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A CAUOE, HUONG, HORSE, BIKE, AND BIRDEJG BAETRAIt VHAIL VIA PASCAGOULA RIVER AID SLACK CHEEK
As .'lississippians, you have the key to paradise ? new, untouched, and much as Bart ram would have seen it. Here is a proposal to open 15) a continuous trail with pleasing contrasts. It is up to you if you want to enjoy a new dimension in outdoor recreation for birding, horseback riding, or whatever and to preserve it for your children. We would follow the Pascagoula reiver up to the 31ack Creek and then follow the creek across the state. The major civilization to be encountered is the village of Brooklyn (pop. 500) ? necessary to replenish camping supplies. The trail then passes near Liriaerton and then Fbplarville, ending near Bogalusa, LA. Straight line distance is 120 miles as may be seen by the mileages posted every 10 miles on the master map. Actual enjoyment may be over perhaps twice the distance, since it will not be straipfrt-line. Points of natural or historical interest are listed in the table attached and can be located by referring to these mileage marks. In general, the route avoids high priced real estate, cleared or marsh land, smokestacks, and cenent. It maximizes public land ? approximately 60 miles is within state or Federal domain. Southern Mississippians already prefer to play in this area: witness the numerous National Forest recreation facilities, the three state water parts, and the boy scout and the girl scout camps. This was the general overland route of the pioneers going from Mobile to New Orleans. Andrew Jackson camped along Black Creek twice on the way to his heroic battle of 1812. It is too bad that Bart ram was sick and had to pass up Mississippi terra firma in search of medical aid. One can speculate that he too might have preferred the Pascagoula-31ack Creek route.
We propose a water, a bike, and a combined hiking and horse trail. Ihe bike route will temporarily be on marked, quiet, forested rural roads paralleling the foot and water ways. These roads are emninently suited to biking as attested by the occasion of the Gulf Coast Bike Club?s first overnight trip along Black Creek. The bicycle club has pledged to test and recnrmend best biking routes following