De Soto National Forest Overview
De Soto National Forest is the largest of Mississippi's six national protected woodlands. Its 501,000 acres are stretched across a combination of "pineywoods" planted in a gently rolling terrain cut by sluggish serpentine streams, and bottomlands of plentiful hardwoods fed by these "black-water" creeks (tea-colored waterways tinted by the decayed vegetation of the forest floor).
Regular rainfall and the short southern winters have left a particularly thick forest that, in turn, shelters an abundance of wildlife, including deer, turkey, and quail. Many of these areas are now recognized as unique natural resources. The Black Creek has been listed as a National Wild and Scenic River, and Congress recently declared 5,500 acres as the Black Creek and Leaf Wilderness.
Outdoor enthusiasts will find plenty to do in De Soto National Forest, especially if you enjoy floating lazily downstream on meandering streams. For more vigorous adventurers, long and short trails, fishing holes, and camping opportunities abound.
Trek the Black Creek Trail
One of Mississippi's longest and most challenging trails runs along the Black Creek for 40 miles from Fairley Bridge Landing to Big Creek Landing. A trek of the entire trail (open to foot traffic only) will take you through classic southern Mississippi habitat, including some 10 miles of the Black Creek Wilderness. Ninety bridges have been built over small streams and ponds as part of the total resource management effort that rescued this land from logging at the beginning of the 20th century. Now you can enjoy the oxbow lakes as well as the sweetgum, loblolly pine, spruce pine, willow oak, bald cypress, sweetbay, and red maple that grow naturally in this gently rolling coastal zone. Archaeologists have found evidence that ancient Americans used this area as a travel corridor and feeding ground.
Float a Lazy River
If walking is not your cup of tea, try paddling the Black Creek. Like many of the streams in the forest, it has a languid current that winds through the thick greenery. So what could be better than to float along on its surface? The one-mile-per-hour water speed means that the 40-mile trip is plenty long enough. Pause along the wide, white shoreline sandbars. Drop a fishing line into the eddies. Bring a picnic lunch, or even overnight gear. But keep in mind that this is a natural waterway. There are submerged logs that need to be avoided. Plus, heavy rainfall can affect depth and current. Check weather conditions before you go.
Hike among Carnivorous Plants
The Tuxachanie Trail is a 22-mile-long walk in the garden. Flower fans will admire the insect-eating pitcher plants, palmettos, and wild orchids. Land lovers will be treated to plains, savannas, ridges, and lowland swamps. History and train buffs will appreciate the first five miles running along the abandoned rails that once served the defunct Danzler Lumber Company sawmill. The railroad bed and trestles were constructed in the early 1900s by immigrants using hand tools and mule-pulled earth movers. The entrance to the trail—off Route 49 (parking is provided)—is lined with long rows of oaks originally planted in 1935 by Posey N. Howell, the "Father of Mississippi Forestry."
Wheel the Bethel Trails
The Bethel Trails are 69 miles of all-terrain paths designed for motorized vehicles (no wider than 48 inches) but also open to cyclists. South Mississippi Coastal Plains are the dominant habitat and thick with longleaf and slash pine, hardwood flats, swamps, and those carnivorous pitcher plants. Cyclists should avoid the area during the annual motorcycle events and no riding should take place during deer hunting season.
Hoof the Big Foot Horse Trail
The Big Foot Horse Trail is open only to equestrians and hikers. A moderately difficult hike that is open year-round, it consists of four loops of varying lengths (5 to 11 miles) that can be combined to create a variety of rides. The trail's proximity to nearby parallel roads makes access to it particularly easy, especially if you are carrying fishing gear and hope to tote back some bream, bass, white perch, or catfish. Forest Service Road 440 leads to a trail rider's camp where parking, hitching posts, unloading ramps, and more have been provided.
Camp Near a POW Camp
De Soto National Forest's three recreation areas—Big Biloxi, Airey Lake, and POW Lake—provide golden opportunities for overnighters eager to enjoy the outdoors. Big Biloxi is on the banks of the Big Biloxi River (only 14 miles from open water), where Gulf Coast flora and fauna abound. Three-acre Airey Lake is an angler's delight, packed with bass, bream, white perch, and catfish. The recreation area next to fish-filled POW Lake is an abandoned World War II German prisoner-of-war camp and rifle range. Wandering through the old ammunition bunkers is spooky.
Move on to U.S. National Forest Campground
