Holly Springs National Forest Chewalla Lake Backcountry Circuit

Before the feds turned it into a national forest, these hills crawled with moonshiners who knew every pig trail and creek crossing between here and Tennessee. This 24-mile backcountry circuit follows old logging roads and bootlegger routes through hardwood hollows, past Chewalla Lake’s secluded north shore, and up to the remnants of Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps camps where you can still find stone foundations in the undergrowth.

Easy to moderate with occasional muddy sections after rain and a few steep climbs that favor momentum over finesse. Any stock SUV with decent clearance handles it fine in dry conditions, but wet weather turns the clay sections into axle-deep gumbo. Spring wildflowers are spectacular, summer gets buggy, fall colors peak in late October. No permits needed and plenty of dispersed camping spots along the lake. Bring bug spray and fishing gear — the bass fishing is legendary and the swimming holes stay cool even in July. It’s Mississippi backcountry at its finest.