De Soto National Forest

De Soto National Forest, spread across five counties in south Mississippi from the Gulf Coast inland to the piney hills, is Mississippi’s largest national forest at approximately 500,000 acres — a vast landscape of longleaf pine uplands, bald-cypress and tupelo swamps, dark blackwater rivers and streams, and open pine savannas being actively restored to their historical character through prescribed fire.

The forest’s Black Creek Wilderness — Mississippi’s only federally designated wilderness area — protects the finest remaining stretch of Black Creek, a National Wild and Scenic River that is one of the most beautiful blackwater paddling streams in the Southeast. The forest’s longleaf pine restoration program, its wildlife (red-cockaded woodpeckers, gopher tortoises, swallow-tailed kites), its excellent hunting, and the extraordinary Black Creek experience make De Soto National Forest the premier outdoor destination of south Mississippi.

De Soto National Forest offers paddling Black Creek (a National Wild and Scenic River flowing through the Black Creek Wilderness — one of the finest blackwater canoe and kayak trips in the Southeast, with a multi-day wilderness canoe trail through pristine longleaf-pine and cypress corridor), hiking and backpacking the Black Creek Trail (a 41-mile National Recreation Trail through the wilderness, one of Mississippi’s finest backpacking routes), camping at developed campgrounds (Big Biloxi Recreation Area, Ashe Lake, Cypress Creek) and primitive wilderness camping, birding (red-cockaded woodpeckers in marked longleaf stands, swallow-tailed kites in summer, Bachman’s sparrows), hunting (one of the most productive deer, turkey and squirrel hunting forests in the Southeast), and fishing in the blackwater streams and lakes. The Black Creek Wilderness paddle and backpack are the singular draws.

Spring (March through May) is outstanding for the Black Creek paddle and backpack — the creek runs full, the longleaf pines are lively with breeding birds (swallow-tailed kites arrive in March, red-cockaded woodpeckers are active at cavities), and the temperatures are mild for camping. Fall (October through November) is the finest hunting season and offers comfortable hiking temperatures. Summer is hot and humid but the shaded creek canyon keeps temperatures tolerable; the swimming holes in Black Creek are refreshing. Any season rewards visitors. Spring for the paddle and breeding birds, and fall for the hunting and hiking, are the highlights — paddle Black Creek in April for the most beautiful conditions.

The De Soto National Forest takes its name from Hernando de Soto, the Spanish conquistador who explored the region in 1540–1541 on his expedition through the Southeast. The longleaf pine forests of south Mississippi were home to the Choctaw Nation before removal, and later were extensively logged in the great yellow-pine timber rush of the late 19th and early 20th centuries — much of south Mississippi’s longleaf was clearcut between 1890 and 1930. The national forest was established in 1936 to restore the logged landscape. The Black Creek Wilderness was designated in 1984 (Mississippi’s only wilderness area); Black Creek was designated a National Wild and Scenic River in 1984 as well. The forest is one of the most important longleaf pine restoration landscapes in the South.

De Soto National Forest occupies the coastal plain of south Mississippi — underlain by Quaternary-age sandy and silty sedimentary deposits of the Gulf Coastal Plain, which create the well-drained, acidic sandy soils that support the longleaf pine ecosystem. The blackwater rivers and streams (Black Creek, Okatoma Creek, Bowie Creek) flow over white-sand bottoms through dark, tannin-stained water — the dark color comes from tannins leached from the decaying pine needles and leaf litter, not pollution. The flat-to-gently-rolling coastal plain, the acidic sandy soils and the high-rainfall climate created the longleaf pine — pitcher plant — wiregrass ecosystem that is being restored in the forest.

De Soto National Forest protects one of the most significant longleaf pine ecosystems in the Southeast, supporting red-cockaded woodpeckers in active management areas (one of the forest’s primary wildlife management goals), gopher tortoises (whose burrows shelter dozens of other species), eastern indigo snakes, swallow-tailed kites (spectacular and relatively common in summer over the longleaf stands), Bachman’s sparrows, fox squirrels, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, black bears, and alligators in the swamp areas. The Black Creek corridor supports river otters, beaver, prothonotary warblers and Louisiana waterthrushes. De Soto offers some of the finest wildlife watching in south Mississippi.

De Soto National Forest is the largest longleaf pine restoration landscape in Mississippi and one of the most important in the Southeast — prescribed fire, native plant restoration and red-cockaded woodpecker management are transforming logged loblolly pine stands back to the open, fire-maintained longleaf pine — wiregrass savanna that historically covered much of south Mississippi. The Black Creek Wilderness protects the finest remaining blackwater stream corridor in the forest, with its white-sand beach paddling campsites, pristine creek ecology and wilderness character. Protecting and expanding the longleaf ecosystem, the Black Creek Wilderness and the diverse coastal-plain wildlife sustains this recovering natural treasure.

De Soto National Forest holds a treasured place among the wild lands of south Mississippi — the state’s largest national forest and only wilderness area, home to the Black Creek National Wild and Scenic River, one of the finest longleaf pine restoration landscapes in the South, on the homeland of the Choctaw Nation and in the path of Hernando de Soto’s 1540 expedition. The forest’s size, wildness and restoration story make it exceptional. De Soto National Forest is a cherished natural icon of south Mississippi and the coastal plain South.

De Soto National Forest spans five counties (Perry, Forrest, Stone, George, Harrison) in south Mississippi, with multiple entry points from U.S. Highway 49 and State Road 29. The USFS De Soto Ranger District office is in Wiggins, Mississippi. Key recreation areas include Big Biloxi Recreation Area (near Biloxi, south of U.S. 49), Ashe Lake (near Brooklyn), and the Black Creek Wilderness (accessed from several trailheads near Wiggins and Hattiesburg). The cities of Hattiesburg (north of the forest) and Biloxi/Gulfport (south) provide full services. Check the USFS De Soto website for current campground availability, creek levels, wilderness conditions and road access before visiting.

The U.S. Forest Service manages De Soto National Forest for multiple uses, with longleaf pine restoration, red-cockaded woodpecker recovery, Black Creek Wilderness protection and water-quality preservation as primary conservation priorities. Visitors help by respecting the Black Creek Wilderness (no motorized vehicles, minimum-impact camping, pack out all waste), following all woodpecker buffer zone rules, obeying prescribed burn closures, using only designated fire rings, and leaving no trace. The longleaf restoration, the wilderness waterway and the woodpecker colonies are sensitive and irreplaceable. The forest’s recovery depends on responsible stewardship.

Black Creek can rise very quickly and dangerously after heavy rain (the coastal plain watershed responds rapidly to storms) — always check current creek levels before paddling and be prepared to exit the creek early if levels rise. Alligators are present in the swamp areas and along Black Creek margins — never approach or feed them. Venomous snakes (cottonmouth, copperhead, diamondback rattlesnake in the longleaf uplands) are common; watch where you step and where you place hands. The coastal plain is extremely hot and humid in summer; carry ample water when hiking or paddling. Hunting occurs across most of the forest seasonally; wear blaze orange when hiking during deer and turkey seasons.

Camping fees apply at developed campgrounds; wilderness camping on Black Creek is permitted at designated sand bars (leave no trace; pack out all waste; no fees). Hunting and fishing require Mississippi licenses and USFS De Soto rule compliance. Respect all woodpecker buffer zone markers. No motorized vehicles in the Black Creek Wilderness. Fires only in fire rings at developed sites; check for forest-wide fire restrictions. Do not disturb gopher tortoise burrows. Pack out all trash from the wilderness. Check the USFS De Soto website for current rules, creek levels and conditions before visiting.

The cities of Hattiesburg (the University of Southern Mississippi, the Hattiesburg Zoo and the Hub City’s arts scene, about 30 miles north of the forest center), Biloxi and Gulfport (Gulf Coast resort cities to the south), the Mississippi Gulf Coast beaches and Gulf Islands National Seashore (accessible from the south), and the Okatoma Outdoor Post canoe outfitter (near Seminary — a popular Okatoma Creek paddling outfitter) define the region. De Soto National Forest anchors the south Mississippi outdoor experience, best combined with a Gulf Islands National Seashore ferry trip and a Hattiesburg overnight.

Paddle the Black Creek multi-day wilderness canoe trail for the definitive De Soto National Forest experience — put in at one of the USFS trail access points near Wiggins and camp on the white-sand bars along the creek for 2–3 days of pristine south Mississippi wilderness paddling. Check the current Black Creek water level at the USGS gauge before launching (the ideal level is between 3 and 5 feet at the Wiggins gauge; above 5 feet is too dangerous). Visit the red-cockaded woodpecker management areas in the longleaf uplands near Big Biloxi and ask the ranger district for current cavity cluster locations. Come in late April for swallow-tailed kites — these spectacular aerial acrobats are one of the birding highlights of the South.