Established Camping
Davis Lake Campground
About
National Forest
National Forests in Mississippi
Overview
Davis Lake Recreation Area is home to beautiful Davis Lake, Campground and Day Use Area, popular for all kinds of recreational opportunities, including swimming, fishing, boating, birding and wildlife viewing. The surrounding scenic forests make Davis Lake a picturesque place to spend quality time outdoors.
Recreation
Davis Lake covers 200 acres and provides multiple recreational opportunities. A grassy swimming beach is situated on the shore, where many anglers cast for largemouth bass, hybrid striped bass, crappie, catfish and bream. The campground has 14 sites on the lake, many of them with space to anchor a boat. A 2-mile trail wanders along the north edge of the lake to several earthen fishing piers. Visitors can also spend time birding, watching for a variety of geese and ducks that migrate through the area. Hawks, herons, bluebirds and doves are also plentiful, among many other species. Wildlife viewing is also available, as foxes and bobcats call the area home. The Chickasaw OHV Trail is a newly renovated 12-mile motorized trail that is within three miles of the campground. The trailhead lies between the Davis Lake recreation area and the Natchez Trace Parkway. It is within a mile of the Owl Creek Mounds archaeological interpretive site. It is open between April 1 and Oct. 31, for hunting. The trail accommodates off-road vehicles 48-inches in width or less. Cyclists and hikers will enjoy the Tanglefoot Trail. This multiple-use Rails-to-Trails path is located 5 miles west of Davis Lake. It runs 43.5 miles from Houston to New Albany, MS through Houlka, Algoma, Pontotoc, Ecru, and Ingomar.
Facilities
The recreation area offers more than two dozen campsites, a picnic area, a group shelter, accessible flush toilet facilities and a dump station. Davis Lake has multiple fishing docks, including some that are accessible. Campsites are equipped with tables, lantern posts and campfire rings with grills. Drinking water is provided. A picnic shelter can also be reserved on-site, for an additional $40 per day fee.
Natural Features
The campground is situated in a hilly, mixed hardwood and pine forest that stretches along the eastern shore of the lake. It is located within 4 miles of the Natchez Trace Parkway, a 444-mile drive through exceptional scenery and 10,000 years of North American history.
contact_info
This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (662) 285-3264.
Nearby Attractions
The recreation area is located 21 miles south of Tupelo, Mississippi, and 12 miles north of Houston. The Owl Creek Mounds, an archaeological interpretive site containing Native American ruins, is about 50 miles away. The Witchdance Horsetrail is an 18-mile horseback riding trail that can be accessed from both the Payamatha Trailhead (on Highway 32, west of the Natchez Trace and east of Highway 15), or the Witchdance trailhead, that lies on the Natchez Trace Parkway (approximately 5 miles east of Houston).
Fee Info
Please note an additional $6 utility fee will be added to the $14 daily rate for single family campsites<p> Shelter GS1 costs: $40 if less than 50 people. $80 if more than 50 people<br/> Each vehicle using the rented pavilion is required to pay the day use fee of $5, this includes the renter of the pavilion.</p>
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
- Hike-InBackcountry sites.
- Boat-InSites accessible by watercraft.
Stay Connected
- WiFiAvailable
- VerizonAvailable
- AT&TAvailable
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
- Tent Cabin
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Phone Service
- Drinking Water
- Electric Hookups
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
For Vehicles
- Sanitary Dump
- Water Hookups
- Pull-Through Sites
- Big Rig Friendly
Great Stay
stayed for 5 days in late april. wonderful experience and would go back in heart beat. off the beaten path, which we love. well kept, wonderful camp host. we didn't use the shower house / restrooms, but everything we saw was nice. definitely would go back. do your research on the campsites. some are pretty short and will not accommodate long rigs.
Beautiful lake
This campground is 5 miles west of the Natchez Trace, and we stayed one weeknight as we were heading south. Some of the sites are reservable and others are first come. I don't think there is a bad site there. The shower and bathroom areas were clean. I suspect it fills up in season, so best to make reservations.
Decent enough for a couple days.
This is very near my home. It's a decent enough area for a day or two but not enough for an extended stay for me personally. Facilities are really only maintained during peak season and even then I've been greeted by dirty showers and restrooms more than once. The swimming area steps are quite slippery as well and muscle shells are ever present so i would recommend aquatic footwear if you plan on using this area.
Location
Davis Lake Campground is located in Mississippi
Directions
From Tupelo, drive 17 miles south on the Natchez Trace Parkway to the Davis Lake Recreation Area Exit at milepost 243. Turn right on Davis Lake Road and continue 4 miles to the campground.
Address
MISSISSIPPI, NATIONAL FOREST I
MS
Coordinates
34.0472222 N
88.9388889 W