Panola: Lakes, Nature Trails and Blues History

Among the major recreational areas associated with Panola County is Sardis Lake. Created for flood control, it is maintained by the Corps of Engineers as a public recreation area. Boating is possible on an upper and a lower lake.

Nature and Activities Around the Lakes

Sardis Lake is also home to two nature trails with different landscapes. The Sandstone Nature Trail is more than a mile and a half long and runs through a hardwood and pine forest in higher terrain. The Clear Springs Nature Trail offers views of hardwood forests in higher terrain and a cypress swamp. The trails therefore differ mainly in whether the woodland path itself or the views of forest and swamp are the focus.

Enid Lake is considered a recreational area associated with Panola County and offers a nine-mile horseback riding trail. It is located about a mile from U.S. Interstate 55—useful information for travelers planning activities and their route together. Its main attractions differ from those at Sardis Lake: boating and nature trails are the focus there, while Enid Lake is known for its horseback riding trail.

The Bob Tyler Fish Hatchery is located west of Enid Lake and is easily accessible from Interstate 55. This adds a named site west of the lake, as well as its connection to the highway, to the landmarks around Enid Lake.

Archaeology and Blues History

The Batesville Mounds show varying states of preservation: of the seven mounds originally recorded at the site, two are relatively well preserved. Two others have been substantially eroded but are still visible. Mound B is a nine-foot-high rectangular platform mound. Pottery and other artifacts suggest that Indigenous groups built the Batesville Mounds during the Early to Middle Woodland period, approximately from 1 to 400 CE.

Como is home to the Como Commercial Historic District, a local historic district in Panola County. A Mississippi Blues Trail marker for Fred McDowell was unveiled downtown on May 7, 2009. The Otha Turner marker covers the African American fife-and-drum tradition in northern Mississippi, which dates back to the 19th century. The Napolian Strickland marker honors a musician in the fife-and-drum and country blues traditions who was born east of Como. The markers thus highlight different subjects: a musician, a longstanding musical tradition, and another representative of these musical traditions.

Theater and Special Interests

Founded in 1962, the Panola Playhouse generally presents six productions each season. Its program includes comedies, dramas, children’s productions and musicals. If a particular performance is important to your trip, check the dates for the relevant season.

Magnolia Grove Monastery invites visitors to themed mindfulness retreats with nuns and monks of the Plum Village tradition. For a specific travel date, it is worth checking the current retreat schedule. The McIvor Shooting Facility offers rifle and pistol ranges, skeet and trap fields, duck flush and 3D archery; check current usage details before visiting.

Plan Around Visitor Status

John W. Kyle State Park is located on scenic Sardis Reservoir but is closed to the public until further notice due to damage from a winter storm. Check its status again before planning a trip. Safari Wild Animal Park offers a 6.5-mile self-drive safari along safari roads but is closed until spring 2027. If you are planning to visit the safari, check that the dates align with your trip.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Batesville, Kemper County, Covington, Attala County, George County, Pontotoc County, Oktibbeha County, Pike.

For the main travel overview: Mississippi.