Mississippi's Natural Wonders: 5 Must-See Landscapes
Take a Road Trip Through Mississippi
Visiting Mississippi’s natural wonders will take you all around the state, and even out to sea. On this trip, you’ll get a close look at some of the ruggedly beautiful and awe-inspiring sites that have been millions of years in the making.
There are windswept islands to sail to and rugged, memorable landscapes to climb and explore. And historic river trails to follow and cascading waterfalls to find. There’s even an ancient forest where once giant trees have been slowly turned to stone. Here are the must-see natural wonders in Mississippi.
1. Gulf Islands National Seashore
Natural beauty offshore and on land
Categoría: Foto, De aventura
Gulf Islands National Seashore is a pristine stretch of barrier islands along the Gulf Coast. It offers white-sand beaches, windswept dunes and fertile marshes, and is teeming with wildlife.
Take a ferry or boat charter to Deer Island, Ship Island, Horn Island and Cat Island, where popular activities include swimming, kayaking, snorkelling, birdwatching and camping. While most of the islands making up this nature preserve are several miles offshore, the Gulf Islands National Seashore Visitor Center and Campground is on the mainland, to the east of Ocean Springs. Here, visitors can enjoy a range of recreation options, including a fishing pier and boat launch. Don’t miss the Davis Bayou Trail, a short hike through two bayous and a coastal forest.
Teléfono: +1 850-934-2600
Gulf Islands National Seashore
2. Red Bluff
A memorable site that’ll leave its mark
Categoría: Foto, De aventura, Exótico
Known as ‘Mississippi’s Grand Canyon’, Red Bluff is a dramatic geological formation and eroding bluff near Morgantown, created by the erosion of the Pearl River. This sensational landmark features stunning fiery layers of red sand and orange clay, steep cliffs and panoramic vistas.
Hiking Red Bluff’s moderately challenging 1-mile (1.6-km) loop trail is an experience that will stay with you for a while, thanks to the striking natural beauty and breathtaking views. Although it’s not just the memories that linger, the soil here is notorious for sticking around, so dress in clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and enjoy the view.
Red Bluff
3. Clark Creek Nature Area
The destination for chasing waterfalls
Categoría: Foto, De aventura
One of the state’s most beautiful natural locations, Clark Creek Nature Area, is a 700-acre (283-hectare) preserve. It boasts more than 50 waterfalls, some as high as 30 ft (9 metres) tall, diverse plant life, steep trails and hardwood forests among its rugged hills.
Great for hiking, birdwatching and exploration, the area is renowned for its rough and ready environment. This can make it more challenging than more curated and landscaped locations, but if you make the trek, you’ll be rewarded with an incredible experience. There are trails to follow, but many visitors prefer to walk the creek bed for ground-level views of the various waterfalls. If that sounds good, be prepared to get your feet wet.
Ubicación: 366 Ft Adams Pond Rd, Woodville, MS 39669, USA
Horarios: Thursday–Monday from 8 am to 5 pm (closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
Teléfono: +1 601-432-2400
Clark Creek Nature Area
4. Mississippi Petrified Forest, Flora
Where wood has been turned to stone
Categoría: Foto, Historia, Exótico
Mississippi’s Petrified Forest, more than 36 million years in the making, is a rare site where trees have been transformed to stone by nothing but the passage of time. It ‘s one of only two places in the USA where this natural phenomenon has occurred.
This rare geological site, south of Flora, is believed to have been formed by a log jam of giant fir and maple trees in an ancient river channel. Exposed to the elements for millions of years, the fossilized remains are a National Natural Landmark and now attract visitors from all over the country. Take a seat on the most photographed log, ‘Caveman’s Bench’, and learn more about the historic relics on an educational nature walk.
Ubicación: 124 Forest Park Rd, Flora, MS 39071, USA
Teléfono: +1 601-879-8189
Mississippi Petrified Forest, Flora
5. Pascagoula River
The amazing singing river
Categoría: Foto, De aventura
Local legend has it that at night you can hear the Pascagoula River ‘singing’ as it passes underneath Interstate 10 in southern Mississippi, east of Biloxi. And if you take a trip down the Pascagoula, one of the last free-flowing rivers in the contiguous USA, you’ll be regaled constantly by the sounds of the wildlife and birds that call the surrounding lush bayous and wetlands home.
There are alligators and deer, turtles and tortoises. Migrating birds such as the brown pelican, osprey and cormorant make this their winter home, and spring brings in swallow-tailed kites. Explore it on your own in a kayak or take a guided eco-tour.
Pascagoula River
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