Hiking Tuxachanie National Recreation Trail

Monday, February 19, 2024

Hi Blog!

After yesterday's hike in the Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, we thought we would find a nice bike trail. Not far from where we are camped in Ocean Springs, Mississippi is the DeSoto National Forest. Named for 16th-century Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, the forest is 518,587 acres of pine forests in southern Mississippi. It is one of the most important protected areas for the biological diversity of the Gulf Coast eco-region of North America. It is also home to the Tuxachanie Trail, which runs for 12 miles through the forest. The trail was listed as a bike trail on All Trails, but when we arrived at the trailhead, we learned Tuxachanie Trail is a National Recreation Trail open to foot traffic only. So, our bike ride turned into a hiking adventure.

There are several trailheads for the Tuxachanie Trail. We chose to start at Airey Lake. The Airey Camp is a primitive camping ground. There are no numbered sites, but several picnic tables are available. When we arrived, there was only one person camping. His homemade trailer is one of the more unique RVs we have encountered.

As today was the Presidents Day Holiday, we were not surprised to find several fishermen trying their luck on the small lake. As we made our way around the lake, we asked one fisherman how he did and he said he had just caught at 5 pound bass!

What the lake lacked in size, it more than made up in beauty.

The lake is almost in the middle of the hiking trail between miles 5 and 6. We could either hike east or west from here. We decided to first go east in search of Copeland Springs.

The De Soto National Forest was created in 1934. The main job of the Forest Service in Mississippi was to replant trees that had been heavily removed by logging in the early 1900s. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the Airey Work Center in 1935 as a base for its work in replanting the forest. The lake and campground were part of the original camp. 

The name Tuxachanie is a name derived from the Choctaw language meaning "fragments of hominy-boiling pots are lying there." We didn't see any hominy-boiling pots, but we did see several mile-markers along the trail.

We are still a little early for spring, but we did notice a few flowers starting to bloom.

The exact location of Copeland Spring is not noted on the forest map. However, Google Maps does show a location. There had originally been a side boardwalk leading to the spring, but it has since been destroyed:

 Huricane Katrina hit this area hard. Despite the ruined boardwalk, we discovered a side trail to the spring.

 

It is reported that the Copeland gang would come to water their horses and rest enroute from their hideout on the Pearl River in Hancock County to the Black Creek on the boundary of Stone County. Besides James Copeland, among other members of the gang were said to be two men named Wages and McGrath, who posed, respectively, as an evangelistic preacher and singer.  While they engaged a community in a religious revival, they stole their horses. They were later caught and hanged.

The spring itself was several feet deep. The water was crystal clear and cold!

After finding the spring, we decided to head back toward the lake and hike in the other direction.

Pine forests need fire to stay healthy. If the fire gets too hot, the bark can burn through. Sap will rise to the surface to protect it.

Back at Airey Lake, we noticed this bird box on the lake shore.

We decided to hike around the far side of the lake. We weren't sure if we could make it through the wetlands. 

 

We were pleased to see several boardwalks over the wet spots.

The westernmost five miles of trail follows an old abandoned railroad bed which once served the sawmill of Dantzler Lumber Company at Howison, MS. Our trailhead at the lake was at the eastern end of the five mile rail bed.

Once we started hiking on the old rail bed, we were hoping to see some of the old railroad trestles, but at each stream crossing they seemed to be missing.

This crossing had a boardwalk.

The next crossing had brick patio pavers piled high enough to walk across the stream.

No sooner does the Forest Service repair a trestle then the next hurricane dislodges it.

We decided to make this ruined bridge/trestle our turnaround. It was almost a straight shot back to the trailhead. If the weather warms up, we hope to get out and paddle tomorrow. Stay turned.