Desoto National Forest – Tuxachanie Trail POW Camp

If your looking to get out and enjoy the woods it’s a good trail to be on. The trails are mostly on a creek bed so it’s not that bad and it’s shaded a majority of the hike. Didn’t see any snakes and this was the first true day of spring and the temperature was 80 degrees today. Nice clean trail no litter and pet friendly.

The parking lot is small (but free) and there are no offered amenities (water or toilet) but there are mile markers, history signs, and the path is wide and easy. Our group of two families with young children (ages 2 – 7) did fine for the first 1.2 miles from the parking lot.

Great trail to observe the MS sandy bottom pine forest just beware if it’s rains the POW end of the trail can flood due to being the drainage area.

Mississippi is not renown for its outdoor activities but this hiking area is the best of many hidden gems in the southern part of the states. With multiple entrances spread among 20 + miles of trails it never gets old. A mixture of flat areas, along with some hilly terrain and several bodies of water make this a great stop for every level of hiker.

Years ago someone started the trend of the milestone review. Every 100 reviews, you’re supposed to review something special. For my 1400^th, I’ve chosen somewhere that was very special to me as a kid, but remains special as an adult. This review will be a little long winded so if that scares you off, go ahead and stop reading now.
Back when I was a teenager my scout troop came here because it was the starting point of our backpacking trip on the Tuxachanie Trail. I was pretty much uninterested in history then, but when I learned the area once housed a WWII POW Camp, I was fascinated. Not much was left of the camp back then. It was just a few concrete bunkers that my juvenile mind thought were the remains of prison cells. It wasn’t until much later that I realized they were the remains of ammo bunkers. My friends and I ran around like maniacs and climbed all over that bunkers. Had we known what was in store, we would have chosen to rest instead.
The Tuxachanie Trail is 22 miles one way if you hike the whole thing. Most people start at the opposite end, but we started here as it is 13 miles to the nearest camping area. While on the trail we saw snakes, birds, trees, wildflowers and a whole lot of woodland scenery. I packed smart, but most of my friends did not. Those packs began to get mighty heavy around mile five. The memories of that hike are much more vivid, and in some cases funny, but for brevity sake, I will explain why it’s still special today, and why I think you should visit this area.
Despite the ominous sounding name, there really isn’t much that would make you know this was once a POW camp for German soldiers. The aforementioned bunkers are still there, but now that I know what they were for, it isn’t as frightening as when I thought they were prison cells. The area near the bunkers is a giant space that’s been cleared of trees. Next to that area is a large and beautiful lake filled with water lilies, bullfrogs and small fish. The view from the shore was quite beautiful in particular the reflection of the surrounding forest and sky on the surface of the lake. The juxtaposition of the perfectly still water and the ever changing clouds was truly magnificent. Had it not been so sweltering hot, I could have stood there for hours. So for most people, this is where the review would end. But as you may have learned from my previous reviews, I am not most people.
I noticed it as soon as I started driving away from the lake. There it was just calling to me. A good olé American dirt road and I just had to explore it.
The road from the POW Camp is not for the faint of heart (car drivers). While it is mainly gravel and suitable for 2WD vehicles, it was rutted in some areas so higher clearance would help. The drive through the woods was peaceful and fairly uneventful. But the little trail I found off of the dirt road led me to paradise.
I took that trail not knowing where it led or what was in store for me. It was blocked by a fallen tree, but it was no match for my well-​equipped, yet stylish vehicle. I just put it in 4WD and climbed right over that thing. Hell Yeah!
Enough of that badassery and back to the reason I mentioned the trail. The trail ended up leading to a different area of the lake that I had not seen before. This area was even more beautiful as it was filled with lilies as far as the eye could see. This is the area where I felt the most at peace. I felt fulfilled.
I realize that will probably sound too touchy feely especially after I just mentioned the badassery of driving over a tree, but I am never happier than when I am out in the wilderness. Maybe it’s all the time I spent in the woods as a kid. Maybe it’s the fact that the woods let the hustle and bustle of everyday life seem like just a distant memory. Maybe it’s something else. All I know is that being surrounded by trees is an experience every red blooded American should have, and one they should have regularly.
Did I lose you? If not, thanks for reading.