The Longleaf Trace is a paved pedestrian,

equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or riding in British English) Examples of this are: *Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...

rollerblade Rollerblade is a brand of inline skates owned by Nordica, part of the Tecnica Group of Giavera del Montello, Treviso, Italy. The company was started by Scott Olson (b. 1960) in Minneapolis as Ole's Innovative Sports; when they sold the com ...

, and

bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-powered transport, human-powered or motorized bicycle, motor-assisted, bicycle pedal, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, with two bicycle wheel, wheels attached to a ...

trail between

Hattiesburg Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County (where it is the county seat and most populous city) and extending west into Lamar County. The city population was 48,730 in 2020, making it the 5th m ...

and

Prentiss, Mississippi Prentiss is a town and the county seat of Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,081 at the 2010 census, down from 1,158 at the 2000 census. Prentiss is located on the Longleaf Trace, Mississippi's first rec ...

, United States. Constructed in 2000, the trail follows a portion of the abandoned

Mississippi Central Railroad Mississippi Central Railroad (reporting mark MSCI) is a short line railroad that operates three disconnected tracks: 51 miles from Oxford, Mississippi to Grand Junction, Tennessee; 11 miles in Iuka Mississippi, and 46 miles from Corinth, Mi ...

line. It has nine stations along its route (Prentiss, Ed Parkman Road, Carson, Bassfield, Lott Circle, Sumrall, Epley, Clyde Depot, and Jackson Road). Trail access is from public-road access points only, located an average of apart. In Hattiesburg there are rest stops and parking lots accessing the trail at the

University of Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bac ...

, at West 4th Street, and at Jackson Road. The slope of the trail is very gradual, rising 50 ft/mi at the steepest accessible segment. Rest stops are provided around every two miles, and weather stops are located at reasonable distances. Mile markers ease navigating the trail. Wildlife such as wild rabbits,

squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae (), a family that includes small or medium-sized rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrel ...

raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the North American, northern or common raccoon (also spelled racoon) to distinguish it from Procyonina, other species of raccoon, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest ...

s, songbirds, and

deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...

can be seen along the trail. The trail also supports a variety of flora, including flowering

dogwood ''Cornus'' is a genus of about 30–60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods or cornels, which can generally be distinguished by their blossoms, berries, and distinctive bark. Most are deciduous ...

and

magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendr ...

trees and fragrant

honeysuckle Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or Vine#Twining vines, twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae. The genus includes 158 species native to northern latitudes in North America, Eurasia, and North Africa. Widely kno ...

and

wisteria ''Wisteria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae (Leguminosae). The genus includes four species of woody twining vines that are native to China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, southern Canada, the Eastern United States, and nor ...

. Many of the trees between Hattiesburg and Sumrall have identification signposts.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Longleaf Trace website
Protected areas of Forrest County, Mississippi Hiking trails in Mississippi Protected areas of Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi Protected areas of Lamar County, Mississippi National Recreation Trails in Mississippi