De Soto National Forest
Encyclopedia
De Soto National Forest is 378538 acre (591 sq mi; 1,532 km²) of pine
forests in southern Mississippi
. It offers year-round opportunities for outdoor activities including camping, canoeing, hunting, fishing, and more. There are two wilderness areas within DeSoto: Black Creek Wilderness
and Leaf River Wilderness
. Black Creek is a popular stream for canoeing, camping, and fishing, and is Mississippi's only designated National Wild and Scenic River
. Two National Recreational Trails, the Black Creek Trail and Tuxachanie Trail, offer more than 60 miles (96.6 km) of hiking opportunities.
The forest is headquartered in Jackson
, as are all six National Forests in Mississippi. The local ranger district office is in Wiggins
, which is surrounded by the National Forest on three sides: north, east, and south.
De Soto National Forest is located between Hattiesburg
and Gulfport
, and can be easily accessed by U.S. Highway 49 and U.S. Highway 98. It lies in parts of ten counties. In descending order of land area they are Perry
, Wayne
, Harrison
, Forrest
, Stone
, Greene
, Jones
, Jackson
, George
, and Pearl River
counties.
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
forests in southern Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. It offers year-round opportunities for outdoor activities including camping, canoeing, hunting, fishing, and more. There are two wilderness areas within DeSoto: Black Creek Wilderness
Black Creek Wilderness
Black Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Located within the De Soto National Forest, Mississippi's largest wilderness lies in the broad valley of Black Creek, stained a deep caramel color by the tannic acid of decaying vegetation.-Wild and Scenic River:Black...
and Leaf River Wilderness
Leaf River Wildlife Management Area
Leaf River Wildlife Management Area was established in 1940 out of land owned by the U.S. Forest Service. Located within the De Soto National Forest off Mississippi Highway 26 and east of Wiggins, Mississippi, it is composed of approximately of pine forest....
. Black Creek is a popular stream for canoeing, camping, and fishing, and is Mississippi's only designated National Wild and Scenic River
National Wild and Scenic River
National Wild and Scenic River is a designation for certain protected areas in the United States.The National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was an outgrowth of the recommendations of a Presidential commission, the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission...
. Two National Recreational Trails, the Black Creek Trail and Tuxachanie Trail, offer more than 60 miles (96.6 km) of hiking opportunities.
The forest is headquartered in Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, as are all six National Forests in Mississippi. The local ranger district office is in Wiggins
Wiggins, Mississippi
Wiggins is a city in Stone County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,849 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Stone County.-History:...
, which is surrounded by the National Forest on three sides: north, east, and south.
De Soto National Forest is located between Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...
and Gulfport
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...
, and can be easily accessed by U.S. Highway 49 and U.S. Highway 98. It lies in parts of ten counties. In descending order of land area they are Perry
Perry County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 12,138 people, 4,420 households, and 3,332 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile . There were 5,107 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
, Wayne
Wayne County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 21,216 people, 7,857 households, and 5,853 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile . There were 9,049 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile...
, Harrison
Harrison County, Mississippi
-National protected areas:* De Soto National Forest * Gulf Islands National Seashore - Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 189,601 people, 71,538 households, and 48,574 families residing in the county. The population density was 326 people per square mile . There were 79,636 housing...
, Forrest
Forrest County, Mississippi
The median income for a household in the county was $27,420, and the median income for a family was $35,791. Males had a median income of $28,742 versus $20,500 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,160...
, Stone
Stone County, Mississippi
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,622 people, 4,747 households, and 3,626 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile . There were 5,343 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
, Greene
Greene County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 13,299 people, 4,148 households, and 3,152 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile . There were 4,947 housing units at an average density of 7 per square mile...
, Jones
Jones County, Mississippi
-History:Jones County, formed out parts of Covington and Wayne counties, was established on January 24, 1826 and was named for John Paul Jones. There are other counties named Jones, but it appears that this is the only one named for John Paul Jones...
, Jackson
Jackson County, Mississippi
There were 47,676 households out of which 37.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.70% were married couples living together, 14.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.10% were non-families. 20.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.10% had...
, George
George County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 19,144 people, 6,742 households, and 5,305 families residing in the county. The population density was 40 people per square mile . There were 7,513 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile...
, and Pearl River
Pearl River County, Mississippi
-National protected areas:*Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge *De Soto National Forest -Demographics:The census estimates of 2006 place the county population over 57,000 and place it among the 10 fastest growing counties in the U.S. As of the census of 2000, there were 48,621 people, 18,078...
counties.