Holly Springs National Forest in Mississippi offers Forest Service recreation at Chewalla Lake, Puskus Lake. For a walking or hiking visit, start with Chewalla Lake, Puskus Lake. Each recreation site has its own facilities and access rules; use the official maps and current site instructions to plan your visit.

Camping & reservations

The booking button opens official site-specific camping instructions for Chewalla Lake. Check current reservations, first-come arrangements and any permit requirements there.

Truck-camping & permitted overnight use

Confirm with the district whether your chosen designated campsite accepts a truck camper or RV. Check pad length, turning space, approach surface and seasonal access; a trailhead or day-use lot is not an overnight campsite.

No forest-wide permission to camp is implied. Check the district’s current dispersed-camping rules, designated areas, fire restrictions, stay limits and seasonal closures before choosing an undeveloped site.

Activities, hiking & trails

Chewalla Lake ↗
Chewalla Lake Recreation Area’s name is from the Choctaw word "Chiho-la," meaning "supreme being." Like Owl Creek, this was a special place for Native Americans, who once built a ceremonial mound where the lake now stands. A small mound commemorating the site has been reconstructed near an overlook of the lake. This recreation area offers a beautiful and tranquil setting for enjoyment of the outdoors. Visitors can enjoy a cool and scenic view of the 260-acre lake, which is popular with fishermen and swimmers in the warmer months. Facilities include 36 campsites (nine with electrical hookups), 40 picnic units, boat ramp, mooring dock, accessible fishing pier, swimming beach, children’s playground, group picnic pavilion, restrooms with flush toilets and showers, drinking water, 1-mile walking trail and a sewage dump station. Chewalla Lake Recreation Area is a fee area, and the fee station is located just beyond the entrance gate. No attendant will be on duty. Therefore, users should…

Puskus Lake ↗
Puskus Lake Recreation Area is a fairly remote area for those who do not like big crowds and do not need modern conveniences. The visitor will discover a pleasant and quiet environment. This recreation area surrounds a 96-acre lake stocked with largemouth bass and bluegill with occasional crappie or catfish. Facilities include 19 campsites, 13 picnic sites, boat ramp, fishing piers and a 1-mile hiking trail. Puskus Lake Recreation Area is open year-round unless weather conditions require the area to be closed. Puskus is a fee area and the fee station is located just beyond the entrance gate. No attendant will be on duty. Users should make sure they have correct currency before arriving at the recreation area. Site Brochure

Maps & road access

• Official visitor maps, trail maps and Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) ↗
• Forest Service’s Interactive Visitor Map ↗
• motor vehicle use maps ↗

Consult the current Motor Vehicle Use Map for permitted motor routes, vehicle classes and seasonal designations. A route on an MVUM is not a guarantee that it is maintained or passable. Check current road closures and conditions with the district; carry an offline map.

Use the official directions for the exact named campground or trailhead; forest boundaries and administrative offices are not campsite entrances. Official directions / site access ↗

Before you travel

Check the forest’s current alerts, seasonal services, fire orders and campground rules. Download the relevant official maps before entering areas with limited reception.

Source review: 2026-11-01. Conditions, fees, permits and availability can change. USDA Forest Service official information ↗

Photograph sources & licensing

Banner: Upper Wolf River, Holly Springs National Forest
Provisional Head of Navigation of Wolf River, near Canaan, Mississippi photo by Ray Skinner This is in the upper part of the Holly Springs National Forest in Benton County, Mississippi. The river flows north from there into West Tennessee's Fayette…
Credit: Ray Skinner, via Gary Bridgman. Original source ↗ · CC BY 2.0 ↗. Resized and cropped to match the profile display framing; original image source linked.

Second large photograph: Wolf River outing in Holly Springs National Forest
Holly Springs National Forest - Wolf River
Credit: curated by Gary Bridgman. Original source ↗ · CC BY 2.0 ↗. Resized and cropped to match the profile display framing; original image source linked.

Photographs are real images of the named unit; no AI-generated photographs are used. Federal photo credit register.