In the beginning there was the earth, and from the earth came everything: the animals and the people and the living that grew from the unending work under the sun. But from that soil also grew a deep connection to the land and a love for the people that lived on it, and that bloomed into some of the world’s greatest artistic achievements.
William Faulkner hunted bears on the page and solitude on Sardis Lake; Vernon Presley used his own hands to build the house Elvis was born in; Chester Burnett, soon to be Howlin’ Wolf, sang as he plowed behind a mule in the hardest of hard scrabble existences. We loved the land in spite of what it demanded; we loved the land because of what it demanded. We loved the land because it came naturally to us.
Today, the Mississippi Hills are as verdant and nearly as unspoiled as they were when cotton blanketed the fields, and our connection to the earth is just as deep. But the plows and the hoes are gone, and nature is no longer the stern taskmaster but rather a joyful refuge.
So many things to do: Nearly half a dozen state parks, thousands of acres of crystalline lakes, national forests and wildlife refuges, and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway snaking its way through the hills bestowing marinas and white sand beaches and miles and miles of recreational bliss. You can bike through the nation’s largest and best preserved Civil War earthworks at Corinth; canoe through the rugged Bear Creek Canyon in Tishomingo State Park; bird watch along the Natchez Trace Parkway; fish for bass at Grenada Lake, go mushroom hunting in Holly Springs National Forest.
Where once work was unending, now it is fun under the sun that never quits. And honestly, we love it that way. You will, too.
Aberdeen Golf & Country Club A short 9 hole course, built on rolling hills. Par 36 Country Club Ln. Aberdeen, MS 39730 Phone: 662.369.6251 Golf Details: Semi-Private, 9 Holes, Back Yardage: 3008 yards, Back Rating: 34.4, Back Slope: 121, and MGA Member
4100-acre lake. Premier destination for bass fishermen. Scenic, majestic clay limestone cliffs overlook picnic areas, hiking trails, playground, and white sand beach. The class A, year-round campground features 92 sites with paved concrete pads, electrical and water hookups. Handicapped accessible. Laundry, bath-house, boat ramp. Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway at Aberdeen Aberdeen, MS Phone: 662.369.2832 Toll-Free: 1.800.634.3538 www.aberdeenms.org
1st Annual North MS Gourd Festival in May (fees & registration only for classes). Annual Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch Sept.-Nov. 31 (large groups need reservations). Other fall festivities Oct. 3-Oct. 31. 373 Hwy 364 Booneville, MS 38829 Phone: 662.728.6293 www.adkinsfarms.com
Beautiful 40 acre lake with bream, bass, crappie and catfish. Five camper sites available with electricity, water & sewer hookups. 3200 sq. ft. building equipped with 2 restrooms and kitchen available for rent at $50 per day. Excellent for family reunions and group functions. Hwy 9 North between Walthall and Bellefontaine, MS Eupora, MS 39744 Phone: 662.258.2140 Admission: Fish for $3 a day or $25 for yearly permit. Camper sites $10 a night or $50 per week. Legion building available for rent $50 a day. Sites: 5 RV sites (grass), 5 full hook-ups, 20 amps Facilities: Restrooms Recreation: Fishing, boat launch
A sailor’s haven, a fisherman’s dream and a draw for hunters, campers and hikers, Arkabutla Lake is just 20 minutes south of Memphis, Tenn. in DeSoto County, Miss. Created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Coldwater River, this 33,000-acre lake has prevailing westerly winds which makes it one of the best sailing lakes in the nation. It has eight boat ramps and 333 campsites, nature trails, picnic areas, hiking and biking trails, playgrounds and swimming beaches. More than 35,600 acres of land surrounding the lake are open to public hunting for waterfowl, small game and large game. Fish in the lake include largemouth and white bass, black and white crappie, channel and flathead catfish, and is rated one of the top-five crappie fishing locations in the U.S. Because of the lake’s turbidity and lack of depth, all game fish tend to stay shallow. 3905 Arkabutla Dam Road 662-562-6261 www.mvk.usace.army.mil/Lakes/ms/arkabutla/ Admission: Free
Located just seven miles from Hernando. The 40,704 acre lake is rated one of the top five crappie fishing lakes in the country, and offers opportunities for largemouth and white bass, as well as channel and flathead catfish. Arkabutla opens 37,700 acres of land to the public for hunting throughout the year. It's prevailing westerly wind makes Arkabutla one of the best sailing lakes in the nation. You can enjoy excellent sailing, swimming at one of the three beaches, or setting up camp at one of 333 campsites. There are picnic areas, playgrounds and a variety of events year round, including a Deer Hunt for Persons with Disabilities. As part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Arkabutla Lake features: activity area, bath house, boat ramp, developed camping (234), primitive camping (60), fishing, a nature trail, picnic areas, sailing, skiing, swimming, and RV dump station. Campground Facilities: Dub Patton, Hernando Point and South Abutment 3905 Arkabutla Dam Rd. Hernando, MS Phone: 662.562.6261 Fax: 601.631.7133 www.mvk.usace.army.mil
Outdoors
William Faulkner hunted bears on the page and solitude on Sardis Lake; Vernon Presley used his own hands to build the house Elvis was born in; Chester Burnett, soon to be Howlin’ Wolf, sang as he plowed behind a mule in the hardest of hard scrabble existences. We loved the land in spite of what it demanded; we loved the land because of what it demanded. We loved the land because it came naturally to us.
So many things to do: Nearly half a dozen state parks, thousands of acres of crystalline lakes, national forests and wildlife refuges, and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway snaking its way through the hills bestowing marinas and white sand beaches and miles and miles of recreational bliss. You can bike through the nation’s largest and best preserved Civil War earthworks at Corinth; canoe through the rugged Bear Creek Canyon in Tishomingo State Park; bird watch along the Natchez Trace Parkway; fish for bass at Grenada Lake, go mushroom hunting in Holly Springs National Forest.
