ミシシッピの天然記念物・トップ9

small waterfall

Emerald Mound, tucked just 10 miles northeast of Natchez along the Natchez Trace Parkway, is a jaw-dropping reminder of the Mississippian mound-builders, a sprawling earthen plateau rising about 35 feet and covering nearly eight acres, topped by two smaller mounds and once flanked by a ring of at least six more. Built between 1250 and 1600 C.E. by the Plaquemine culture, ancestors of the Natchez, it served as a major ceremonial and political hub where temples and elite residences once stood. The site was taken over and preserved by the National Park Service in the 1950s and is now a National Historic Landmark. Today visitors can walk the trail to the top and soak in the same commanding views that once overlooked rituals, gatherings, and a whole way of life.

Tupelo, Mississippi sits on land that was once home to a Chickasaw fort and village, a key site for the Chickasaw people up through the 1700s. Today, visitors to the Chickasaw Village Site can explore the area through interpretive signs and artist renderings that bring the village’s past to life. There are a few great hiking options here, including a short half-mile interpretive loop that highlights native plants and their traditional uses, as well as the longer Blackland Prairie Trail, a 6-mile stretch of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail that connects the site to the Old Town Overlook and the Parkway Visitor Center. Be aware that parts of the route share the road with vehicles for some creek crossings. It’s a peaceful spot to reflect on history while getting in a good walk.

The Pharr Mounds were constructed around 2,000 years ago by Hopewellian Native people. This a striking cluster of eight dome-shaped mounds spread across 90 acres in northeastern Mississippi was once part of a thriving village. Sitting at the heart of an ancient trade network that stretched from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes, the city drew in copper, mica, greenstone, and shell through a well maintained network of trails. Locals and travelers alike came here to trade and take part in ceremonies, making the site both a cultural hub and a sacred space. These carefully crafted mounds have stood the test of time, serving as powerful symbols of community, spirituality, and resilience. For the modern Chickasaw Nation, Pharr Mounds remains a sacred place and many still visit today as a pilgrimage to reconnect with their ancestral homeland.

https://www.nps.gov/vick/index.htm

Ross R Barnett Reservoir is a 33,000 acre lake that serves as the state's largest drinking water source. There are 105 miles of shoreline with the Natchez Trace Parkway running along the western shore.

The Crosby Arboretum is a preserve of the native plants making up the Pearl River Drainage Basin of the southern states of Mississippi and Louisiana. There is a nature trail traveling through the property with wide grassy and dirt trails, bridges, and informational signs.

This waterfall is located at the end of a spur trail off of the main trail. The falls, like the others in the area, usually keeps water year round, but it flows the heaviest after a recent rain. Some people hike to the first two sets of falls after leaving the trailhead and then just head back to the car. This is a short hike that most of the family can enjoy.