If you're looking for a place to dispersed camp in Mississippi, look no further. The Dyrt can help you find the best dispersed campsites for your next trip. Whether you're looking for a quiet location in the woods or wide open spaces, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect dispersed campsite.
The Meriwether Lewis Campground at milepost 385.9, on the northern end of the Parkway, has 32 sites. All sites are free and available on a first-come, first served basis. They do not offer electricity, showers, or dump stations. Drinkable water and flush toilets are available on site. Enjoy the Meriwether Lewis site which includes hiking trails, a section of Old Trace, exhibits and picnic areas.
While not widely advertised, the Deer Island Coastal Preserve has verified that camping is allowed, at no charge.
Ranger
Nice first come free camping location just off the Trace. Grounds seem to be keep up on every time I’ve been there.
GuideBoondocked here for the night.. got way more than expected! It was extremely clean. Flat, paved campsites with firepits, picnic tables, and trash cans. No water or bathrooms but a great little stop over for our trip west.
LegendFor My FULL VIDEO Of My Experience At This Campground CLICK HERE
Following the winding a scenic Natchez Trace you begin to climb higher and higher into the beauty of the mountains. When I was making this trip in late August, I could already see the shifting of the leave in its most early stages and I could only imagine what it would be like only a month later.
As I entered the park and followed the signs toward the campground I was very eager to see what this FREE site had to offer. I had discovered this site when searching youtube for things to do and someone suggested camping here because of the historic landmark in the park. After further research I discovered it was a pretty decently sized campground with semi primitive camping.
I arrived at the camping loops and discovered two loops of camping each with differing sizes of spaces, some designed for pull through style RV parking and some for back in car parking. Spaces were large and while there were several people staying here it did not seem overly crowded.
The first loop was much further from the restroom than the second, which also housed the campground host in his RV just as you entered the loop. He was welcoming with a smile and wave and I just felt like this was going to be a nice place to stay for the night.
You can stay for up to 14 days at this location and I could easily see this being one of those stops you wouldn’t necessarily want to leave in a hurry because it was so peaceful. There were numerous hiking trails and a well landscaped creek area which made for a great place to come for day use as well.
My site was pretty typical in that it had a fire ring and picnic table. The ground was semi level and very rough so camping in a tent I was happy to have brought a little padding. The restrooms were very nice and had both flush toilets and drinking water. They were well lit and for a minute when I walked in I wondered how on earth this was a free site because they were so nice.
All was great until about 8 p.m. when some people pulled in after dark and weren’t quite sure how to set up their tent and were pretty loudly disagreeing with one another in debate of how to do so. But after they finally figured that out about an hour later the night was again left to the sounds of the cicadas and frogs.
TIPS
RangerOne of three first come first serve free camps on the Trace. Potable water and flush toilets, fire rings and tables, pull through and back in sites. There’s relative privacy, though that’s largely dependent on seasonal deciduous canopy. The campground sits next to a creek cascade and some hiking trails, including part of the old Trace. The Trace today is a far cry from the early days of interstate travel with sunken roads, mud bogs, and bandits. The two-lane is closed to commercial traffic, making this a fun alternative route for a leisurely paced road trip.
Hohenwald, the “High Forest”, holds an Oktoberfest heritage festival and craft fair highlighting the Swiss-German Community that was established here, which is an excellent opportunity to get a feel for the local culture. It was in nearby Grinder House on the night of October 11,1809 that the tragic last chapter in the life of Meriwether Lewis unfolded. Following the Corps of Discovery Expedition, Lewis had been appointed second governor of the Louisiana Territory, and turned his hand to expanding the road networks, negotiating treaties between Native American nations and managing the encroaching settlers moving west. In response to political infighting over his policies, including an expedition to return a Mandan chief to his people, the War Department refused to reimburse him for debts incurred in office, threatening personal financial ruin. The state of the mail led Washington to believe him incommunicado and, on the brink of insolvency, he set out to the Capitol with receipts to make his case. Rather than continuing by boat via New Orleans, Lewis elected to travel the Trace. After finishing a meal at the roadhouse and retiring to his room, shots rang out, and Lewis was discovered by the innkeeper’s family shortly before he passed away. Over a century of dispute followed, with competing narratives of suicide, robbery, and even assassination. His gravesite was lost among the final resting places of the pioneer cemetery, and a monument to one of the great explorers was later erected in his honor.
Scout
The entire area was littered with burnt trash, animal remains and shell casings. It seems to be more of a shooting range than a camping spot. 30Sep23
TravelerI have tent camped here twice, once in 2013 and just last week. Both times I was traveling the Trace by motorcycle and stopped for the night. Camping spots are easy accessible and first come first served. Both times I’ve been here has been during 4th of July week/weekend and the campground has only had a few campers, never packed. The grounds are nice and well maintained. If you’re tent camping or wondering about be sure to spray down with bug spay, red bugs and ticks are present as with an natural camping woods.
GuideAll campsites had a picnic table, fire ring and a grill which were typical of these free NPS campsites. The bathroom facilities were clean with running non-potable water. All of the fire rings and grills were rusty and some of the wooden picnic tables were falling apart but we were one of a few campers this early in the season, so hopefully they'll be attended to before the summer rush. We picked a pull-thru site and lit a fire in the ring and used our own camp chairs and table for a lovely star filled night.
LegendThis is one of three free campgrounds that can be found along the Natchez Trace. After visiting all three, this one is by far the nicest. Located at the site of Meriwether Lewis’s death, this campground is steeped in history. There are many great hiking trails around this campground and there are amazing views. Be sure to drive down to the creek and check it out. There were 31 campsites. They are pretty close together and some of them are pretty far from the bathroom. Everything is in good condition and there are trash cans scattered throughout the campsites.
RangerCame in on a Tuesday in late October and found about 10 campsites occupied, so lots to choose from. The campsite has two adjoining loop roads. The lower loop has a bathroom with flush toilets and sinks.
The campground appears to be very well maintained. There is not much privacy between campsites as there are only a few trees and no shubbery between campsites.
We met two other camping groups that were simply delightful Americans.
Guide
Big site no fire ring no other camp sites that I have seen
TravelerIt's Free! It's opened up now and it's free! And nicer than I expected. All the sites are paved with large fire rings and picnic tables. Trash cans are pretty much everywhere. There are back in and pull through sites. Most of the sites aren't very level so plan for that. There are bathrooms down the road but only open from sunrise to sunset. Oh and did I mention it's free?!
GuideGreat sites for free! Plentiful, clean & convenient on the Natchez Trace.
GuideAmazing Clean Safe Free Family friendly Plenty of trails and nature to explore
GuideNice location just off the Trace! Nice free getaway spot with plenty to do around.
GuideGreat place and it’s FREE! Bathrooms and trash cans. This is dry camping - no electric/dump. Water at bathrooms
RangerIt is a first come site but well worth checking out. The couple that stays at and maintain the camping area are nice and do an amazing job. Trails to hike that are challenging but not too hard for kids of multiple ages. Pretty water falls not far from the camp site. History and adventure!
TravelerWalk down the Natchez Trace, visit the grave of Meriwether Lewis, all around a good visit. No electric, first come first served free campground, show up early and you're good to go. Beautiful park to stay
TravelerThe road you drive on to get here has multiple signs warning that stray bullets may cross. The actual sites are littered with bullet casings and other trash. If it’s rainy or wet the ground turns to red mud you could get stuck in. But it’s free so.
GuideFree on a FCFS basis. Roomy. Clean. Well maintained. Beautiful falls to go see. Careful on the hiking trails though, many cross paths with no directions on how to get back to camp. We wondered around for a few hours before making it out. Loved it there though and can’t wait to go back!
Ranger“Let’s go camping where one of the most remembered American explorers died a tragic death.” That’s probably not something I would have said before visiting the Meriwether Lewis Campground near Hohenwald, Tennessee. This campground is amazing. First, its setting couldn’t be anymore beautiful being nestled in the beautiful rolling hills of central Tennessee. The campground is filled with tall, stately oak trees that provide great, all day shade and shelter from the sun. It was hypnotizing listening to the wind from a summer storm swoosh through them. The sites are tent, car camper, and RV friendly though if you are staying in a tent you might have to be selective about which site you choose. Some are rocky and have quite a slant. Site 16, the one we chose to call home for the night, would not have made a good tent site at all even though it offered a breath-taking view of a cool, green hollow. Each site has a fire ring with an attached grill. The rings are about three feet wide and around 18 inches deep. They rest on a concrete slab. Camp parking is asphalt as are all the roads that wind through the park. All sites are within walking distance of a fully functional and positively clean bathroom that is cleaned regularly. You will need to bring your own soap to the bathroom though. The park doesn’t supply it or paper towels. Each campsite also has a secure trash can that is emptied daily(late in the evening during our stay). The campground is full of wildlife so it's nice to know they won’t be feasting on full trash cans. We shared our campsite with a pleasant and oddly curious Tennessee Rough Green Snake or Vine Snake. He enjoyed hunting bugs in the leaf litter at our campsite, and for about an hour, my son Oz and I enjoyed watching him on the hunt. We also saw a box turtle speeding down one of the many trails located within walking distance of the campground. The campground had three rounds of campers arrive on Friday night, July 5. The early campers who arrived between 2PM and 6PM, the after-work campers arriving just before sunset, and the evening crowd that arrived after sunset. The after-sunset crowd made a quick camp and went right to sleep. The camp has fresh water sources scattered throughout the campground including water fountains and spigots. Park staff were welcoming and hard working as you can instantly tell by the overall tidiness of the entire park. You may want to grab supplies before you head into camp since the two nearest towns are a few miles from the camp: Hohenwald (8 miles) and Summertown (11 miles). There is no store in the park or vending machines. You will also need to purchase firewood or be willing to walk to get it. The campground is well used so most sites only have twigs available. We lucked out and found some charred wood in unused campsites that supplemented our kindling we found while hiking. Overall, this is a great family campground. Access to the park isn’t restricted at night so you may want to make sure you carry a light with you as you walk around the campground in the dark. There is a lot of after dark traffic and you want to make sure you can be seen by other campers driving to the bathroom or the occasional guest who might just be driving through. I look forward to going back again soon. This is a five star park.
Scout
Deer Island is an amazing location to fully appreciate the natural splendor of the Mississippi Gulf Coast! We can join minecraftle game together. My spouse, a few friends, our teenagers(a group of six) and I decided to embark on a tour with Happy Daze Kayaking in Biloxi, MS, and we were extremely satisfied! This particular excursion involved pedal kayaking, which was a new experience for us. The journey from the launch point to the island was just a short and enjoyable few minutes. The owner of the company provided us with valuable insights about the wildlife and ensured we didn't miss anything noteworthy. Pedaling was definitely the way to go! It wasn't challenging and allowed us to sit back and relax. It's advisable to bring bug spray as there might be occasional insects. We had a delightful picnic lunch on the island and had a fantastic time overall. I highly recommend considering Happy Daze Kayaking if you're seeking enjoyable activities on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
ScoutBeen there once, Going again sometime soon. Stayed in my SUV for 2 nights and didn't see or hear anyone around. Did hear dogs(or coyotes) in the background but nothing happened. It's up on a little hill which is nice. You have a huge amount of space to go back off the road. I'll update again(11/22)
GuideOnly site I see on FSR 526 Big site you could pull through with a bigger camper no fire ring but you can see where they have had a fire
GuideWhen the pandemic hit, I hit the road. Drove south to Biloxi, parked, hopped in my kayak, and paddled to Deer Island. It’s less than a half-mile off the coast, but far enough away to be left alone. Great paddling, quiet camping, lots of birds. Downsides included: casino views on one side, and a lot of litter along the shores.
I’ve been told it gets crowded with parties and boats on weekends, but I didn’t see any of that. Just the trash left behind.
ScoutGreat time great place
Traveler
We have spent many nights fishing under the bridge. Haven't camped per se but many people fish the general area. There is parking lot and picnic area by the boat ramp. No amenities and if you want to explore other than the boat ramp area you need AWD or 4WD or it's a pretty good hike. This is more of an overnight fishing/parking/boating area for people passing through who don't require all the amenities of the campgrounds in the area.
GuideOut of the way. Decent sized parking lot with boat ramp, picnic tables, and trash cans. Unfortunately it seems like the regulars dont know what the trash cans are for.
Mississippi offers a unique experience for those seeking the freedom of dispersed camping, allowing adventurers to immerse themselves in nature without the constraints of traditional campgrounds.
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