Tombigbee National Forest

Tombigbee National Forest, in the east-central Mississippi hill country west of Columbus, is the smallest of Mississippi’s four national forests — 67,000 acres of longleaf pine and mixed pine-hardwood forest on the gently rolling uplands of the Tombigbee River watershed, managed for multiple uses with longleaf pine restoration, wildlife habitat improvement and public recreation at its heart.

The forest’s centerpiece is the Choctaw Lake recreation area — a quiet, beautiful lake with a sandy beach, developed campground, boat ramps and excellent fishing in a forest setting. The surrounding forest offers hiking, wildlife watching and the recovering longleaf pine landscape on the homeland of the Choctaw Nation. Tombigbee National Forest is a quiet, rewarding outdoor destination in the hill country of east-central Mississippi.

Tombigbee National Forest offers camping at the Choctaw Lake campground (developed sites with water and electric hookups, a sandy swim beach and boat ramp — one of the finest lake campgrounds in the national forests of Mississippi), swimming and sunbathing at the Choctaw Lake beach, fishing (excellent bass, crappie and catfish in Choctaw Lake and the Davis Lake recreation area), hiking on the forest trails through the longleaf pine uplands, birding (red-cockaded woodpeckers in the longleaf stands, Bachman’s sparrows, brown-headed nuthatches), hunting in season, and wildlife watching. The Choctaw Lake recreation area and the longleaf pine birding are the signature draws.

Spring (March through May) is excellent, with the longleaf pine wiregrass ground layer at its most colorful, the breeding birds active, and mild temperatures for camping and hiking. Summer brings peak lake recreation — swimming, boating and fishing are at their best. Fall offers comfortable temperatures for hiking and birding in the longleaf stands. The forest is rewarding year-round. Spring for the longleaf wildflowers and breeding birds, and summer for the lake recreation, are the highlights — camp at Choctaw Lake in late April for the optimal combination.

Tombigbee National Forest takes its name from the Tombigbee River and its watershed — a name from the Choctaw language meaning ‘coffin makers,’ referring to a Choctaw craftsman tradition. The forest lands were the heartland of the Choctaw Nation, who were forcibly removed to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears in the 1830s under the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek (signed in 1830 at Dancing Rabbit Creek in what is now Tombigbee National Forest). The national forest was established in 1961. Dancing Rabbit Creek, where the Choctaw were compelled to cede their homelands, is one of the most significant and sorrowful sites of American history in Mississippi.

Tombigbee National Forest occupies the gently rolling uplands of east-central Mississippi, underlain by Cretaceous-age chalk, marl and sandy sedimentary rocks of the Black Belt Prairie geological region and the adjacent sandy uplands. The Selma Chalk — a white, soft chalk formed from the shells of ancient marine organisms when the area was a shallow sea — weathers to the distinctive dark, fertile soils of the Black Belt Prairie. The sandy upland soils to the east and north support the longleaf pine forest. The chalk-derived Black Belt soils and the sandy uplands create the diverse geology of the forest’s region.

Tombigbee National Forest supports a recovering longleaf pine ecosystem with red-cockaded woodpeckers (in active management areas), brown-headed nuthatches, Bachman’s sparrows (a secretive longleaf specialist), Eastern wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, bobcats, and a rich community of longleaf-dependent amphibians and reptiles. The Choctaw Lake and Davis Lake areas attract wading birds, osprey, kingfishers and waterfowl. The forest’s longleaf restoration areas are increasingly productive for rare longleaf-specialist birds as the trees mature.

Tombigbee National Forest is part of the effort to restore the longleaf pine ecosystem — once the dominant forest of the Southeast’s uplands and now reduced to a tiny fraction of its historical range. Prescribed fire is the primary management tool for longleaf restoration, maintaining the open, park-like pine-wiregrass ground layer that supports the red-cockaded woodpecker, Bachman’s sparrow and dozens of other longleaf-dependent species. Protecting the recovering longleaf stands, the lake recreation areas and the cultural sites of the Choctaw homeland sustains both the ecological and historical value of the forest.

Tombigbee National Forest holds a unique and poignant place in American and Choctaw history — Dancing Rabbit Creek, within the forest, is where the Choctaw Nation was forced to sign away their Mississippi homeland in 1830, one of the most significant events of the Indian Removal Act era. The forest lies in the heartland of the Choctaw people, and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (headquartered at Philadelphia, about 30 miles south) maintains a living cultural presence in the region. The Dancing Rabbit Creek Treaty site, the recovering longleaf pine and the Choctaw heritage make Tombigbee National Forest culturally and historically exceptional.

Tombigbee National Forest is in east-central Mississippi, with the main recreation areas accessible off State Road 15 and nearby county roads west of Columbus. The Choctaw Lake Recreation Area and the Davis Lake area are the primary developed destinations. The town of Ackerman (the Choctaw County seat) provides limited services; Starkville and Columbus have full services. The USFS Tombigbee Ranger District office is in Ackerman. Forest roads provide dispersed access; some are unpaved and may be muddy after rain. Check the USFS for current campground availability, road conditions and rules before visiting.

The U.S. Forest Service manages Tombigbee National Forest under a multiple-use mandate, with longleaf pine restoration, red-cockaded woodpecker recovery and water-quality protection as priority conservation goals. Visitors help by obeying prescribed burn area closures, staying on designated roads and trails, respecting red-cockaded woodpecker cavity trees and buffer areas (marked in the active management zones), following all hunting and fishing regulations, and packing out all trash. Protecting the longleaf ecosystem and the lake water quality sustains the natural and cultural value of the forest.

Forest roads can be muddy and impassable after heavy rain — check conditions before driving into dispersed areas (high-clearance vehicles recommended for remote roads). Venomous snakes (copperhead, timber rattlesnake, cottonmouth near the lakes) are present; watch where you step, especially in the longleaf understory. Hunting occurs seasonally across much of the forest; wear blaze orange during deer and turkey seasons when hiking. Mosquitoes and biting flies are present in warm months near the lakes; carry repellent. Check the USFS for current prescribed burn schedules (smoke can be dense when burns are active).

Camping fees apply at developed campgrounds (Choctaw Lake, Davis Lake); primitive camping is permitted in most forest areas (check USFS for restrictions and fire rules). Hunting and fishing require Mississippi licenses and USFS rule compliance. Respect red-cockaded woodpecker buffer zones. Do not drive off designated roads. Pack out all trash; leave no trace. Fires only in designated fire rings at campgrounds; check for forest-wide fire restrictions. Check the USFS Tombigbee Ranger District for current campground availability, road conditions and rules before visiting.

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians tribal headquarters at Philadelphia (about 30 miles south, with the Silver Star and Golden Moon casinos and the Choctaw Museum of the Southern Indian), the city of Starkville (Mississippi State University, about 30 miles east), Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge (about 30 miles east — the finest wildlife refuge in the region), the Natchez Trace Parkway, and the historic city of Columbus define the region. Tombigbee National Forest anchors the outdoor experience of east-central Mississippi, best combined with a Noxubee NWR wildlife-watching trip and a visit to the Choctaw Museum.

Visit in late April for the best combination of birding (Bachman’s sparrows singing from the longleaf wiregrass, red-cockaded woodpeckers active at cavity trees, breeding wood warblers in the upland hardwoods) and comfortable camping at Choctaw Lake. Ask the Tombigbee Ranger District office in Ackerman for the locations of the active red-cockaded woodpecker cavity clusters — they are marked and accessible by forest road, and the woodpeckers are easiest to find at dawn near their cavities. Walk the Dancing Rabbit Creek Treaty Site (check the USFS for the current location and access — this historically significant Choctaw homeland site deserves a respectful visit). Come mid-week to have Choctaw Lake largely to yourself.