Long Leaf Trace Trail, MS

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Tornado Damage (February 10, 2013)

Our sympathies and best wishes for quick recovery go out to the people of Hattiesburg, Mississippi and surrounding areas due to the recent tornado. There were no deaths reported but many injuries, including two very serious ones, and much property damage.  Hattiesburg is, of course, the beginning point of the LongLeaf Trace.

Follow Up Information on Long Leaf Trace Tornado Damage (February 11, 2013)

According to the LongLeaf Trace Manager, only one tree fell on the Longleaf Trace as a result of the tornado and it has been removed already.

Overview

The Long Leaf Trace is one of the Crown Jewels of the multi-use trails of the South.

View Long Leaf Trace Trail Map in a larger map

The Longleaf Trace is a 41 mile long asphalt-paved trail in Southern Mississippi. It is a National Recreation Trail.

It starts at Long Leaf Trace Park in Prentiss Mississippi and goes Southeast to Southern Methodist University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. To get to the Gateway, follow these directions: From I59 take the Hardy Street exit and go east on Hardy Street to 38th Street (second light). Turn left on 38th Avenue and then right at the next light at 4th Street. The Gateway will be on your left at the foot of the water tower at the northern edge of the USM campus.

The Long Leaf Trace is name after the prolific long leaf pines, which is the reason the railroad was built through the area.

It follows the old route of the Mississippi Central Railroad which ran from Natchez, Mississippi to Mobile, Alabama.

The Trail is a great place to walk, run, skate or ride a bike through pristine forests and natural areas in southern Missisppi. Handicapped and elderly people may use motorized or electric transportation on the Trail. A 23-mile equestrian trail parallels the Longleaf Trace from the communities of Carson to Epley.

The Trail is owned by the Pearl and Leaf Rivers Rails to Trails District, which is composed of the counties of Forrest, Lamar and Jefferson Davis, and the municipalities of Bassfield, Hattiesburg, Sumrall and Prentiss.