Discover Mississippi: Nature, Blues and History

Mississippi combines impressive natural experiences with archaeology, African American music history and diverse landscapes. Those planning a trip with varied interests will find opportunities here for active days, cultural discoveries and excursions to the water. When choosing your vacation rental or holiday home, it is therefore worth deciding on the focus of your trip: Should the accommodation primarily serve as a starting point for nature, blues history, historic places or a mixture of these?

Between Water, Trails and Untamed Landscapes

Mississippi’s state parks offer kayaking, mountain biking trails and horseback riding. This allows different ways of experiencing the landscape to be incorporated into your trip planning. The Natchez Trace Parkway also offers a special combination of route and history. It begins in Natchez, passes through Jackson and Tupelo, and ends just south of Nashville. Along the Parkway are more than 350 archaeological sites and 22 burial and ceremonial mounds, including Emerald Mound.

A striking contrast to the Parkway landscape is Ship Island, a barrier island located about 12 miles off the coast of Mississippi. It has a historic fort, a swimming area, beautiful beaches, restrooms and a concession stand. The island can only be reached by boat; from March through October, a public ferry operates from Gulfport, Mississippi. This fixed access situation should be taken into account when planning your day if Ship Island is one of your destinations.

Davis Bayou is located near Ocean Springs. Boardwalks there provide views across the bayous and opportunities to observe wildlife. There are no concession stands or stores in this area. For visitors who want to combine nature observation with quiet trails, this difference from an excursion with refreshment options provides useful guidance.

Experience Archaeology and Music History

The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians includes a museum and a 128-acre park with three prehistoric Native American mounds and a nature trail. Between 1682 and 1730, the Grand Village was the most important ceremonial center of the Natchez. At Winterville Mounds, you can walk among the mounds. During the Mississippi period, approximately from A.D. 1200 to 1600, the site was an important political and religious center of Native Americans.

For travelers interested in music, the route leads to the Mississippi Delta. It is known as the “birthplace of the blues.” The B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center tells the life story and career of B.B. King; its annual events feature live music. The Delta Blues Museum displays the remains of Muddy Waters’ cabin from Stovall Farms. The collection includes musical instruments, recordings, sheet music, posters, photographs, costumes, folk art and paintings. In addition, the Mississippi Aquarium features 12 freshwater and saltwater habitats.

Choose the Right Region for Your Trip

The hills in northeastern Mississippi include lush, rugged woodland areas, clear lakes and babbling streams along the edge of the Appalachian Mountains. This provides additional landscape impressions alongside a culture-focused trip. Choose your accommodation based on the experience you want to define your trip, and consider the individual regions as different starting points for your planning. When several interests come together, nature, history and music history can set the rhythm of the trip without requiring all destinations to fit into a single day’s itinerary.

For further regional orientation, you can access the following subregions: Harrison, Covington, Claiborne, Hinds, Warren, Lauderdale, Lee, Panola, Tunica, Marshall, Desoto, Pike, Madison, Jones, Lafayette, Rankin, Clay, Pontotoc County, Scott County, Jackson County, Yazoo County, Forrest County, Simpson County, George County, Hancock County, Coahoma County, Grenada County, Oktibbeha County, Union County, Adams County, Webster County, Tate County, Pearl River County, Quitman County, Stone County, Attala County, Copiah County, Smith County, Neshoba County, Lincoln County, Jefferson Davis, Prentiss, Monroe County, Alcorn County, Washington County, Kemper County, Issaquena County and Lowndes County.

For the higher-level travel overview: USA.