Tishomingo State Park

Tishomingo State Park
Mississippi State Park
Bridge over Bear Creek in Tishomingo State Park
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Tishomingo
Elevation	515 ft (157 m) [1]
Coordinates	34°36′18″N 88°11′25″W / 34.60500°N 88.19028°W / 34.60500; -88.19028Coordinates: 34°36′18″N 88°11′25″W / 34.60500°N 88.19028°W / 34.60500; -88.19028 [1]
Area	1,530 acres (619 ha) [2]
Established	1930s
Management	Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
Location in Mississippi
Website: Tishomingo State Park
Tishomingo State Park
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Cabin located within the park
Show map of Mississippi Show map of the US
Nearest city	Tishomingo, Mississippi
Area	590 acres (240 ha)
Built	1936
Architectural style	Other, Rustic
MPS	State Parks in Mississippi built by the CCC MPS
NRHP Reference #	98000275[3]
Added to NRHP	March 26, 1998

Tishomingo State Park is located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Tishomingo County, Mississippi, northeast of Tupelo. The major feature of the park is Bear Creek Canyon and its generous outcrops of Hartselle Sandstone. The boulders and towering cliffs of this rock, together with the outcrops of Bangor Limestone and the creek which carves through it all, compose "some of the most picturesque and rugged scenery in the state."^[4] Activities in the park include canoeing, rock climbing, fishing, and hiking.^[5]

Geography

The park pays tribute to Tishomingo County's remarkable geography of massive rock formations, found here and in the immediately surrounding areas but nowhere else in Mississippi.^[6] The cliffs, valleys and abundant outcroppings of carboniferous sandstone and limestone represent the southwestern extremity of the Southern Appalachian Plateau.^[6]

Indigenous History

The park is named for one of the last great Chickasaw leaders, Chief Tishu Miko, born not far from here in Lee County, Mississippi, around 1735.^[7] Modern Chickasaw occasionally make pilgrimage to the park to visit the areas where the famous Chief fished and hunted.^[8]

Chief Tishomingo (the modern form of his name) served a brilliant career in the US Military, distinguishing himself in such actions as the Battle of Fallen Timbers, the Red Stick Rebellion and the War of 1812. His influence became powerful and extended into Washington, DC. He was a principal signatory to a number of important treaties, including the Treaty of Pontotoc in 1832 (negotiated at great length with Andrew Jackson but never ratified by the Senate). His most momentous and perhaps most difficult signature was put to the 1837 Treaty of Doaksville, which he affirmed only under heavy political pressure. This document, in large part a lease agreement with the Choctaw Nation,^[9] incidentally compelled the removal of the last Chickasaw from this area to the Indian Territory in Oklahoma.^[10] It is believed that, in May 1838, Chief Tishomingo succumbed to smallpox at the advanced age of 104, near Little Rock on the Trail of Tears. His burial site is unknown.

The park's importance to Native American history extends even beyond the historical Chickasaw Nation, as archaeological excavations confirm the presence of Paleo Indians in the area now encompassed by the park as early as 7000 B.C.^[5] The ancient tribes were able to produce excellent tools from the high-quality chert and limestone that was available here, and ceramic pottery from clay dug from the hills. A small museum located in the park office houses a collection of artifacts from various periods of Native American occupation.^[11]

Park History

The park was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s. Many of the original facilities are extant, including several buildings, trails, picnic tables, campgrounds, cabins and even a fishing pond used by the CCC workers themselves.

CCC construction of the Mississippi State Park system began on May 29, 1934, when a camp was established at the area which would become Leroy Percy State Park near Hollandale in the Mississippi Delta. By July of the following year, nine parks were under construction in the state, including Tishomingo State Park. Most of the facilities in Mississippi were built of wood. Only Tishomingo and Wall Doxey State Parks feature substantial use of stone construction. The rustic quality of the structures resulted from the use of native materials, the original designs, and the craftsmanship of the builders.^[12]

Many of the park's facilities, including trails, were refurbished in 1997 by the service organization Americorps.^[11]

Attractions

Tishomingo State Park offers visitors seven hiking trails that range in length from ¾ to 3 miles and in difficulty from easy to moderate.^[13] The trails feature beautiful scenery, including natural springs, waterfalls, rocky creeks and streams, cliffs, rock walls and huge outcrops.^[14] The terrain suggests mountains, and indeed this is a part of the Appalachian range, but the hills here are no higher than about 660 feet.^[8] Rock climbing, which requires a helmet and a free permit (available at the park office), is a popular activity on the trails, particularly at the formation known as Jean's Overhang.^[15] Bear Creek is encountered at a number of points by the trail system, and can itself be explored by canoe on one of the float trips offered here.

Three popular disc golf courses are available, and an Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool is open during late spring and summer. The park provides a number of lodging options including primitive and improved tent campsites, full RV hookups and furnished cabins.

The Natchez Trace Parkway, a scenic road operated by the National Park Service and commemorating the historical Natchez Trace, runs directly through the park.^[16]

Gallery

• 
  Outcroppings at Tishomingo State Park
• 
  Stream passing by cabin in the park
• 
  Swinging Bridge crossing Bear Creek

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tishomingo State Park.

• Tishomingo State Park Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks