List Your RV

Tombigbee National Forest Guide

Home
National Forests
Mississippi
Tombigbee National Forest

Named after the nearby Tombigbee River, the Tombigbee National Forest spans 67,000 acres across five counties in Northeastern Mississippi. Once a site of abandoned and eroding farmland, Tombigbee National Forest now welcomes visitors with towering pines and hardwood forests that stretch across rolling hills and into the bottomlands. The protected area offers ample opportunity for fishing, swimming, and boating. There are also over 30 miles of trails perfect for hikers and mountain bikers alike. Tombigbee also offers horse trails, camping, and Native American ceremonial mounds. With so much to see and do, Tombigbee National Forest is the perfect place for the whole family to explore.

RV Rentals Near Tombigbee National Forest

View More RVs

Hiking Trails

Tombigbee National Forest Hiking Trails

Noxubee Hills Outer Loop

This trail winds through 26.8 miles of forest, sometimes utilizing old service, gravel, and dirt roads that are now closed to motor vehicle traffic. Mountain bikers are also welcome to make use of the trail. If you are looking for a backpacking adventure, this trail offers a few primitive camping sites along the way. So, grab your camping gear and spend a night under the stars. Bikers, hikers, and campers must wear blaze orange during hunting season.

Length: 26.8 miles

Intensity: Moderate
Lakeside Trail

This gravel-lined trail winds around the perimeter of Choctaw Lake. The Lakeside Trail is open to cyclists but is generally used by hikers. Boardwalk areas allow access over spillways, and there are sheltered benches for resting along the trail.

Length: 2.5 miles

Intensity: Easy
Beaver Lodge Trail

This point-to-point trail is a primarily flat trek through the hardwood bottomlands near Choctaw Lake. Hikers will also pass through groves of pine and over the beaver dams built at the Noxubee River. The Beaver Lodge Trail ends at Walker Woods. Hikers can turn around and return to the trailhead or branch off on the Splashing Dog Trail to complete a loop. Hunters are active in the area, and visitors must wear blaze orange clothing during hunting season for safety.

Length: 1.5 miles point to point

Intensity: Moderate
Splashing Dog Trail

The Splashing Dog trail takes hikers on a scenic hike along the banks of the Noxubee River. From this trail, visitors will be able to view the beaver pond before crossing a small footbridge and winding their way over gently rolling forested hills. Visitors must wear blaze orange clothing for safety during hunting season.

Length: 1.6 miles

Intensity: Moderate
North Trail

The North Trail is one of the most remote and challenging trails in the area. The North trail climbs a half-mile into the hills over rough terrain. Blue ribbons along the trailside mark rare and endangered plant life. This trail is suitable for both hiking and mountain biking. Because this is an area also used by hunters, you must wear blaze orange clothing for safety during hunting season.

Length: 3.3 miles point to point

Intensity: Difficult
Long Bridge Trail

The Long Bridge Trail leads visitors through hardwood and pine-forested areas before emerging at a creek bottom. Hikers and bikers will cross the creek via the longest bridge in the trail system. The trail then winds through the forested bottomlands before ending in a steep climb back through the forest.

Length: 1.2 miles point to point

Intensity: Moderate

Things to Do

Activities in Tombigbee National Forest

Identifying Flora and Fauna

This forest is home to a wide variety of plant and animal life. Visitors may encounter everything from ordinary squirrels to the quick-footed white-tail deer and the industrious beavers hard at work building their dams. A hike on the North Trail will take you past endangered and rare plant species marked with blue ribbons for easy identification.
Fishing

With two large lakes, the Tombigbee National Forest offers plenty of fishing opportunities. Both Davis and Choctaw lakes have public boat launches, so you can easily hop in a boat and get out on the water. If you prefer to fish from dry land, find a perfect shaded spot along the shore where you can try your hand at catching big mouth bass, crappie, or catfish. A Mississippi fishing license is required to fish within the forest.
Geocaching

While visitors may participate in geocaching at Tombigbee National Forest, there are not any official geocaching sites. If you decide to geocache within the forest, please do so without disturbing native flora and fauna or digging a hole to hide your cache. Instead, leave your items tucked safely behind a tree or under a bush.
Nature and Bird Watching

Home to a wide variety of wildlife and terrains, the Tombigbee National Forest is the perfect place to spend some time just enjoying your natural surroundings. Covered with hardwood and pine forests that spread over rolling hills, the forest is home to hundreds of bird species, wild turkeys, and white-tailed deer. If you're lucky enough to visit during the fall or spring, you'll have the opportunity to see large flocks of waterfowl as they migrate for the season.
Stargazing

The Tombigbee National Forest is open 24 hours per day, making it a perfect stargazing destination. Lean back and watch the stars through the canopy of trees over your backpacking campsite, or drift upon one of the lakes, watching the stars reflecting in the still water all around you.

How to Get There

How to get to Tombigbee National Forest

Address: Highway 15 South, Ackerman, Mississippi 39735

Fee: Entry fee $0

The Tombigbee National Forest offers some of the best mountain biking and hiking trails in the Magnolia State. Explore nearby historical sites or spend some time fishing on the forest lakes. Whatever activities feed your wandering soul, an RV trip is the perfect way to explore Tombigbee National Forest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Tombigbee National Forest

Is there a fee to get into Tombigbee National Forest?

No, there is no fee to get into Tombigbee National Forest. However, there may be additional fees or permits needed for recreational activities or for using certain areas of the forest such as day-use areas.

Is Tombigbee National Forest open all year round?

Yes, Tombigbee National Forest is open all year-round. There are many outdoor activities that visitors can do all year, including hiking, biking, and using the Chickasaw ATV Trail unless weather conditions force it to close.

What is the best time to visit Tombigbee National Forest?

The best time to visit Tombigbee National Forest is in either spring or fall. The summer crowds are gone, and visitors can watch birds migrate to warmer areas for winter, or back to cooler spots for summer.

Do you need a permit to fish or hunt in Tombigbee National Forest?

Yes, you need a permit to hunt in Tombigbee National Forest. If you are between the ages of 16-64, you'll also need a fishing license to fish in the forest.

Can you kayak, canoe, or raft in Tombigbee National Forest?

Yes, you can kayak, canoe, and raft in Tombigbee National Forest. Choctaw Lake has a boat ramp canoes and other watercraft can use, and there are plenty of spots around the lake where non-motorized boaters can put in. There are other lakes and rivers in the forest as well.

Rosebud, Missouri RV Rental Deals Van Buren, Missouri RV Rentals Penfield, New York RV Rentals Ridgway, Colorado RV Rental Deals Sherman, Mississippi RV Rentals Wilton, New York RV Rentals Oxford, Maine RV Rentals Van Horn Rural, Texas RV Rental Deals

Tombigbee National Forest Guide

RV Rentals Near Tombigbee National Forest

Tombigbee National Forest Hiking Trails

Noxubee Hills Outer Loop

Lakeside Trail

Beaver Lodge Trail

Splashing Dog Trail

North Trail

Long Bridge Trail

Activities in Tombigbee National Forest

Identifying Flora and Fauna

Fishing

Geocaching

Nature and Bird Watching

Stargazing

How to get to Tombigbee National Forest

Frequently Asked Questions About Tombigbee National Forest

Related