Discover Scott County

In Lake, Scott County, stands the Alabama & Vicksburg Railroad Depot, also known as the Lake Depot. Railroad and local history offer a concrete reason to visit; other areas of interest range from historic buildings to lakes and trail navigation.

Railroad history and the townscape

The Lake Depot was built in Lake around 1890. It stands as a symbol of the railroad that was responsible for the town’s founding and development. The building is also architecturally notable: it is considered the only known surviving example of a Queen Anne-style railroad depot in Mississippi. This single building brings together the history of the town’s development and a distinctive architectural classification.

The Forest Downtown Historic District encompasses Forest’s business district around the Scott County Courthouse square. This shifts the focus from a single building to a business district with a specific landmark. That distinguishes the district from the Lake Depot: here, the focus is an area of town, while there, it is a single railroad depot. For your trip planning, these are two different scales at which to explore local history.

Historic buildings in comparison

The Moore Lookout Tower was built in 1940 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It is a rare, possibly unique example of a fire lookout tower of this design. It is also considered the only known surviving example of this type of tower in Mississippi. This classification is based on an intensive survey conducted in 1990.

The tower offers a different historical perspective from the Lake Depot: its story is about the construction history of a fire lookout tower, while the depot is about railroads and the town’s development. The dates place the two subjects in context: the depot was built around 1890, and the Moore Lookout Tower was built in 1940. If you are interested in historic buildings, you can compare their different construction periods and functions.

Lakes and fishing

Beaver Lake is a 67-acre artificial lake dating from the period of railroad logging. The lake offers excellent opportunities for fishing from small boats. Both its origins and a specific activity are part of its appeal. If you are looking for a thematic contrast when planning your trip, you can compare the lake’s railroad connection with the town history surrounding the Lake Depot.

Roosevelt State Park includes 150-acre Shadow Lake. In terms of area, Shadow Lake is larger than Beaver Lake, which covers 67 acres. These figures give you a concrete comparison of the lakes; Shadow Lake is also identified here as part of Roosevelt State Park.

The Shockaloe Trail and its landmarks

The Shockaloe Trail is in Bienville National Forest, between Forest and Morton, north of U.S. Highway 80. It is listed in the National Register of Trails. The Shockaloe Horse Trail has two base camps: Base Camp I and Base Camp II. The references to Forest, Morton, and the highway help with orientation; check current access details before driving.

The two base camps are part of the described organization of the Shockaloe Horse Trail. Camping conditions can change, so check the conditions for your planned stay in advance. This lets you consider trail navigation and camping plans separately, without assuming current accessibility based on the trail’s listing or the base camps.

Discover more destinations: Morton, Forest, Union County, Attala County, Covington, George County, Washington County, Stone County.

For the broader travel overview: Mississippi.