Black Creek Wilderness Map
Float and backpack Mississippi's only wild river, De Soto National Forest.
A 6-day Black Creek Wilderness trip in Mississippi's De Soto National Forest. Paddle the 21-mile Wild & Scenic float from Big Creek Landing past Moody's and Janice to Fairley Bridge, camping on white-sand bars, then backpack the Black Creek Trail through the state's only designated wilderness.
Excellent itinerary planner! Detail oriented with thoughtful tips for my family’s trip.
15 stops on a real mapEvery stop pinned in order→Every stop is a real pin, in order.
Big Creek · Moody's · Janice · Fairley Bridge · Mississippi
5 of the stops on these 6 days.
Plan and book your 6 days in Black Creek, one step at a time
How 6 days in Black Creek split up
The Black Creek Wilderness sits inside the De Soto National Forest and protects Mississippi's only designated Wild & Scenic river. This 6-day itinerary pairs a multi-day canoe float with a Black Creek Trail backpack, so you experience the blackwater, white-sand bars, and old-growth bottomland forest from both the water and the trail.
Day 1: Arrive in Brooklyn & Gear Check
2 stops · Day one
Day 2: Launch at Big Creek & Paddle to Moody's Landing · ~10 miles
4 stops · Day two
Day 3: Moody's Landing to Janice Landing · ~9 miles
2 stops · Day three
Day 4: Janice Landing to Fairley Bridge · ~12 miles · Transition
3 stops · Day four
Day 5: Black Creek Trail Backpacking · 8–10 miles
2 stops · Day five
Day 6: Hike Out & Departure · 8–10 miles
2 stops · Day six
Arrive in Brooklyn & Gear Check
Your Black Creek Wilderness trip begins in Brooklyn, Mississippi, the closest town with services to the river access points and about an hour's drive from Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT). Use the day to gather last-minute supplies, check gear, and stage vehicles for the shuttle.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Drive from
~1 hr from Gulfport-Biloxi (GPT) · car required · DriveBase your logistics out of Brooklyn, Mississippi, the closest town with services to the Black Creek access points. It sits about an hour north of Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT). Services are limited, so stock up on food, fuel, and water containers in Hattiesburg or on the coast before you arrive.
- Nicholas A. Tonelli / CC BY 2.0Stage & overnight near Brooklyn
Hotel or developed campground · prep for an early start · lodgeSpend the night near Brooklyn or in Hattiesburg (about 25 minutes north, with more hotels and full grocery) so you are rested for an early launch. Organize your dry bags, confirm the shuttle or outfitter plan, and do a final gear check.
Launch at Big Creek & Paddle to Moody's Landing · ~10 miles
Shuttle a vehicle down to Fairley Bridge Landing (your float take-out and trail start), then launch your canoe or kayak at Big Creek Landing, the northern terminus of the float and the Black Creek Trail. Secure everything in dry bags before you push off.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Shuttle a vehicle to Fairley Bridge
~40 min · your float take-out & trail start · DriveBefore launching, set the shuttle: leave one vehicle at Fairley Bridge Landing, the downstream end of the float and the eastern trailhead of the Black Creek Trail, then drive the other vehicle to Big Creek Landing to put in.
- Launch at Big Creek Landing
Concrete ramp · northern terminus · no fees · ViewpointPut your canoe or kayak into Black Creek at Big Creek Landing, the northern terminus of both the float and the Black Creek Trail. It has a concrete boat launch and no user fees, but no drinking water. Secure all gear in dry bags before you push off.
Paddle to Moody's Landing~10 mi · 4–6 hrs · calm bottomland float · activityPaddle roughly 10 downstream miles of calm, tannin-dark water through serene bottomland forest to the Moody's Landing area, where the 21-mile Wild & Scenic section officially begins. The current is gentle and mostly flatwater.
- Primitive camp near Moody's Landing
Sand bar camping · Leave No Trace · lodgePitch a primitive camp on one of the many white-sand bars near Moody's Landing. Choose a flat, open bar well above the waterline, bury human waste 6–8 inches deep at least 200 feet from the creek, and pack out all trash.
Moody's Landing to Janice Landing · ~9 miles
Continue downstream from Moody's Landing through the heart of the Wild & Scenic corridor. This stretch is lined with the white sand beaches Black Creek is known for, ideal for a long lunch, a swim, or drifting and watching for herons, turtles, and wood ducks.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Paddle Moody's to Janice Landing
~9 mi · white sand beaches · gentle current · activityContinue through the heart of the Wild & Scenic corridor, lined with the white sand beaches Black Creek is famous for. Take a long lunch, swim, and watch for herons, turtles, and wood ducks as you drift roughly 9 miles to Janice Landing.
- Primitive camp at Janice Landing
Concrete ramp · small primitive campground · free · lodgeJanice Landing is a popular put-in and take-out with a concrete ramp and a small primitive campground. Settle onto a nearby sand bar or an established site, filter all your water, and pack out every scrap of trash.
Janice Landing to Fairley Bridge · ~12 miles · Transition
The last and longest float leg winds about 12 miles from Janice Landing through ancient cypress and tupelo bottoms to Fairley Bridge Landing, the downstream end of the Wild & Scenic river and the eastern trailhead of the Black Creek Trail.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Paddle Janice to Fairley Bridge
~12 mi · cypress & tupelo bottoms · longest leg · activityThe last and longest float leg winds about 12 miles through ancient cypress and tupelo bottoms to Fairley Bridge Landing, the downstream end of the Wild & Scenic river. Start early and pace yourself to arrive with daylight.
- Take out at Fairley Bridge Landing
End of the float · eastern trailhead of the trail · ViewpointTake out at Fairley Bridge Landing, the downstream end of the float and the eastern trailhead of the Black Creek Trail. De-rig and dry your boat, then load it onto your shuttle vehicle for the transition to backpacking.
- Re-pack & camp near Fairley Bridge
Transition from paddle to backpack · check fire rules · lodgeReorganize into your backpack, moving only what you need for two days on the Black Creek Trail, and camp near the landing so you can start hiking early. Check current De Soto National Forest fire restrictions before building a fire.
Black Creek Trail Backpacking · 8–10 miles
Trade the paddle for boots. From Fairley Bridge Landing, hike west on the Black Creek Trail, a ~40-mile National Recreation Trail that parallels the creek and passes through about ten miles of the Black Creek Wilderness itself. The tread is generally flat, sandy in places, and crosses countless small streams on over 100 bridges and boardwalks.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Nicholas A. Tonelli / CC BY 2.0Hike the Black Creek Trail west
~40-mi NRT · ~10 mi in the wilderness · foot travel only · HikeFrom Fairley Bridge Landing, hike west on the Black Creek Trail, a ~40-mile National Recreation Trail that parallels the creek and passes through about ten miles of the Black Creek Wilderness. The tread is generally flat, sandy in places, and crosses over 100 small bridges and boardwalks.
- Primitive camp in the wilderness
Durable surface · 200 ft from water & trail · lodgeAfter 8–10 miles, set a primitive camp on a durable surface at least 200 feet from water and the trail, deep inside the Black Creek Wilderness. Filter water from the creek, keep your group to 10 or fewer, and follow Leave No Trace.
Hike Out & Departure · 8–10 miles
Finish the backpack by continuing along the Black Creek Trail to your exit point near Janice Landing, another 8–10 miles that trade the immediate riverbank for quiet pine ridges and hardwood draws. Pack out everything, including all trash and food scraps.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Nicholas A. Tonelli / CC BY 2.0Hike out to Janice Landing
~8–10 mi · pine ridges & hardwood draws · HikeFinish the backpack by continuing along the Black Creek Trail to your exit near Janice Landing, another 8–10 miles that trade the immediate riverbank for quiet pine ridges and hardwood draws. Pack out everything, including all trash and food scraps.
Firecruise / CC BY-SA 4.0Drive to Gulfport-Biloxi (GPT)~1 hr south · fly home · DriveRetrieve your shuttle vehicle, clean and de-rig your gear, and grab a post-trip meal in Brooklyn or Hattiesburg. From here it is about an hour's drive south to Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT) if you are flying home.
Book the 5 nights
Beds near the trailheads are the one thing on this trip that genuinely runs out. Everything else can be decided later.
Tell us your dates and we will do the calling. We check every booking site, put your points and card perks against the cash price, and email you this plan back with the best room we can find for each night. Nothing is charged and you decide at the end.
Request to bookWhat to pack for Black Creek
Built from this route, not a generic list. Every line says why it is here.
On every day of this trip
On your feet
Because you are sleeping indoors
For the driving days
Essential wilderness rules & planning.
Leave No Trace
Pack it in, pack it out, including all trash, food scraps, and packaging. Bury human waste 6–8 inches deep and at least 200 feet from water sources, trails, and campsites. The Black Creek Wilderness has no facilities in its interior.
Camping & campfires
Primitive camping is allowed on sand bars and at least 200 feet from trails and water. Campfires are generally permitted unless restrictions are in place, so use existing fire rings and make sure fires are completely out before you leave.
Group size & foot travel
Keep groups to 10 people or fewer to minimize impact. Only foot travel is permitted on the Black Creek Trail, and the float is limited to non-motorized canoes and kayaks in the Wild & Scenic corridor.
Go October through April
The best window is fall (October–November) and spring (March–April): mild temperatures, fewer insects, and good water levels. Winter is pleasant but cooler. Avoid May through September for extreme heat, humidity, and heavy mosquitoes.
Water & self-reliance
No drinking water is available on the trail, and all creek water must be filtered or treated. Cell service is unreliable or nonexistent in the wilderness, so carry a satellite communicator and be prepared to be fully self-reliant.
Filters clog on tannin water
Black Creek runs deeply tannin-stained, and those fine particles can clog a standard hollow-fiber filter (such as a Sawyer Squeeze) within a few gallons. Bring a pump or gravity system with a rugged ceramic or pleated element that handles heavy sediment, pack a backflush kit, and backflush after every use.
Strainers & flash floods
The float looks like a calm bottomland drift, but it is choked with strainers, fallen pines and cypress, where a loaded canoe can be pushed sideways into a submerged log jam and capsize or trap a paddler. Scout ahead, portage anything sketchy, and never camp on a low sandbar when rain is forecast regionally, since Black Creek drains a large area and can rise several feet overnight.
Shuttle, permits & getting there
No permits or fees are required, but self-registration is encouraged. A point-to-point float and backpack needs a two-vehicle shuttle or a Brooklyn outfitter drop-off. Base out of Brooklyn, MS, about an hour north of Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT).
Everything you'll actually want to know.
Everything you'll actually want to know before a Black Creek trip.
This 6-day itinerary is moderate. It requires basic paddling skills for the roughly 31-mile float and moderate fitness for the 8–10-mile-per-day backpacking legs on the Black Creek Trail. Prior experience with wilderness camping and navigation is strongly recommended.
We'll find the cheapest way to do this trip.
Tell us your dates and we price the plan you just built: every booking site, the hotels direct, and your own points and card perks against the cash price. You get it back by email with a link for each night and what it saved you.
- It is free. The hotel pays us, not you. You pay their normal price.
- Nothing is charged and nothing is held. You decide at the end, or you walk away.
- Beds near trailheads are the part that runs out. Everything else can wait.
The figures below are estimates from local nightly rates, so you know the ballpark before you ask. The real number comes back once we have checked what is free.
- 5 nights, sites held for you
- Any permits secured before you fly
- Gear rented locally and waiting at the site
- The route pinned to your phone before you leave
- Everything in Camped
- Rooms booked for every night, one base where the route allows
- Dinner reservations on the nights that need them
- A rain-day plan written before you go
- Everything in Glamped, plus a local guide for the trip
- Airport pickup and every drive handled
- All the gear rented and waiting, so you pack clothes and nothing else
- Weather turns and they rewrite the day while you are still at breakfast
Written and walked by Yulia Vasilyeva · Co-founder · Lead planner and guide
Builds every custom itinerary herself and leads guided hikes in the Pacific Northwest, rated 5.0 by 20+ verified guests. Based in Seattle.
You might also love these
More itineraries and hiking guides across the parks.
Atchafalaya Basin Kayaking Weekend
Paddle the largest river swamp in the country through flooded cypress-tupelo forest on a Louisiana weekend.
Congaree National Park Itinerary
Boardwalks, old-growth bottomland forest, and the Cedar Creek paddle trail in one of the tallest hardwood forests left in the country.
Niobrara River Float Weekend
An easy, waterfall-lined float on one of the best canoeing rivers in the country, camped on sandbars along the way.
What adventurers say about us.
All reviews are from verified guests. ★★★★★ 5.0 average from 20+ bookings.
"Felt like going out with a really knowledgeable friend who just happens to know everything about the area. No awkward tour-guide energy, just a magnificent day."
"Yulia is an incredible guide. She knew every trail, every viewpoint, and exactly how to pace the day for our group. The photos she took of us were stunning. 100% booking again."
"I was visiting Seattle solo and this was the best decision I made on the trip. Yulia picked me up, had snacks, and took us to a trail I never would have found on my own. Absolute must-do."
"We did this as a couple's trip and it was perfect. Yulia adapted everything to us, our pace, our interests, our photo obsession. The mountain views were unreal."
"Phenomenal experience. Yulia has deep local knowledge and a real passion for the outdoors. She went out of her way to show us the hidden gems tourists never see. Will remember this forever."
"I've done a few guided hikes and this was by far the best. Yulia is warm, funny, and genuinely expert. The trail she chose had the most insane wildflower bloom, we got so lucky."
Fees, reservation windows, shuttle dates and trail closures are planning estimates. Confirm hours, road status and any reservations with the land manager before you go.
What other travelers are saying
Be the first to leave a tip or question for the next traveler.
Was this helpful?
One tap. It goes straight to Yulia and Margarita.
You can't hike it if you can't get the permit.
The best hikes in America run on lotteries that open once a year and sell out in minutes. Every trail runs on its own calendar. Pick the ones you want and we do the watching.
Denali Road LotteryDenali NP · AKActivityReservationfair odds
El Tovar HotelGrand Canyon South Rim · ArizonaLodgeReservationbrutal odds
Grand Canyon BackcountryGrand Canyon NP · ArizonaBackcountryReservationfair odds
Grand Canyon raftingColorado River · ArizonaActivityLotterybrutal odds
Havasu FallsHavasu Canyon · ArizonaLodgeReservationbrutal odds
Phantom RanchGrand Canyon NP · ArizonaLodgeLotterybrutal odds
The WaveCoyote Buttes North · Arizona / UtahPermitLotterybrutal odds
Half Dome CablesYosemite NP · CaliforniaPermitOpens Mar 1fair odds
Lost Coast TrailKing Range NCA · CaliforniaBackcountryReservationtough odds
Mt. WhitneyInyo NF · CaliforniaPermitOpens Feb 1tough odds- The Ahwahnee, YosemiteYosemite NP · CaliforniaLodgeReservationbrutal odds
Conundrum Hot SpringsMaroon Bells-Snowmass · ColoradoBackcountryOpens Feb 15brutal odds
Kalalau TrailNa Pali Coast SWP · HIBackcountryReservationbrutal odds
Glacier NP BackcountryGlacier NP · MontanaBackcountryLotterytough odds
Lake McDonald LodgeGlacier NP · MontanaLodgeReservationbrutal odds
Many Glacier HotelGlacier NP · MontanaLodgeReservationbrutal odds
Sperry & Granite Park ChaletsGlacier NP · MontanaLodgeReservationbrutal odds
Crater Lake LodgeCrater Lake NP · ORLodgeReservationbrutal odds
LeConte LodgeGreat Smoky Mountains NP · TNLodgeOpens Oct 1brutal odds
Angels LandingZion NP · UtahPermitLotterytough odds
The Narrows Through-HikeZion NP · UtahBackcountryReservationtough odds
The SubwayZion NP · UtahPermitLotterytough odds- Zion LodgeZion Canyon · UtahLodgeReservationbrutal odds
Mount St. Helens Summit ClimbGifford Pinchot NF · WashingtonPermitReservationtough odds
Paradise InnMount Rainier NP · WashingtonLodgeReservationbrutal odds
The EnchantmentsAlpine Lakes Wilderness · WashingtonBackcountryOpens Feb 15brutal odds- Wonderland TrailMount Rainier NP · WashingtonBackcountryLotterybrutal odds
Old Faithful InnYellowstone NP · WYLodgeReservationbrutal odds
How it works
- An email the morning each window opens, never the day after.
- A 14-day heads-up so you can line up your group and dates.
- Win odds and a ranked backup plan for every trail you pick.
Didn't win? We keep watching. We check recreation.gov every day for The Enchantments, Half Dome and Angels Landing, and email you the moment a sold-out date frees up. Cancellations are the second chance most people never hear about.
Excellent itinerary planner! Detail oriented with thoughtful tips for my family's trip.