Chewalla Lake Recreation Area Trail is a 4.1 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Holly Springs, Mississippi that features a lake and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round.
kid friendly
fishing
hiking
nature trips
paddle sports
trail running
walking
beach
forest
lake
river
views
wildlife
no dogs
This easy 4 mile out and back winding track offers scenic views of a spring fed lake, large trees and meadows. This trail follows the shoreline of Chewalla Lake, a 260 acre spring fed lake located in the Holly Springs National Forest Chewalla Lake Recreation Areas name is from the Choctaw word Chiho-la, meaning Supreme Being. Like Owl Creek, this was a special place for Native Americans, who once built a ceremonial mound where the lake now stands. A small mound commemorating the site has been reconstructed near an overlook of the lake. This recreation area offers a beautiful and tranquil setting for enjoyment of the outdoors. Visitors can enjoy a cool and scenic view of the 260 acre lake, which is popular with fishermen and swimmers in the warmer months. Facilities include 36 campsites (9 have electrical hookups), 40 picnic units, boat ramp, mooring dock, accessible fishing pier, swimming beach, childrens playground, group picnic pavilion, restrooms with flush toilets and showers, drinking water, 1 mile walking trail, and a sewage dump station. a spur trail crosses a covered bridge to an island near the swimming area. A longer trail hike is available as the trail continues past the swimming area through a a nice mixed forest setting including some very large white oak trees and shortleaf pines. The forest is made up oaks, hickory, pine, beech, tulip poplar and some very large dogwoods. At the trail intersection with Chewalla Dam road, follow the road for 300 feet and a spur trail leads right down to the rocky steam below the dam. Follow the trail to the spillway and then follows the creek for a few hundred feet and then turns back toward the dam and follows the meadow/forest setting until the the end of the dam. You can follow the trails through the forest but these trails are not mapped. At the trail intersection on the east side of the dam turn left and to to the top of the dam and follow the dam for some really nice views of the lake on the way back out. Chewalla Lake Recreation Area is open year-round unless weather conditions require the area to be closed. Chewalla is a fee area. The fee station is located just beyond the entrance gate. No attendant will be on duty. Therefore, users should make sure that they have correct currency before arriving at the recreation area.
Had to lower the rating after coming over and seeing some ticks on my leg
my husband and I did the Virginia Pine trail. overall ok but got a little lost once we got to the campground on where the trail picked back up. We look forward to doing the other one soon.
A solid recreation area/campground hike. Features an Indian mound and an overlook of Chewalla Lake. The section through the woods south of the campground will need to be reblazed soon. Also, you can combine this route with part of the Virginia Pine Trail to form a semi-loop.
Under construction on the early parts of this trail but overall well marked.
10 sites with electric and water hookup, the rest are primitive but nice.
This is the 1st park I went to using this park. I didn't read that is was there and back (my fault) so we went further until we run into people who said we should turn around. We walked about 6 miles instead of 4, but it is ok. it wasn't real hard or steep. there are no signs (that's bad). the 1st mile is very easy and it is a beautiful area. This a great 1 to 2 hour walk on a pretty afternoon.
This is an easy either 2 or 4 mile loop from the boat ramp to the swimming area and back for a 2 mile loop or for a 4 mile loop by hiking to the east end of dam and back. The spring fed lake and surrounding forest provides a pristine setting with overlooks and some very scenic views. The trail winds around the lake and surrounding hills populated with some impressive white oak and shortleaf pine trees.