LeFleur's Bluff State Park Hiking Trail
At LeFleur's Bluff State Park, you get the most unusual mix of a very wooded, hilly natural area complete with swamplands and Mayes Lake, but you're also very close to an Interstate highway in the capital city.
There's much more to this state park than its hiking trail, but let's start there. The complete trail leads hikers from an upper state park day-use area to the lower overnight camping site, but the trail is broken down into several smaller sections, and hiking a short loop back to the day use area is common.
Here's a great online map of the trail system.
The Mississippi Natural Science Museum sits at the upper trailhead. Begin your hike behind the museum, where there's a large area of wooden decks, including an outdoor classroom, which look over the wooded area.
The Yellow Trail (0.16 mile) is mostly paved and has some areas of boardwalk-type decking.
The Green Trail (0.21 mile) From the Overlook you may take the Green Trail, which loops around to the Yellow Trail.
The Blue Trail (0.36 mile) A section of the Blue Trail connects the Green and Red Trails and is very steep with a series of boardwalk steps and platforms.
The Purple Trail (0.49 mile) just beyond the end of the Purple Trail is the Mayes Lake Camp Store, the only place on the trail system that has restrooms and water. The Purple Trail does not loop.
The Red Trail (0.32 mile), a more naturally maintained path, connects the Blue and Purple Trails. This section may be closed during high water. The Red Trail does not loop.
You get to the upper trailhead on Riverside Drive, at the entrance to LeFleur's Bluff State Park. The park there includes the Natural Science Museum, a large open green field with a disc golf course and a large playground area with swings, slides, climbing areas and more.
You get to the lower trailhead off of Lakeland Drive, by turning right at the first intersection east of I-55. It's the entrance to the LeFleur's Bluff overnight camping area.
For more information, contact LeFleur's Bluff State Park at 601-987-3923, or go online to www.mdwfp.com.
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