Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Mississippi / De Soto National Forest

Tuxachanie Trail

De Soto National Forest, De Soto Ranger District (near Saucier)

The Tuxachanie Trail is a foot trail in the De Soto National Forest, a short drive north of Gulfport. It was certified as a National Recreation Trail in 1979, according to the National Recreation Trails database. The Forest Service lists it at 11.9 miles from US 49 to P.O.W. Lake, with Airey Lake about halfway.

That midpoint makes it a flexible overnight: a primitive camp along the trail, an out-and-back to Airey Lake, or a one-way walk with a shuttle.

The hike

The western trailhead is on the east side of US 49, 2.5 miles north of Saucier, according to the Forest Service. Live oaks planted in 1935 line the entrance. The Forest Service says the first five miles, to Airey Lake, follow an early-1900s logging railroad built by immigrant workers with hand tools and mule-drawn earthmovers. The National Recreation Trails database and TrailLink say it served the Dantzler Lumber Company sawmill, and trestle remains still show at some creek crossings.

The Forest Service describes a fairly flat route that alternates between wetlands (sloughs, creeks, ponds, pitcher-plant bogs, and lowland swamps) and dry, sandy longleaf pine woods. A small beech-magnolia forest is about a mile from the trailhead. Wooden boardwalks cross the wettest spots, and a short section is shared with the Big Foot Horse Trail. The Forest Service suggests mid to late March for wildflowers and asks hikers to stay on the edges of the fragile bogs.

The Outbound’s guide notes bridges and planks over most crossings, plus one “sketchy” old log with a rope handrail. TrailLink says blazes are white diamonds, with colored tape in some open sections. Airey Lake, at the midpoint, has potable water and group camping by permit, according to the Forest Service.

East of Airey Lake the trail gets rougher. A 2008 TrailLink reviewer who walked the whole trail in about 13 hours found the area around the 10-mile marker hilly and rough and warned, “Beware of the gators.” In March 2025, a National Recreation Trails reviewer called the eastern few miles narrow and in need of brushing, noted bridges needing repair, and recommended a map or GPS app because horse trails and herd paths branch off.

The trail ends at P.O.W. Lake, a 7-acre lake on what the Forest Service calls a former World War II Navy rifle range, where ammunition bunkers remain. OnlyInYourState says the site held German and Italian prisoners as an extension of Camp Shelby.

For a longer De Soto trip, see the Black Creek Trail.

Tips

Camping

The Forest Service lists primitive camping on the trail, with no fees. TrailLink and The Outbound say campsites must be at least 100 feet from the trail. Hunting season may change that: OnlyInYourState (2022) says primitive camping isn’t allowed during deer season, and Mississippi LandCAN says a permit is required then, so check with the De Soto Ranger District before a fall or winter trip. At Airey Lake, “Group camping and a restroom are available by permit from the De Soto office,” according to the Forest Service. Pack out all trash.

Inside Intel: No camper accounts recommending a specific campsite on the Tuxachanie were found. An undated TrailLink review mentions a planned February overnight at an Airey Lake campsite, and a 2015 Backpacking Light post describes the trail as “an easy overnight,” but neither describes the site.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Sloughs and bogs on the Tuxachanie:

The Forest Service describes a route that alternates between wetlands and sandy pine woods. See whether the Arc'teryx Beta SL beats the Torrentshell 3L and Foray 3L.

See the three shells →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.