The Muscadine Trail continues straight to reach Shadow Lake and a park road, but this hike turns right to begin the Civil War Hill Trail, this park's longest trail.  Marked with blue paint blazes, the Civil War Hill Trail takes you on a rolling course through more nice pine forest.  The ranger at the park office told me this trail gets its name from a Civil War military unit that camped here, but I could not find any details.

Shadow Lake

            Near 0.7 miles into the hike, Shadow Lake comes into view through the trees to the left, but the trail never reaches the lake shore.  Instead, the trail curves right and starts going more up than down before dropping into the ravine that contains Line Creek.  I saw 3 deer in this part of the forest, and the pines make for an amazingly quiet and peaceful setting.

Climbing toward the high point

            After climbing out of Line Creek's ravine, you reach the highest elevation on this hike, which is only about 125 feet higher than the trailhead.  More up-and-down through more ravines and more pine forest brings you to an intersection with the Rolling Hill Trail at 2.4 miles.  The Civil War Trail ends here.  The park entrance road in sight to the left would give you a shorter route back to the trailhead, but this hike turns right to begin the Rolling Hill Trail.

End of Rolling Hill Trail

            Marked with gold/orange blazes, the Rolling Hill Trail goes more down than up as it passes through one final ravine.  At 2.7 miles, you reach the north end of the Rolling Hill Trail and close the loop.  Turn left to retrace your steps on the Muscadine Trail, then turn right on the park entrance road to return to the lodge parking lot and complete the hike.

Trace State Park: Nester Trail (Blog Hike #951)

Trail: Nester Trail
Hike Location: Trace State Park
Geographic Location: west of Tupelo, MS (34.26021, -88.88655)
Length: 4.7 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Dates Hiked: April 2023
Overview: A semiloop on the east side of Old Natchez Trace Lake.
Park Information: https://www.mdwfp.com/parks-destinations/state-parks/trace/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=935531
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: From the intersection of Gloster Street and Main Street in downtown Tupelo, take Main St. west 10 miles to Faulkner Road and turn right on Faulkner Rd.  Drive Faulkner Rd. north 2.1 miles to the state park entrance.  Pay the entrance fee, and park in the parking lot to the left (south) of the entrance station.

The hike: Located in northeast Mississippi less than 10 miles off of I-22, Trace State Park protects many acres of succession forest around its namesake Trace Lake.  Both the park and the lake are named for the historic Natchez Trace, which runs north-south about 7 miles east of here.  Yet the Trace is not this park's only claim to history: Davy Crockett lived on this property for a short time in the 1830's when he worked as a horse trader with the Chickasaw.

            The park has some nice amenities that include aquatic recreation on Trace Lake, one of the best disc golf courses in Mississippi, a 76-site developed campground, 5 cabins, 3 cottages, and more than 35 miles of trails.  Although most of the trails were built by mountain bikers for mountain bikers, they are also open to hikers, and they see sufficiently little traffic that encountering other users of any type is rare.  I chose to hike the Nester Trail described here because it is one of this park's few trails to have a dedicated parking lot.  Thus, the trail is easy to find, and it offers a nice woodland journey with occasional views of Trace Lake.

Nester Trail trailhead

            A small brown metal sign marks the start of the Nester Trail, which immediately heads into the woods.  As I mentioned in the introduction, this trail was designed by mountain bikers for mountain bikers, so it has more twists and turns than usual for a hiking trail.  Although it is not immediately obvious, you are heading clockwise around the Nester Trail's loop.  The trail on the ground can be faint, but there are enough trail markers to keep you on track.  The relatively young forest here is dominated by oak, hickory, and sweet gum trees with a few pines mixed in.

1 mile marker

            Just past 0.5 miles, the park entrance road comes in sight through the trees to the left.  Blue diamond mileage markers appear at 0.5 mile intervals.  You cross several minor ups and downs, but the trail is designed to keep grades gradual enough to ride a bike comfortably.  Moreover, the overall terrain here is pretty flat.  I encountered only 1 other user (a hiker) during my hike here.

Red cedar thicket

            At 1.5 miles, you cross a gated dirt road.  Next you pass through a dense red cedar forest before treading around a sunny meadow area.  After more winding through the woods, you reach the east end of the dam that forms Trace Lake at 2.4 miles.  You can walk out on the dam to get a good lake view if you wish, but there is a better lake view from the trail coming up in another 0.5 miles.

Dam that forms Trace Lake

            Now on the west arm of the loop, the trail winds its way north with Trace Lake visible through the trees to the left.  2.9 miles into the hike, you pass through a sunny meadow area that provides the aforementioned nice lake view.  The trail continues to wind its way north passing through ravine after ravine and topping ridge after ridge, each one looking similar to the previous one.  Wooden bridges get you over most of the creeks in these ravines.

View across Trace Lake

            Near 4 miles, you pass through another red cedar thicket.  One final hill and a couple of final turns deposit you on the shoulder of the park road at 4.6 miles.  Turn right and walk a short distance along the road to return to the parking lot and complete the hike.

Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, Chickasaw Village Site to Old Town Site Overlook (Blog Hike #892)

Trail: Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
Hike Location: Natchez Trace Parkway, Chickasaw Village Site and Old Town Site Overlook
Geographic Location: Tupelo, MS (34.27877, -88.74196)
Length: 4.9 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: March 2022
Overview: An out-and-back on the best-developed section of the historic Natchez Trace.
Trail Information: https://www.nps.gov/natt/index.htm
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=903399

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: The Chickasaw Village Site is located at mile marker 261.8 on the Natchez Trace Parkway.  This mile marker is located on the west side of Tupelo 0.8 miles south of SR 178.

The hike: For my introduction to the Natchez Trace, see my hike at Mount Locust Inn near Natchez.  For my final hike on the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail for spring 2022, I chose to hike the well-developed and well-maintained section of trail on the west side of Tupelo.  Unlike some other parts of the Trace, modern intrusions are everywhere on this hike.  Nevertheless, the high trail maintenance makes the hiking here more pleasant than on some other portions of the historic Trace, and I had a nice hike here.

Northbound trailhead at Chickasaw Village Site

            From the Chickasaw Village Site, head north on the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, which heads back toward the Parkway.  A brown metal mileage sign says it is 2 miles to Old Town Overlook and 4 miles to Tupelo Visitor Center, but those mileages are a little low based on my calculations.  A shelter with interpretive signs at the Chickasaw Village Site tells about the Chickasaw people and their way of life.  The trail enters the young woods dominated by red cedar trees at a carsonite post and descends slightly to cross a wetland on a wooden boardwalk.

Wetland boardwalk

            At the north/east end of the boardwalk, the trail curves left to begin paralleling the Parkway, which sits only feet to the right.  Due to this hike's location on the west side of Tupelo, traffic noise is everywhere on this hike.  After passing through a sunny field, you cross a creek that featured some turtles sunning on logs on my visit.  Next the trail heads back into the woods and crosses an active railroad track at a developed crossing.  Of course, you should check for trains before crossing.

Crossing SR 178

            At 0.9 miles, you return to the shoulder of the Parkway and cross SR 178 using the Parkway's bridge.  The shoulder on the bridge is somewhat narrow and Parkway traffic moves fast, but crossing SR 178 this way is better than trying to dodge cars on the 4-lane state highway.  After crossing a Parkway entrance/exit ramp via a marked crosswalk, the trail enters a narrow strip of pine and sweetgum woods with the Parkway close on the right and residential Clayton Road close on the left.  Thus, this hike's urban feel becomes even more apparent here.

Hiking in the narrow woods corridor

            1.7 miles into the hike, you cross residential Lakeshire Drive before continuing north in the narrow woods corridor.  At 2.2 miles, the trail joins the east shoulder of Old Town Road and crosses I-22 on the road's bridge.  Fortunately, this road bridge is not as heavily traveled as the Parkway bridge you used as a highway crossing earlier.

Pond at Old Town Overlook

            The trail does not cross Old Town Road but curves right to reenter the forest on the road's east side.  After dipping through a steep ravine, you come out at the pondside picnic area adjacent to the Old Town Overlook.  The Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail continues north, but the scenic picnic area is a good place to turn around after enjoying a snack and rest.  To add a little variety to your return route, just before getting back to the Chickasaw Village Site, a short interpretive loop trail exits right.  The interpretive loop describes some of the common trees in the area, and it comes out behind the Chickasaw Village Site interpretive shelter.

Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, Rocky Springs Section and Townsite (Blog Hike #891)

Trails: Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, Townsite Trail, Rocky Springs Trail
Hike Location: Natchez Trace Parkway, Rocky Springs Campground
Geographic Location: northeast of Port Gibson, MS (32.08749, -90.80393)
Length: 2.9 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: March 2022
Overview: An out-and-back on the historic Natchez Trace followed by a short loop near Rocky Springs Townsite.
Trail Information: https://www.nps.gov/natt/index.htm
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=903309

Photo Highlight:

Trace Hike Video: 

Townsite Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: Rocky Springs Campground is located at mile marker 54.8 on the Natchez Trace Parkway.  This mile marker sits 12 miles south of SR 27 or 18 miles north of SR 18.  Park in the parking lot for the Historic Trace, which is located just after starting the loop road for the Rocky Springs Townsite.

The hike: For my introduction to the Natchez Trace, see the previous hike.  For present-day travelers heading northbound on the Trace, the first major recreation area reached is the Rocky Springs Campground, which sits near the historic Rocky Springs Townsite.  This hike explores the recreation area and townsite, and it consists of two parts.  The first part is an out-and-back on the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, which follows the spur of the historic Trace that led to the townsite.  The second part explores the townsite itself.  Thus, on this hike you approach the Rocky Springs Townsite the same way travelers would have 200 years ago.

Historic Trace trailhead

            From the Historic Trace trailhead, head northeast into the woods on the Rocky Springs Historic Trace Spur.  An interpretive sign and a brown metal mileage sign mark this trailhead.  Quickly you see where the phrase "sunken Trace" comes from: hundreds of years of footsteps have worn a channel in Mississippi's soft loess soil.  As a result, steep dirt walls now tower between 2 and 20 feet above the trail.  Water collecting in the channel can make the trail muddy, but some gravel gets you over the muddiest areas.

The sunken Trace

            The trail slowly descends along the sunken Trace, which actually stays near the top of a gentle finger ridge.  A couple of trees that had fallen across the channel needed to be negotiated, but overall the trail maintenance was quite good on my visit.  At 0.5 miles, ignore a side trail that exits left and remain in the channel, soon descending some wooden waterbars.

Little Sand Creek

            At 0.65 miles, you reach a major trail intersection near the bank of Little Sand Creek.  The trail going sharply right is the horse trail, and the trail going softly right leads to Rocky Springs Campground.  This hike turns left to begin heading northbound on the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail.  The narrow trail heads through creekside bottomland woods that features more grass than you might expect for forest this dense.

Hiking through creekside bottomland

            You cross a small creek before reaching the unbridged creek crossing of Little Sand Creek.  My original plan was to cross the creek and continue north to Old Port Gibson Road before looping back to the Natchez Trace Parkway.  Unfortunately, when I hiked here the day after a heavy rain, the creek was high enough to make this crossing uncomfortable.  Thus, I turned around here and retraced my steps to the Historic Trace trailhead.  Walking this direction, you hike up the Rocky Springs Historic Trace Spur the same way travelers of yesteryear would have hiked to Rocky Springs Townsite.

Entering Rocky Springs Townsite

            Upon arriving back at the trailhead to complete the first part of this hike, turn right to walk up the loop road and reach Rocky Springs Townsite.  A short lollipop loop takes you through the townsite.  Mostly only cisterns, safes, and pieces of chimneys remain, but a church dating to the 1820's also stands nearby.  Further around the loop road, a short out-and-back trail leads downhill to Rocky Springs, the small bouldery water outlet for which the town is named.  Continuing around the loop road returns you to the trailhead parking area to complete the hike.

Natchez Trace Parkway: Mount Locust Inn (Blog Hike #890)

Trail: Mount Locust Trail

Hike Location: Natchez Trace Parkway, Mount Locust Inn
Geographic Location: north of Natchez, MS (31.68572, -91.18833)
Length: 0.6 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: March 2022
Overview: A short hike around an inn on the old Natchez Trace.
Trace Information: https://www.nps.gov/natr/index.htm
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=903305
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: Mount Locust Inn is located at mile marker 15.5 on the Natchez Trace Parkway, which is located 15.5 miles north of Natchez.  Park in the parking lot in front of the small Visitor Center and restroom building.

The hike: The National Park Service maintains two long roads/parks designed for recreational driving: the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina/Virginia and the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi/Alabama/Tennessee.  Despite similarities in their design and status, the two parkways offer very different experiences.  Whereas the Blue Ridge Parkway features mountaintop views and natural scenery, the Natchez Trace Parkway features the region's history.  I have driven the majority of both Parkways, and I enjoyed my drive up the southern half of the Natchez Trace for my Spring Break 2022 hiking trip.

            Stretching for 444 miles on a southwest to northeast trajectory, the Natchez Trace is one of the oldest overland routes in the lower Mississippi River valley.  Travelers started using this route 10,000 years ago, and in the early days of European settlement this area was known as the Old Southwest.  Most of the Trace's travelers in the 1700's and 1800's were ordinary hard-working people from the Tennessee and Cumberland River valleys.  These people would float their goods down river for sale in New Orleans, sell the raft for timber, and ride horseback overland up the Trace back home.

            Numerous stands or inns along the historic Natchez Trace offered weary travelers opportunities to spend the night.  For travelers going in the usual northbound direction, one of the first inns they would reach was the Mount Locust Inn featured here.  One of the oldest structures in the area, Mount Locust Inn was begun by John Blommart in 1780, and the site housed an inn and farm until 1944.  This short hike explores the inn's building and grounds, and it gives you a good feel for the accommodations experienced by travelers on the historic Trace.

Asphalt trail to Mount Locust Inn

            Start by walking through the breezeway of the Visitor Center/restroom building and heading up the asphalt path.  After only a few hundred feet, turn right to climb some steps to the front entrance of Mount Locust Inn.  The front entrance was closed for repairs on my visit, so I had to walk the brick path around the inn and enter from the back.

Front of Mount Locust Inn

Back of Mount Locust Inn

            Mount Locust Inn demonstrates the typical accommodations afforded travelers on the historic Trace.  From the outside the building appears as a large well-appointed structure for its time and location, but the rooms are small and dirty with uncomfortable beds.  In fact, many travelers preferred to camp outside the inn as opposed to sleep in one of the crowded rooms.  Try imagining you are a traveler from yesteryear walking into this inn after a hard day of walking or horseback riding.

Mount Locust Slave Cemetery

            Exit the back of the inn and walk across the back yard to reach the Mount Locust Slave Cemetery, a somber and lightly marked clearing in the woods.  Of all the people buried here, only 10 of the names are known.  Retrace your steps back to the back porch, and then turn right to head down a gravel path that leads to the Ferguson-Chamberlain Family Cemetery.  Notice the ornate iron fence and numerous large monuments at this cemetery, a noteworthy contrast to the cemetery you passed earlier.

Ferguson-Chamberlain Family Cemetery

            Next the trail turns left and descends slightly to intersect the historic Trace.  Turn left again to begin following the historic Trace.  Walking this direction, you approach Mount Locust Inn the same way northbound travelers did 200 years ago.  Close the loop in front of the inn, and then retrace your steps to the parking lot to complete the hike.