We stayed a week at the POW campsite. The trails were great. We'll marked and easy. The pons is…read morebeautiful with a beaver dam raising the level a little. I would recommend this site for a short boondocks stay. Now the drawbacks. No water , no dumpsite. No picnic tables or fire rings. My wife and I spent one day just picking up the garbage and the remains of homeless tents and garbage. Busy with hunters and campers.

Years ago someone started the trend of the milestone review. Every 100 reviews, you're supposed to…read morereview something special. For my 1400th, I've chosen somewhere that was very special to me as a kid, but remains special as an adult. This review will be a little long winded so if that scares you off, go ahead and stop reading now. Back when I was a teenager my scout troop came here because it was the starting point of our backpacking trip on the Tuxachanie Trail. I was pretty much uninterested in history then, but when I learned the area once housed a WWII POW Camp, I was fascinated. Not much was left of the camp back then. It was just a few concrete bunkers that my juvenile mind thought were the remains of prison cells. It wasn't until much later that I realized they were the remains of ammo bunkers. My friends and I ran around like maniacs and climbed all over that bunkers. Had we known what was in store, we would have chosen to rest instead. The Tuxachanie Trail is 22 miles one way if you hike the whole thing. Most people start at the opposite end, but we started here as it is 13 miles to the nearest camping area. While on the trail we saw snakes, birds, trees, wildflowers and a whole lot of woodland scenery. I packed smart, but most of my friends did not. Those packs began to get mighty heavy around mile five. The memories of that hike are much more vivid, and in some cases funny, but for brevity sake, I will explain why it's still special today, and why I think you should visit this area. Despite the ominous sounding name, there really isn't much that would make you know this was once a POW camp for German soldiers. The aforementioned bunkers are still there, but now that I know what they were for, it isn't as frightening as when I thought they were prison cells. The area near the bunkers is a giant space that's been cleared of trees. Next to that area is a large and beautiful lake filled with water lilies, bullfrogs and small fish. The view from the shore was quite beautiful in particular the reflection of the surrounding forest and sky on the surface of the lake. The juxtaposition of the perfectly still water and the ever changing clouds was truly magnificent. Had it not been so sweltering hot, I could have stood there for hours. So for most people, this is where the review would end. But as you may have learned from my previous reviews, I am not most people. I noticed it as soon as I started driving away from the lake. There it was just calling to me. A good ole American dirt road and I just had to explore it. The road from the POW Camp is not for the faint of heart (car drivers). While it is mainly gravel and suitable for 2WD vehicles, it was rutted in some areas so higher clearance would help. The drive through the woods was peaceful and fairly uneventful. But the little trail I found off of the dirt road led me to paradise. I took that trail not knowing where it led or what was in store for me. It was blocked by a fallen tree, but it was no match for my well-equipped, yet stylish vehicle. I just put it in 4WD and climbed right over that thing. Hell Yeah! Enough of that badassery and back to the reason I mentioned the trail. The trail ended up leading to a different area of the lake that I had not seen before. This area was even more beautiful as it was filled with lilies as far as the eye could see. This is the area where I felt the most at peace. I felt fulfilled. I realize that will probably sound too touchy feely especially after I just mentioned the badassery of driving over a tree, but I am never happier than when I am out in the wilderness. Maybe it's all the time I spent in the woods as a kid. Maybe it's the fact that the woods let the hustle and bustle of everyday life seem like just a distant memory. Maybe it's something else. All I know is that being surrounded by trees is an experience every red blooded American should have, and one they should have regularly. Did I lose you? If not, thanks for reading.

Went on a trip this past weekend and had a blast. Brandon and his team crushed it. Super friendly…read moreand helpful.

Had a great overnight trip with this family-owned and run business in mid-February. It was the…read moreperfect time to go, with warm days, cool nights, and no other boats in sight. We did the trip from Brooklyn to Cypress Landing in about 9 hours of travel with moderate paddling. Pay attention to your safety brief because they give a good description of your halfway point. We stopped on the first night before reaching it and had some extra paddling to do the next day. They warned us of one newly-downed tree that spanned the river, but said they would be out to work on it before the season picked up. We hit Cypress Creek right at our pickup time and our ride was there waiting for us. They do all of the heavy lifting during put-in and take-out. All you have to do is load up and shove off. The river itself had many bends, and was about 2/3 shallow with a fast current and the rest deep with little to no current. There were many stumps and downed branches to maneuver around, but no part of the river was impassable. It's impossible to get lost; simply stay in the widest part of the river and follow the current. There were numerous sand and gravel beaches that would make for a good picnic or campsite. The Black Creek Hiking Trail runs along the right side of the river--at times you can clearly see it--and provides a ready source of firewood.

Aiery Lake is a great place to fish, a great place to camp and a great place to take photos. It is…read morealso a great place for an embarrassing story from yours truly. This area of The Desoto National Forest is a good stopping point while hiking the Tuxachanie Trail. Depending where you begin your hike, this area is either 13 miles or 8 miles from the beginning of the trail. Personally I would rather do my long hike on the first day and the short hike the next day, but either way, Aiery Lake is a good stopping point. There are several areas to camp at Aiery Lake including some closer to the parking area. I think if you get away from the parking area you will have a more enjoyable experience, but if you want to be close to your vehicle, you can be. There aren't many facilities here, but there are actual bathrooms which is much nicer than digging a latrine in the middle of the woods (I know from firsthand experience). The Lake itself is beautiful. On a calm day the surface of the lake looks like glass and gives the perfect reflection of the sky and surrounding wilderness. If you're like me and love the view of objects reflected in the water, this is a must see. My kid thinks it would be pretty neat if I could somehow catch the mirror image of my Jeep reflected on a lake, but I have yet to find a suitable location. The lake here doesn't have vehicle access to the opposite side so I will have to keep searching. I am not much of a fisherman, but based on the number of people fishing, I suspect fishing is pretty good in the lake. If I would have had a pole I would have gladly sat around all day taking in that view, drinking beer and pretending to fish. Since I didn't have any of those items, I just watched others fish. So there are all of the reasons to go to Aiery Lake. Even if you are just passing through, it is a beautiful area and I encourage you to stop. As for this area being the location of an embarrassing story, I am somewhat reluctant to tell it, so please don't ridicule me too badly. Many years ago when I was a 13 or 14 year old Boy Scout, my troop hiked the Tuxachanie Trail. When we were almost to Aiery Lake we noticed two or three similarly aged girls and decided to try and impress them. In my underdeveloped juvenile brain I decided that the way to impress the girls was to use my "talent" of singing. I chose what was quite the popular song at the time and as we approached them I started singing. I must have underestimated the distance between us and them because by the time we passed I had come to part of the song which went a little something like this: "I did it like this, I did it like that, I did it with a wiffle ball bat sooooo I'm on the run, the cops got my gun........". As you can probably guess my lyrics were overwhelmingly unsuccessful in impressing anyone, much less the girls. I don't know if it was my singing, or if they saw some sort of poisonous reptile, but they ran as fast as their legs would carry them in the opposite direction. Later that evening in the camp site we decided a reconnaissance mission was in order. My friends and I walked over to their area and stood in the darkness trying to work up the courage to talk to them. I guess lurking behind a tree wasn't very impressive either as we got the cold shoulder once again. Looking back all I can do is laugh at how awkward and embarrassing the entire experience was. So there you have it. Aiery Lake is a great place unless you're a goofy awkward teenager.

Loved this place for a day hike! The trails are well maintained and there is plenty of parking…read more There are also trash cans and a public restroom at the parking location. They have several large campsites as well right by the lake.

Absolutely beautiful!! This golf course is so wonderful for the golfer and the wife that tags…read morealong. They really thought of everything, all the small details made you forget that you're just in a small town in Mississippi. Easily one of the prettiest courses we've golfed at. They had it all and the guys said it was a really fun course!

This was the worst run golf facility ever! We were held in for "lightning strikes ". I've lived and…read moreplayed golf in Florida for over 60 years. This is what happens when you give a young female, the authority to stop all play or to have any control over anything! The worst.

This place is perfect for a group visit, small groups, birthday parties, etc. My sisters and I…read morewent to the sloth encounter today and were so pleased. Ariana and her family made us feel so comfortable and welcome. We met other beautiful animals besides the sloth. They were all sweet, amazing creatures. The best tour we have enjoyed in a long time!

This is a WONDERFUL place for Seniors. Our mom was there and we children could not have been more…read morepleased. The staff is AMAZING!!!! This place feels like home. Our mom loved being there and loved all the staff. Our mom passed at 93, but she enjoyed being with these wonderful people. We got to know the other residents and staff and they felt like we had known them for years. If you are looking for a smaller place to for your love one, this is the place!!!!!

Went on a two hour long horseback ride and it was AMAZING! Everyone who works here was soo kind and…read morereally made the experience worth your while. Definitely looking in to making this a monthly experience! They love their horses and you can most definitely tell.

Before I begin this review I need to get a few things out of the way. While this area is named…read moreafter Bigfoot AKA Sasquatch, Yeti, Abominable Snowman, Johnwithnocoffee or whatever you want to call it, I did not see such a creature here. The other part of the name refers to a majestic creature. A majestic creature that I do not own, nor do I have any intention of ever riding. In fact, the only thing I like about horses is when their name is immediately preceded by the word power. OK, so what the hell am I reviewing this place for then? You're about to find out. While I was driving around the Desoto National Forest, I came upon this area. The name intrigued me so I pulled in. What I discovered was that while designed for horse riders, this would be a great place for a picnic, especially if you have kids. The Bigfoot Horse Trail wanders aimlessly through the Desoto National Forest. If you have horse, I bet it would be a great way to experience part of the forest that vehicles cannot. The parking area is quite large and can accommodate even the largest horse trailer. On the day I visited there was a cowboy and cowgirl with a giant F-350 pulling a trailer that must have been at least 30 feet long. Despite that monstrosity, there was room for probably ten other rigs of that size. That is a hell of a lot of horses. The picnic area was filled with picnic tables and camp grills. The grills were charcoal only and probably could have used some cleaning, but they would be great for burgers, ribs or chicken. The part of the picnic area that would make it great for kids was something designed for horses. At each picnic table there was a pole with a hook on the end. I imagine it was designed for horses, but I could totally see tying your kids to the pole and letting them run wild. Hell, you would know if they went too far because the rope would become taught and you would hear a thud. I would recommend children toddler through five be given approximately 25 feet of rope and those older up to 50 feet. Make sure to use a bowline hitch around their waist for the safest tethering. NOTE: I do not advocate tying up your children. That portion of the review is a joke. Please do not become offended and report me to the bureau of internet police. In summary, if you have horses, come here. If you want a picnic it is a great place.