Leaf Wilderness

Located in southern Mississippi, the Leaf Wilderness is one of the smallest areas in the National Wilderness Preservation System. It lies primarily in the floodplains of the Leaf River, featuring a spruce-pine forest and an oak-gum-cypress river bottom, with a dense understory of dogwood, redbud, persimmon, blueberry, and honeysuckle. On the western side, a small upland section is shaded by loblolly and shortleaf pines, with sloughs and part of an oxbow lake adding to the varied landscape. Poison oak is present. White-tailed deer and wild turkeys are among the wildlife that attract hunters during the fall months.