Waterfall Loop

Waterfall Loop explores the remarkable Clark Creek Natural Area, a place of geological surprise where over 50 waterfalls cascade through deeply eroded ravines cut into the loess bluffs of extreme southwestern Mississippi. Loess, a wind-deposited sediment of silt-sized particles, can form near-vertical walls when eroded, and the streams of Clark Creek have carved dramatic gully systems through the loess with waterfalls plunging into narrow slot canyons unlike anything else in Mississippi. The waterfalls range from delicate curtains a few feet tall to powerful falls exceeding 30 feet, and the density of waterfalls within such a small area is extraordinary for the flat Gulf Coastal Plain region. The ravine interiors are lush with fern communities, mosses, and moisture-loving wildflowers that find ideal conditions in the perpetually humid canyon microclimate. Rare plants including several fern species found nowhere else in Mississippi grow in the protected ravines. The trail is unmaintained in sections and requires some route-finding, particularly after storm events when fallen trees can obscure the path. The natural area is managed by The Nature Conservancy. No entrance fee is charged. Clark Creek Natural Area is located in Wilkinson County, the southwest corner of Mississippi near the Louisiana border, making it one of the most remote and seldom-visited natural areas in the state.