Jacksonport State Park Visitor Center

About Jacksonport State Park Visitor Center

Jacksonport was turned into a thriving river port by steamboats in the 19th century and is still one of the most popular tourist destinations in Jackson County.

During the Civil War, the city was occupied by Confederate and Union troops due to its central location. Jacksonport became a county town in 1854 and began building a railroad line from Newport to the Mississippi River in 1869. The decline of the cities began in the 1880s, when the railways bypassed them and their shops, quays and salons soon disappeared. In 1891, all county towns moved to nearby Newport, and Jacksonport's population began to decline by about 1,000.

Today, the story of this historic river port is told in the form of Jacksonport State Park, a state park in Jackson County, Mississippi. The park offers a variety of activities for adults and children, including hiking, cycling, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, horseback riding and other activities, as well as a wide range of outdoor activities.

Bird watching is one of the best ways to experience hiking, and wildlife is regularly observed. Spring and summer hikes offer breathtaking beauty and a variety of trails that lead hikers from the park's campsite to the riverbank and back to the campsites.