Bienville National Forest

In central Mississippi, Bienville National Forest encompasses nearly 179,000 acres of gently rolling terrain blanketed in loblolly and shortleaf pine, with pockets of hardwood bottomlands along its creeks and drainages. The Bienville Pines Scenic Area showcases a magnificent stand of old-growth longleaf pines, some reaching over 200 years in age, preserved as a living reminder of the vast longleaf forests that once dominated the southeastern United States. The Shockaloe Horse Trail System provides over 40 miles of well-maintained equestrian and mountain biking trails through the forest's rolling piney woods.\n\nThe forest was established during the Depression era on worn-out farmland and has been successfully restored through decades of reforestation and active management, including prescribed burning to maintain pine ecosystem health. Bienville's streams and small impoundments offer fishing for bass, bream, and catfish, while its open pine forests provide excellent habitat for white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and bobwhite quail. The forest also supports populations of the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, with active colony sites managed through careful habitat maintenance and cavity-tree protection.