Find the top rated horseback riding trails in Mississippi, whether you're looking for an easy short horseback riding trail or a long horseback riding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a horseback riding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Ride on 4/1/17. Great trail...but the wooden bridges are a little rough.
We drove about 300 miles to ride this trail. We stayed at the Westin Inn in Prentiss and drove to Hattiesburg to start our ride. This was October 29, 2016.
We planned to ride from the beginning of the trail at SMU but SMU took over the trail parking lot for their homecoming. They planned to tow away all cars parked after noon that day. NOT VERY FRIENDLY IN OUR VIEW!!!!
We had to start our ride 7 miles further up the trail at the next parking area. The trail is great. Stopped at Sumrall for lunch. We saw no one else using the trail after Sumrall. It was completely deserted. Expected a 41 mile trail but when the mile markers went to 42, then 43, then 44 miles we began to wonder. We finally got to Prentiss at 44+ miles and rode about half a mile to our hotel.
The Westin Inn is a very nice little hotel. Clean, updated, friendly staff who live on the property and reasonable price.
Signs showing how to get to the trail are everywhere except in Prentiss!!!
We rode this trail from the University trailhead away from the city. It doesn't take long to realize why this is a Hall of Fame Trail. Wide, well-maintained, and excellent support facilities make this a pleasure to ride upon. One of the top 5 trails I've been on. A great positive for this area.
Rode the trail from the Hattiesburg trailhead at USM to Prentiss and back on September 29, 2016. The weather was great! First cold front of the fall and the temps were in the low 70's to low 80's.
I agree with pretty much everything that has been said. This is an excellent trail and nicely maintained! There are restrooms and water stops with soft drink machines all along the way. There is also a Ward's Hamburgers right off the trail near Bassfield if you need some lunch.
Since it was a Thursday, there weren't a lot of people out using the trail, and from Sumrall to the end at Prentiss, I think I saw perhaps 4 or 5 people.
There are long stretches of straight runs, but very subtle changes in elevation. Between Bassfield and Prentiss, the trail showed signs of little use with leaves and limbs on the asphalt, but nothing that would hinder you at all.
I did see six deer at different spots around Carson. One person spoke of being harassed by dogs, but I never had any problems. There are several bridges between Carson and Prentiss which help break up the monotony at times. The asphalt between Hattiesburg and Sumrall is showing signs of wear and patches are visible in areas.
Overall, an outstanding trail! It is a tough ride to do all 82 miles round trip, but as long as you stay hydrated, carry snacks and pick a nice day, it can make for a nice day out. Just know your limits and know when to turn around if you need to.
Our second time on the Tanglefoot trail found many improvements! The gateway at Ponotoc has restrooms, picnic tables under cover, beautiful landscaping to make this a first class Trail Head.
Parking just to the north as before.
New Albany gateway now all paved with many restaurants nearby.
Whistle Stops along the trail ideal for recreational riders to ride all the sections of the trail over several says.
Lots of places to stop and use the restroom as well as fill up your water bottle. There are also vending machines and a lot of shaded spots to sit and rest. Great job with the trail. Nice to grind out some miles without the sun baking you.
Just a fantastic trail ride , always lots of folks riding and almost always meet a deputy patrolling.
This is a great trail for beginners. It is well marked and fairly flat. If you park a car at Airey Lake and ride in a second car to the Highway 49 trailhead, the roughly 6 mile walk is fairly nice. I have hiked it one way (6.2 miles) or roundtrip from Airey Lake to Highway 49 and back (12.4 miles) or the long hike from Highway 49 to Airey Lake to the POW Camp. Sometimes the long route is not well marked, so you have to figure out which way to go, but as hikes go, it's nice, but long. As someone else said, you need to bring plenty of water for these hikes, as there is not a supply except a couple of spots. Also, South Mississippi can get incredibly hot midday till late afternoon. I recommend starting very early in the morning. Parts of the trail have no canopy, so you are in full sunlight.
I started my ride at the northern terminus, Prentiss, where there is a very nice shaded trailhead/mini-park with restrooms (opened at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday). After a couple of miles under a nice overcast sky, I took the 1 ½ mile paved spur (grades up to 15%) that led to Jeff Davis Lake. This would be a great place to bikepack camp and fish or just to break. Upon returning to the Longleaf, I found the mostly shaded trail winding itself above the creeks, around horse trails, through small towns and among the sunken rail beds of southern MS. I took a break at the Sumrall station where there is a large covered pavilion and vending, typical at most town stations, so bring dollar bills. I continued (40 miles) until I met my wife parked at the Jackson Road Station & Dog Park (1 of 3 parking areas at Jackson Rd.) which was nice but not suitable for picnicking due to dog smells. We began the last 5 miles of the trail to the SMU Gateway by yo-yo’ing 10 miles. This section of the Longleaf became more populated and urban with a trail bridge over I-59 and two picturesque RR tunnels. Near the south trailhead, there is a snow cone stand up the large wooded stairs. Great treat on a hot day, but you will have to bring your own “sweetener”. We rode our last 5 miles in a roaring thunderstorm that made the trek more memorable, lonelier and wetter. I thought the trail was slightly shy of scenic overlooks, unique local spots and creek crossings but always felt safe while riding and only encountered two small snakes. I love, love and love the “Grand Lady of the South” and MS cyclists! Over this weekend, we stayed in Hattiesburg at the Meador Homestead B&B (bike accessible, ~ 1 ½ miles, from the trail) with Mother Dean for an unbelievable, southern rustic experience.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
