Black Creek Wilderness

The Black Creek Wilderness, located in the Gulf Coastal Plains of southern Mississippi, is the state's largest Wilderness area, spanning much of the broad valley of Black Creek. The creek flows through the valley with waters stained a deep caramel by tannic acid from decaying vegetation. Designated as Mississippi's only Wild and Scenic River for 21 miles, Black Creek is celebrated for its scenic beauty. It bisects the Wilderness, winding through a hardwood floodplain filled with oxbow lakes and dense stands of sweet gum, sweet bay, red maple, oak, pine, and bald cypress. The creek's banks, which range from 5 to 20 feet high, feature numerous white sandbars perfect for camping or picnicking. Canoeing along the gently meandering creek is a popular way to explore, though during low water levels, watch out for logs. The Black Creek National Recreation Trail, accessible only to foot traffic, follows the creek's drainage for about 41 miles, with around 10 miles passing through the Wilderness. This trail traverses the Lower Coastal Plain, where piney woods grow over rolling hills and moderate ridges. Although the terrain is mostly flat, elevations rise from around 100 feet at Black Creek to a modest 270 feet in the nearby uplands. Anglers are drawn here for bass and panfish, while hunters, particularly those seeking deer, frequent the area in season.