Outdoor Recreation

No matter where you live in Mississippi, there is a lake, forest or beach right on your doorstep. Thanks to an averagel temperature of 65 degrees and a mild four-season climate, Mississippi's outdoors can be enjoyed year-round.

More than 140 public and private golf courses make sure that a fairway is always just a short drive away. The Southern Farm Bureau Golf Classic during October in Madison brings PGA tournament action to the state, allowing everybody to have a great time on the course no matter what their handicap.

Professional hockey and baseball can be found in Mississippi, and college athletics give residents an excuse to spend the afternoon tailgating and rooting for the home team. With collegiate conference action in football, basketball, soccer, baseball and tennis, there's always something to cheer about.

Lazy days on the water are a favorite way of unwinding, and with 706,000 acres of recreational water, you won't have much trouble finding a nice place to cool off. Sardis Lake, Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and the Ross Barnett Reservoir are just a few of the many places to enjoy boating, skiing and swimming.

There are quite a few trails to be explored in Mississippi's unspoiled woodlands. You can take an afternoon hike or hit the trails on a bike, then spend the night by a campfire. Mississippi's 28 state parks provide excellent campgrounds, and RV pads and cabins for those who prefer to take the edge off roughing it.

The state has more than one million acres for public hunting, with nine National Wildlife Refuges and 36 state wildlife management areas. Mississippi wilderness offers the opportunity to hunt deer, squirrel, turkey, duck, geese, rabbit, quail and dove. Hunters can wade into marshy waterfowl havens, track whitetail through towering pines or scare up fowl in spacious fields.

Bass, catfish, bream and crappie lurk in waters throughout Mississippi, and the prospect of landing one of these brings both serious and weekend anglers to the state. There are hundreds of rivers, ponds, streams and lakes - five of which are over 20,000 acres, and Grenada Reservoir is 64,600 acres.

The Gulf of Mexico offers spectacular saltwater fishing just off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Flounder and blue crab provide sport right off the pier, and those looking for a serious fight can take a boat out and go after king mackerel, redfish, speckled trout, grouper and shark.

You really can't help but enjoy the outdoors in Mississippi. No matter where you go, you're surrounded by the natural beauty and an array of opportunities to enjoy it.