Bear Creek Trail

Bear Creek Trail is the premier hiking route in Tishomingo State Park and one of the finest trails in Mississippi, traversing a landscape of ancient Precambrian rock outcrops, hardwood ravines, and crossing Bear Creek on a historic swinging suspension bridge. Tishomingo State Park sits in the Tennessee Hills region of northeast Mississippi, geologically the southernmost extension of the Appalachians, and the ancient boulders and rock outcrops encountered on this trail are among the oldest exposed rock in Mississippi, formed over a billion years ago. The swinging bridge over Bear Creek is a beloved park feature, oscillating as hikers cross above the rushing creek below. The creek corridor supports a lush riparian forest of sycamore, river birch, and box elder above a rich understory of native shrubs and wildflowers. The upland hardwood ravines between creek drainages host large beech, basswood, and sugar maple trees more typical of Appalachian forests than Mississippi lowlands. The park is named for Tishomingo, a chief of the Chickasaw Nation who lived in this area. Wildlife includes white-tailed deer, wild turkey, river otters, and diverse woodland songbirds. The $4 vehicle fee applies. Canoe rentals are available for paddling Bear Creek as an alternative or complement to hiking.