Clark Creek Natural Area
| Clark Creek Natural Area | |
| Mississippi State Park | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Wilkinson |
| Elevation | 43 ft (13 m) [1] |
| Coordinates | 31°04′8.6″N 91°30′59″W / 31.069056°N 91.51639°WCoordinates: 31°04′8.6″N 91°30′59″W / 31.069056°N 91.51639°W |
| Area | 700 acres (283 ha) |
| Established | 1978 |
| Management | Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks |
  Location in Mississippi
| |
| Website: Clark Creek Natural Area | |
Clark Creek Natural Area is a state park in the U.S. state of Mississippi located off Mississippi Highway 24 approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Woodville. It is more than 700 acres (2.8 km2) in size with approximately 50 waterfalls, some with up to 30-foot (9.1 m) falls.[2]
The park is open for public use year round, but is limited to pedestrian traffic. No motorized vehicles are allowed. Hunting is strictly prohibited. Public restrooms and a drinking fountain can be found at the parking area. No potable water is available on the trails and no camping is permitted on the grounds. Additionally, no ropes may be used for climbing, and regulations require that hikers stay on paths or in creeks.
Clark Creek Natural Area is used for outdoor activities such as hiking, bird watching, geocaching, or just enjoying being outdoors.
Flora and fauna
The Nature Area has a mix of hardwood and pine forest with large beech and magnolia trees. The park includes the world record Mexican Plum and Bigleaf Snowbell and the state of Mississippi record Hophombeam. Several uncommon trees that can be seen are Southern Sugar Maple, Serviceberry, umbrella tree, pyramid magnolia, Chinquapin oak and witch-hazel. The federally endangered Carolina magnolia vine and many others are well marked.
The park includes migratory birds, various snake varieties (both venomous and non-venomous), a rare land snail, white-tail deer, chipmunks, the Southern red belly dace (a state endangered fish), foxes, coyotes, squirrels, armadillos, feral pigs, bobcats, cottontail rabbits and black bear as well as many other species.
Trails
The park has both primitive and improved trails. The improved trails have been paved with pea gravel and include steep wooden stairs. Clark Creek's steeply sloping bluffs increase the difficulty of hiking. The length of the primitive trail is approximately 2.6 miles (4.2 km) and usually takes 3–5 hours to complete. The improved trails are approximately 1.75 miles (2.82 km) long and usually take around 2 hours to complete.
The park was established by the Mississippi Wildlife Heritage Committee, the Nature Conservancy, Wilkinson County, David Bramlette, International Paper Company and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.
Eight geocaches are located in this park.
References
- ↑ "Clark Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
- ↑ "Clark Creek Natural Area". Parks and Destinations. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
External links
- Clark Creek Natural Area Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks
- Mississippi Geocachers Association
- Clark Creek Natural Area article with map
- Tunica Trails information