Mississippi’s temperate climate and varied terrain make it easy to explore whatever you love about the great outdoors, all year long.
Hunting
Mississippi’s temperate climate and varied terrain make it easy to explore whatever you love about the great outdoors, all year long.
Take your shot on more than 1,000 square miles of public hunting lands at Mississippi’s 50-plus wildlife management areas and nine national wildlife refuges, along with commercial outfitters ready to help hunters find bountiful white-tailed deer, water- fowl, turkeys and more. Mississippi also offers one of the nation’s longest hunting seasons, and hunting licenses are available online at mdwfp.com.
One of the nation’s top destinations for deer and turkey hunting is TARA WILDLIFE, which welcomes hunters to explore more than 9,000 acres of bottomland hardwood forests near Vicksburg and spend the weekend in a lodge or cabin.
Wing shooting enthusiasts flock to West Point’s PRAIRIE WILDLIFE, where a conservation mission is combined with outstanding quail, dove and pheasant hunting opportunities.
Historic Linden Plantation in Glen Allen is home to ESPERANZA OUTDOORS, where the setting between Lake Washington and the Yazoo National Wildlife Refuge makes the waterfowl hunting as spectacular as the scenery.
A mild climate, abundant lakes and easy access to the Gulf of Mexico all combine to make Mississippi a must-visit destination for anglers. Whether you’re looking for saltwater species like amberjack or red snapper or freshwater fish including crappie and bass, you’ll find a sea of possibilities. The MAGNOLIA CRAPPIE CLUB, America’s oldest and largest state crappie club, hosts trophy fishing tournaments around the state. Find licenses online here.
Consistently ranked the nation’s best trophy crappie fishing lake, GRENADA LAKE is home to THUNDER ON WATER each June, a combination fishing tournament/barbecue championship/boat parade/balloon show and more. Also in this region, SARDIS LAKE, ARKABUTLA LAKE and ENID LAKE are among the nation’s top 20 lakes for crappie fishing, and PICKWICK LAKE is America’s best place to catch small- mouth bass. Each of these lakes offers plenty of other recreational possibilities, from camping to hiking to water sports.
All year long, knowledgeable charter boat operators take anglers into the Gulf and to the reefs and wrecks that are home to saltwater fish. Reel in your share of more than $45,000 in prizes for freshwater and saltwater fishing at the MISSISSIPPI DEEP SEA FISHING RODEO, a Gulf Coast tradition since 1947. Cash payouts total more than $1 million at the MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST BILLFISH CLASSIC, the Gulf’s premier billfish tournament.
The bass are always biting at the 33,000-acre ROSS BARNETT RESERVOIR in Ridgeland, which draws fishers from around the region to its Bassmaster tournaments.
It’s all about the bass—plus crappie, bream and catfish—at LAKE WASHINGTON, an oxbow lake near Greenville.
Get away from it all with a night under the stars at one of Mississippi’s many outstanding camping spots, ranging from 24 state parks to RV parks close to the action at casinos. View the campground and RV park chart here.
Fill your days with water skiing, fishing, golfing and swimming when you spend the night in a cabin, tent or RV at HUGH WHITE STATE PARK on Grenada Lake.
Choose among five different camping areas on the shores of the ROSS BARNETT RESERVOIR in Brandon and Lena.
Seven Class A campgrounds lure adventurers to the banks of the TENNESSEE-TOMBIGBEE WATERWAY, a navigable “chain of lakes” between the lower Tennessee Valley and the Gulf of Mexico; near Aberdeen, the BLUE BLUFF CAMPGROUND AND RECREATION AREA is one of the Tenn-Tom’s most scenic sites, with its 80-foot-high clay and limestone cliffs.
The NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY, which stretches from one corner of the state to another, provides hundreds of miles of peaceful pathways primed for bicyclists. But there are many other places to ride, too, including black-diamond routes perfect for mountain bikers seeking a thrill.
Ride the Natchez Trace Parkway for 20, 40 or 70 miles during the Tour d’Attala LITTLE MOUNTAIN RIDE that begins and ends in downtown Kosciusko.
Rent a bike or bring your own for the Elvis’ Tupelo Self- Guided Bicycle TOUR, featuring 13 sites from native son Elvis Presley’s childhood. Serious cyclists and recreational bikers alike enjoy the 43.6-mile TANGLEFOOT TRAIL, which follows a forest-flanked old railroad line from New Albany to Houston.
What was once a railroad line is now the 41-mile LONGLEAF TRACE between Hattiesburg and Prentiss, offering opportunities for hiking, biking and horseback riding all year long as well as the CARL TOUCHSTONE MEMORIAL MISSISSIPPI 50 TRAIL RUN each spring. Bike paths run from Bay St. Louis to Long Beach on the MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST HERITAGE TRAIL. The PASCAGOULA HISTORIC BIKE TRAIL takes cyclist past cultural landmarks including music legend Jimmy Buffett’s childhood home.
The CHISHA FOKA MULTI-USE TRAIL is a 10-mile paved path that leads joggers and cyclists through Choctaw homelands in Ridgeland, with historic Natchez Trace attractions along the way. The nationally recognized NATCHEZ TRACE CENTURY RIDE, offering distances up to 100 miles, also takes place in Ridgeland, as does the all-inclusive CHEERS AND GEARS RIDE, which is part of the ART, WINE AND WHEELS weekend each spring.
Cover more than six scenic miles in a kayak during a float trip down the rocky-bottomed BEAR CREEK within Tishomingo State Park.
Climb into a canoe or kayak from BLACK CREEK CANOE RENTAL in Brooklyn and follow a waterway carved through DeSoto National Forest on BLACK CREEK, the state’s only National Wild and Scenic River. Waterfalls and thrilling rapids make OKATOMA CREEK at Seminary popular with visitors, and multiple outfitters offer rentals to help you make the trip.
Float down the BOGUE CHITTO RIVER in McComb and MAGEE’S CREEK near Tylertown in a canoe or a tube. Make a splash in the Strong River within D’Lo Water Park in D’Lo, where the sirens scene from O Brother, Where Art Thou? was filmed. For a trip around the Ross Barnett Reservoir, snag a vessel from PEARL RIVER KAYAKS in Brandon or MAIN HARBOR MARINE RENTALS in Ridgeland.
Experience the power of the Mighty Mississippi on a guided trip from Clarksdale with QUAPAW CANOE COMPANY.