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Off-Roading in the Magnolia
State
By: Billy Bonner
South Mississippi ATV Association
Photos by: Rodney Fagan
 Trace State Park is located 9 miles west of
Tupelo, Mississippi. The park has over 30 miles
of multi-use trails that are designated for ORVs,
horses, mountain bikes, and hikers. These trails
include numerous challenging hills and valleys
or easily maneuverable trails that are labeled
and numbered. The park includes 52 developed
camp sites, 10 primitive camp sites, and 6
vacation cabins all with a beautiful view of the
lake. Laundry facilities and public restrooms
equipped with showers are available throughout
the park for after those muddy trail rides. So
if you ever decide to visit the beautiful state
of Mississippi, bring your ORVs, horses, or just
your hiking boots and stay at Trace State Park.
If you arrive after hours, that is no problem.
They have a night time “honor box” located at
the front gate. Trace State Park is open year
round except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and
New Year.
 Helmets are required. Riding double is
prohibited unless the ORV is rated by the
manufacturer for passengers.
Trace State Park has a beautiful 600 acre
lake that is perfect for boating, fishing, and
skiing. Don’t forget about checking out the area
attractions during you visit. The Natchez Trace
Parkway, The Elvis Presley Birthplace, The
William Faulkner Birthplace, and other museums
and historic battlefields are just minutes from
the park.
Some friends and I recently visited Trace
State Park in February of 2006. Before our
departure, we heard some crazy rumors about a
severe winter front pushing its way through the
Tupelo area that weekend. When we arrived late
Friday night, it was definitely cool but not
real cold. Temperatures were in the low 40°s or
even the upper 30°s. Just as we thought, crazy
rumors! By the next morning, everything was iced
 over. The thermometer was reading a little below
20°. To us in the Southeast U.S., that’s doggone
cold. We came to ride. So we grabbed a hair
dryer, thawed out the ignitions on our ATVs,
unloaded, and hit the trails. I guess we were
the only four wheeling idiots there that weekend
because we had the trails to ourselves. I can’t
lie to you. It was freezing! I had to keep my
goggles on because of the occasional sleet and
snow flurries. After a little riding, we were
having so much fun that my friends and I did not
realize how cold it really was. With the low
temperatures, the wildlife was very active. It
seemed that every time we turned a corner or
topped a hill, deer were crossing the trails.
There were a lot of great “kodak” moments. As
far as the trails go, they were well maintained
and simply a blast to ride. The park staff was
very friendly to us throughout the weekend.
Needless to say, I was very impressed. I would
highly recommend visiting Trace State Park. Come
on down to the Magnolia State and enjoy some
southern hospitality and great off road trails.
Visit them online at
www.mdwfp.com/parkView/parks.asp?ID=1818
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