DeSoto National Forest Biloxi River Sand Hills Explorer

The Sand Hills Explorer follows old logging tramways through some of Mississippi’s rarest habitat — wet longleaf pine savannas where pitcher plants and sundews trap insects in boggy seeps between sand ridges. Starting near Saucier, the route threads between Biloxi River oxbows and climbs through deep sand that’ll have you in 4WD low before you hit the first creek crossing. Look for the concrete abutments of the old Saucier lumber railroad bridge, abandoned when the big timber played out in the 1920s.

Easy to moderate, but the sand will humble overconfident drivers with street tires. High-clearance 4WD strongly recommended, with aired-down tires for the deep sand sections. Open year-round, but summer brings humidity that’ll wilt Yankees and enough mosquitoes to carry off small children. No permits required, primitive camping allowed. You’ll earn a look at coastal Mississippi’s original landscape — the longleaf savannas that once ran unbroken from Virginia to East Texas, now reduced to scattered remnants like this one.