A Walk In The Park With Parker | Tishomingo State Park

June 29, 2018

TISHOMINGO, Miss. (WCBI) – If you’d like camping for a weekend in a park with unique features and a rich history, we might have a park you’d be interested in.

You don’t have to take my word for it.

All you have to do is pick up your latest travel section of Southern Living magazine, and you’ll find Tishomingo State Park.

It’s our next park in a series of ‘A Walk In The Park’ with Parker.

“It opened to the public in May of 1939, so we’ll soon be celebrating our 80th birthday,” said Park Manager, Terry Harp.

In those near-80 years of business as a Civilian Conservation Corps park, Tishomingo has given visitors a nature experience that can’t be found anywhere else in the state.

“We have 13 miles of hiking trails that are for foot traffic only, but it’ll take you through some of the most unique areas here in Mississippi, large outcroppings and fern-filled crevices,” Harp described. “You don’t see it anywhere else in Mississippi. We get compared a lot to North Carolina and East Tennessee.”

The park does have a lake covering some 45 to 50 acres, but the main water scene is Bear Creek.

Don’t let the term make you think small.

Harp tells us if you bring your inner tube or kayak the creek can be a popular spot.

“A 6.25 mile float, which we run one time a day, April through October, weather and water permitting.”

Harp tells us some have even floated all the way from Bear Creek to the Tennessee River.

The park also has a more domestic approach to being on the water with their newly redone swimming pool.

“We have water going in now, and hopefully we’ll be ready to open later today or tomorrow,” Harp said.

A good view of the creek would be on the park’s famous swinging bridge.

It’s the only connection to the other hiking trails, and it’s a thrill getting over there.

Harp says Tishomingo has a lot of day visitors, but if anyone wanted to stay for the weekend, Tishomingo has lodging of all kinds for groups of all sizes.

“We do have seven family cabins. We do have a group camp that we do: church groups, youth groups, band camps, football camps, family reunions. We also have 62 developed campsites for those who want to RV or tent camp,” Harp said.

Getting there shouldn’t be a problem. Hop on one of Mississippi’s most famous highways, and you’ll see it.

“The Natchez Trace Parkway runs through the park, and we do have our own exit into the park,” said Harp.

Harp is a lover of history and knows the story of Tishomingo like the back of his hand.

Where the park is now gives him a sense of satisfaction that nature is still appreciated almost 80 years later.

“When you drive through the park on a busy weekend, you wonder if all those 200 plus guys that worked in the park 80-or-so years ago envisioned how many people we would have coming through,” he said.

Be sure to check in with us next time for another walk in the park.

You can find more information on Tishomingo State Park here.

As always you can find the fascinating stories we found at each park, on our website, A Walk In The Park With Parker.