Discover Ridgeland

Ridgeland can be organized into several distinct themes to help plan your trip: the Natchez Trace Parkway, the Chisha Foka Multi-Use Trail, local history, and its location on the Ross Barnett Reservoir. If you’re looking for a hotel in Ridgeland, you can choose your travel focus based on whether a scenic route, a paved trail, historical themes, or the reservoir’s geographic setting matters to you. The route, trail, and information markers each represent a different aspect of the area. This lets you first determine whether to focus your trip on a route, trail, history, or location.

Natchez Trace Parkway and Chisha Foka Trail

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile national scenic route from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee, and passes through Ridgeland. Cyclists and drivers use it for a leisurely, scenic drive. The 444 miles refer to the full distance between Natchez and Nashville; in Ridgeland, the specific point of interest is the section that passes through the area. The Chisha Foka Multi-Use Trail is on a different scale: It is 10 miles long, paved, and passes through historic Choctaw settlements. By comparison, the Parkway is a long scenic route, while the Chisha Foka is a much shorter paved trail with its own historical connection.

Ridgeland and the Ross Barnett Reservoir

Ridgeland borders the 33,000-acre Ross Barnett Reservoir. While the Parkway passes through the area, this detail describes Ridgeland’s border with the reservoir. These details complement each other in terms of geography: a long-distance route through Ridgeland on the one hand, and its location on the reservoir on the other. They are distinct geographical features you can consider when choosing Ridgeland as a destination.

History on Two Trails

The Ridgeland History Trail features interpretive markers about Ridgeland’s culture and history. It currently has 22 trail markers; the number may change as the trail develops. Its focus differs from that of the Chisha Foka Multi-Use Trail: The markers cover Ridgeland’s culture and history, while the Chisha Foka passes through historic Choctaw settlements. You can choose the historical focus of your trip based on whether you’re interested in Ridgeland’s local history or the Choctaw settlement connection.

Access Points and Directions

The Chisha Foka Multi-Use Trail has eight access points in Ridgeland along the Natchez Trace Parkway, between milepost 95.8 and the Reservoir Overlook at milepost 105.6. Check these access details again before your trip. The trail’s total length and its specific access points answer different planning questions: the length describes the trail, while the mileposts indicate where to access it.

The Bill Waller Craft Center is located at 950 Rice Road in Ridgeland, Mississippi, directly beside the Natchez Trace Parkway. The street address and Parkway reference provide a specific landmark for this named location. If you include the Craft Center in your travel plans, note its address as a separate point of reference.

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