COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Visitor Information
Choctaw Lake
100-acre lake offers fishing, boating, and canoeing. Beach area for swimming and sunbathing. Three-mile hiking trail adjacent to lake (handicap accessible) and a 25 mile bike trail. 21 campsites with electrical hookups; sites with tables and grills (one designed for handicap access) and two group shelters. Boat ramps and fishing piers accessible to handicapped. Hunting on nearby Tombigbee National Forest lands. Choctaw Lake is located off of Hwy. 15 two miles south of Ackerman. (662) 285-3264.
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Jeff Busby Park
18 site campground, picnic tables, hiking trails, exhibit shelter, and overlook atop Little Mountain-one of the highest points on the Natchez Trace (elevation: 603 feet). Service station and camp store. Jeff Busby Park is located off of Natchez Trace at mile marker 193.1. (662) 387-4324
Col. Weir Bed and Breakfast
Registered Landmark located in Weir city limits.
(662) 285-8093 or (662) 547-6224
Rainwater Observatory and Planetarium
Largest observatory in state. 20 optical instruments. Outdoor exhibits include 300 foot scale model solar system and more. Open by appointment. Located on Hwy. 413 off Natchez Trace near French Camp. Contact Jim Hill at (662) 547-6377 E-mail at jhill@rainwaterobservator.org
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Col. James Drane House
Son of a Revolutionary War soldier, James Drane moved to Choctaw County in 1837 at age 28. Drane served as state representative, senator, and president of the Mississippi State Senate from 1851 to 1865. His home is a registered landmark located at Mile Marker 181 on the Natchez Trace. Hours: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Mon. – Sat. Admission is free. (662) 547-6657. www.frenchcamp.org
Huffman Log Cabin
Historic dogtrot cabin which serves as Visitors’ Center, Gift Shop, and showplace for arts and crafts. Originally located two miles south of French Camp, George Marquess built the first room of this dogtrot cabin in 1840. In 1975, French Camp Academy students relocated the cabin. Located at Mile Marker 181 on the Natchez Trace. Hours:
9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Mon. – Sat. Admission is free. (662) 547-6657 www.frenchcamp.org
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French Camp Academy
1,000 acre campus Christian boarding school established in 1885 by Scotch-Irish Christians. Tour guides available to show visitors the beautiful campus. Visitors welcome to stop in for a meal. Hwy. 413 off Natchez Trace at Mile Marker 181. Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Supper: 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
(662) 547-6482 www.frenchcamp.org
French Camp Bed and Breakfast
Rustic inn made from two log cabins, each more than 100 years old. One block off Natchez Trace at Mile Marker 181. (662) 547-6835 www.frenchcamp.org
Natchez Trace Parkway
This 444-mile National Scenic Byway and All-American Road traverses Choctaw County as it stretches from the Mississippi River in Natchez to Nashville, TN. Points of interest in Choctaw County are:
- Jeff Busby Site (milepost 193.1) The campground is named for Thomas Jefferson Busby, the U.S. Congressman from Mississippi who introduced a bill that resulted in the 1934 act authorizing a survey of the Old Natchez Trace. On May 18, 1938 the Natchez Trace was authorized as a unit of the National Park System. Little Mountain is on of Mississippi’s highest points on the parkway at 603 feet. The area includes the 18-site campground, picnic tables, exhibit shelter and overlook atop Little Mountain, and trails.
- French Camp Natchez Trace Historic District (milepost 180.7) Louis LeFleur established a stand here in 1812. It became a school in 1822 and remains one to this day. Discover how early American life used to be in this quaint log cabin village. Walk through the 19th century style farm house to see how a Revolutionary War soldier lived. See handmade quilts stitched together piece by piece. Watch sorghum being made every Saturday in October. Hand-made pottery and a grist mill will be coming soon to the area.
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