USFS · Mississippi

National Forests in Mississippi

National Forest managed by the U.S. Forest Service in Mississippi, 2.4 million acres by the boundary data. No Wikipedia article matched the name closely enough to quote.

National Forest2.4 million acresUSFSMS44 campgrounds within 10 mi25 Forest Service sites84 trails
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗
2fires
active
Ester Mill Rd · 22 mi from the center · 12 acres
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateMississippi
Size2.4 million acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres))
Forest Service code0807, region 08
Center point32.3235, -89.5482
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 23)

Boundary map

9 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near National Forests in Mississippi40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 45.8°F averageFebruary: 49.6°F averageMarch: 56.0°F averageApril: 63.1°F averageMay: 70.5°F averageJune: 76.9°F averageJuly: 79.2°F averageAugust: 78.9°F averageSeptember: 74.3°F averageOctober: 64.1°F averageNovember: 53.5°F averageDecember: 47.7°F averageTemp °F
The line is the average temperature at Forest, 8 miles from the center point at 450 feet, station USC00223107 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

12 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 32 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · Inside
Airey Lake
First-comeMS
FS · Inside
Big Biloxi Recreation Area
Reservable30 sites
FS · Inside
Blue Lake Recreation Area
ReservableMS
FS · Inside
Chewalla Lake Recreation Area
Reservable40 sites
FS · Inside
Choctaw Lake
Reservable25 sites
FS · Inside
Clear Springs Recreation Area
Reservable28 sites
FS · Inside
Cypress Creek Landing
Reservable4 sites
FS · Inside
Davis Lake Campground
Reservable29 sites
Show 4 more

32 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 25

The Forest Service lists 25 recreation sites in this forest, among them 6 picnic areas, 6 fishings, 5 campgrounds, 3 boat launchs. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 25

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Trails

Every trail on Trailhead Atlas →

The Forest Service trail layer records 84 named trails in this forest, 405 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.

TrailMiles
Black Creek Trail ↗40.4
Rattlesnake Bay OHV Trail ↗31
Bethel OHV Trail - North Loop ↗23
Shockaloe Horse Trail ↗23
Witchdance Trail ↗22.6
Bethel OHV Trail - South Loop ↗20
Bethel Mountain Bike Trail ↗18.7
Bethel Motorcycle Trail ↗17
Tuxachanie Hiking Trail ↗13.8
Big Foot Horse - Red Loop ↗11.9

Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.

All 84 trails in National Forests in Mississippi on Trailhead Atlas ↗

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-18
  • Wildfire
    Ester Mill Rd

    22 mi from the center point · 12 acres

  • Prescribed
    Wolf Creek Rx

    38 mi from the center point · 118 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
Parkway · 10 mi
Natchez Trace Parkway
National Historical Park · 12 mi
Natchez National Historical Park
National Battlefield · 13 mi
Tupelo National Battlefield
National Military Park · 15 mi
Vicksburg National Military Park
National Scenic Trail · 19 mi
Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
National Battlefield Site · 23 mi
Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site
National Register listings within 15 miles · 311 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is National Forests in Mississippi?

2.4 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages National Forests in Mississippi?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is National Forests in Mississippi in?

Mississippi.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at National Forests in Mississippi?

12 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Airey Lake, Big Biloxi Recreation Area and Blue Lake Recreation Area. 44 in all are within ten miles. Dispersed camping is allowed on most national forest land outside developed sites; check the forest page for closures.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in National Forests in Mississippi?

The Forest Service lists 25 recreation sites here, including 6 picnickings, 6 lake and pond fishings and 5 campground campgrounds. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to National Forests in Mississippi?

A point inside the boundary is at 32.324, -89.548. Natchez Trace Parkway is 10 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

Is there a fire near National Forests in Mississippi right now?

2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Ester Mill Rd at 22 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at National Forests in Mississippi?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 23 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near National Forests in Mississippi?

Natchez Trace Parkway (10 mi), Natchez National Historical Park (12 mi) and Tupelo National Battlefield (13 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near National Forests in Mississippi?

311 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Lamar, Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus, House and Ammadelle.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage and code: the Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, matched by forest code.
  • Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched by forest code.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.