Homochitto National Forest Overview
From the sound of it, Homochitto National Forest would seem to be the last place you'd expect to find first-rate outdoor recreation. The forest records the highest level of timber production in the South. In addition, it's constantly being explored for oil and gas. More than 75 percent of the Mississippi oil wells on national forest land are in Homochitto.
Despite this intensive resource use, the forest is jumping with opportunities for outdoor fun.
Homochitto National Forest is the first of Mississippi's six national forests. Established in 1936, it was named after the Homochitto River. Homochitto, meaning "big red," is the local Indian name for the river. The approximately 189,000-acre area is divided into two ranger districts—the Bude and the Homochitto—in the southwestern corner of the state, near Natchez.
Three recreation areas make for plenty of camping sites, and recreational hiking, biking, fishing, boating, swimming, hunting, and wildlife-viewing alternatives abound. The eastern half of the park is covered with an irregular terrain and loess soils, which provide for an unusually excellent trail system.
Get in Gear on Clear Springs
The Clear Springs Trail is a 10-mile loop open to hikers and mountain bikers. Running along gentle streams and through pine, magnolia, oak, and beech tree groves, it brings an outdoor enthusiast in close contact with deer, turkeys, raccoons, opossums, beavers, turtles, snakes, and armadillos. Bird-watchers should keep an eye out for woodpeckers, warblers, and other southern forest species. The trailhead is at the Clear Springs Recreation Area. Mountain bikers should be prepared: This is not a trail for beginners.
Saddle Up for the Longleaf Trail
One of the longest paths in the park, the Longleaf Horse Trail is a clearly marked, 23-mile pathway easily handled by riders of all skill levels. As with elsewhere in the park, surrounding vegetation is a mixture of pine in the uplands, pine-hardwood mix on the hillsides, and hardwoods in the bottom lands. The trailhead at Gator Pond has room for trailer parking.
Sharpen Your Shooting
Hunting is very popular in Homochitto National Forest. To that end, the Woodman Springs Shooting Range is located on forest land three miles north of Gloster on Route 33. There is no user fee and the grounds are open from sunrise to sunset. Hunting areas and hunting season should be carefully respected. People with disabilities are allowed to hunt in Homochitto using three- or four-wheeled ATVs. Regulations on and roads open to ATV use should be consulted in advance.
Camp under the Pines
The three recreational areas in Homochitto National Forest make family picnicking fun and easy. The pine- and hardwood-ringed Clear Springs Recreation Area is on a 12-acre spring-fed lake with a campground, swimming area, and facilities. A 240-acre reservoir is at the center of the Turkey Fork Recreation Area 44 miles southeast of Laurel. Try your hand at camping, swimming, fishing, water skiing, hiking, and easy biking. Brushy Creek Recreation Area and Pipes Lake Picnic Area are regions of calm in a shady forest setting.
Move on to U.S. National Forest Campground Guide
