Memorial Day Camping - Tishomingo State Park

Memorial Day weekend was our planned family camping trip for May.  Tishomingo State Park is located in Northeast Mississippi in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains.  The park is beautifully maintained and provides lots of hiking opportunities throughout the park.  My husband selected this park because of the hiking trails and historical buildings.




In addition to the hiking trails, campers can swim at the pool during the warm season months.  There is also a canoe trip available.  Many campers enjoy fishing throughout the park.  We felt like there were plenty of activities to keep any camper busy.

We loved the trails while at Tishomingo State Park.

We had a camping spot that was right across from the bath house facilities and on the water.  The bath houses are really clean and in excellent condition.  Even with lots of muddy feet tracking in and out, park staff cleaned thoroughly and often.

The camping pad was relatively small but easy to back into.  The only negative about our site was the steep slope to the picnic, grilling and campfire area beneath our spot.  Given that it was raining over the weekend, it was difficult to get up and down without slipping.  A few steps built into the hill would make trips up and down easier.  Some spots did have access steps, but ours did not.

However, we did love the large grassy spot near the water.  We enjoyed dining outdoors during the day, watching the geese, swinging from a hammock and sitting around our campfire.  Overall it was a great spot.

This is also the trip where I planned for a healthy meal plan.  You can read more about this and access my menu on my blog post about healthy camping meals.  The food was simple, flavorful and enjoyed by all!

The grassy areas for eating, cooking, campfires and playing were really nice.

We set up our table and were able to enjoy all of our meals outdoors while there even with the rain.

The geese were regular visitors at our camp site.

While camping, we experienced some straight line winds on Saturday night.  Our camper made it relatively unscathed.  The winds blew off our Pop Up Gizmos.  The awning flew over the camper at one point, but we were thankful no other damage was done.  We have a small gash in our roof, but we are planning a roof rebuild later this year.  It is a minor bump in the road as far as we are concerned.

Even though we would have liked a set of steps leading to our eating area, the staff at Tishomingo State Park was extremely friendly and helpful when approached with questions.  They were eager to give directions to go to a local store to purchase firewood or answer questions about trails and scenic views.  This may be the nicest state park staff that we have ever encountered.

I don't believe that there is a bad spot for hiking.  The views are gorgeous.

The storm on Saturday night knocked over quite a few trees throughout the park even closing the entry road into the park.  Park staff was out early Sunday morning clearing trees with chainsaws and helping campers.  Again two thumbs up for maintenance and making sure that campers had what they needed, were safe and could easily come and go as needed.

If campers need additional supplies for food, the nearest town of Tishomingo does have a small Sunflower grocery store, Dollar General, and hardware store.  The Sunflower grocery sells firewood in small cords for $5 and large ones for $10.  It is cash only to purchase the firewood at the store.  Make sure you have your pocket book handy with a little cash .  A $5 cord was enough wood for 2 camp fires - covering both nights we stayed.

Campfires make a relaxing spot to enjoy the view along the water.

I enjoyed sitting up and quietly enjoying the view from across the water and listening to the crickets.

We loved how lush and green the hiking trails were.  We took a short hike around both days we were there.  Trees are marked with visible red dots to keep you on the trail.  As you walk, enjoy the sounds of nearby water rushing along with insects and birds.

Even though we camped in late spring, this would be a picturesque spot for fall camping.  I'm sure the leaves would be splendid.  We really would like to come back during this time of the year.

Beautiful trails at Tishomingo State Park.

Take a rest while out on the large rocks along the paths.

Reservations can be made online.  However, if you need additional help, you will need to call the park.  I'm not quite sure where the emails go when emailing the address listed on their website, but I was never successful in getting a response from the park electronically.  I did mention this to the staff, but I still think you might want to call as opposed to email.

The view from my camper window was beautiful, and I love my new hand towel and decor.

We will revisit this park again.  We loved our time there - storms and all.  It was beautiful, relaxing and everything we wanted from a camping trip.  With well-maintained facilities and friendly staff combined with scenic views, it is the perfect spot for a weekend getaway!

Hang up your canopy lights and enjoy the view!