At Sardis Lake, boating and nature trails are among the recreational activities. The lake was created for flood control and is maintained by the Corps of Engineers as a public recreation area. Boating is possible on an upper and a lower lake. Two nature trails through different landscapes round out the offerings.

The Sandstone Nature Trail runs for more than a mile and a half through a forest of hardwoods and pines in the higher terrain. The Clear Springs Nature Trail offers views of hardwood forests in the higher terrain and a cypress swamp. The trails can therefore be distinguished above all by their landscapes: pines are explicitly part of the forest scenery at Sandstone, while Clear Springs also features a swamp.

Lakes and Trails Around Panola

Enid Lake also offers its own outdoor activity: a nine-mile horseback riding trail. The lake is about one mile from U.S. Interstate 55. The Bob Tyler Fish Hatchery is located west of Enid Lake and is easily accessible from Interstate 55.

Another nature destination is the Charles Ray Nix WMA in Panola County near Sardis, Mississippi.

Visitor Information for Parks and Experiences

John W. Kyle State Park is located on scenic Sardis Reservoir. It is closed to the public until further notice because of damage from a winter storm. Check the latest visitor information before traveling.

Safari Wild Animal Park offers a 6.5-mile self-drive safari along safari roads; the park is closed until spring 2027. The closure period is important when planning a visit.

McIvor Shooting Facility offers rifle and pistol ranges, skeet and trap fields, Duck Flush, and 3D archery. Since operating details may change, check the facility’s latest information before visiting.

Magnolia Grove Monastery offers a different focus: it invites visitors to themed mindfulness retreats with nuns and monks of the Plum Village tradition.

Mounds, Blues, and Performing Arts

Batesville Mounds offers a glimpse into Indigenous history. Pottery and other artifacts suggest that Indigenous populations built the mounds during the Early to Middle Woodland period, approximately 1 to 400 A.D. Of the seven mounds originally documented, two are relatively well preserved; two others have been significantly reduced but are still visible. Mound B is a rectangular platform mound nine feet high.

Several facets of blues history come together in Como. A Mississippi Blues Trail marker for Fred McDowell was unveiled downtown on May 7, 2009. The Otha Turner marker in Como covers the African American fife-and-drum tradition in northern Mississippi, which dates back to the 19th century. Another marker honors Napolian Strickland, a musician in the fife-and-drum and country blues traditions who was born east of town. The Como Commercial Historic District is a local historic district in Como, in Panola County.

Panola Playhouse adds performing arts to these themes. Founded in 1962, it generally stages six productions per season, including comedies, dramas, children’s productions, and musicals.

Discover More Destinations

Batesville, Harrison, Washington County, Attala County, Covington, Clay, Smith County, Jefferson Davis

For the main travel overview: Mississippi.