Woodall Mountain (Mississippi State Highpoint)

Mississippi

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Trip Date: Tuesday, June 23rd, 2020
Last Updated: Thursday, June 25th, 2020
By Ricky Holzer

Hike Information

Rating ★☆☆☆☆(1/5)
Overall Difficulty Easy
Navigation Difficulty     Easy
Distance 0 miles roundtrip
Time 15 minutes
Terrain Mostly flat
Best Seasons All
Family Friendly Yes
Dog Friendly Yes
Accessible Yes

Highlights

Hike Summary

I'm not going to lie, Mississippi's highest point, Woodall Mountain, has been my least favorite so far out of the now 20 state highpoints I've visited. At only 806 feet above sea level, Woodall Mountain is the 4th lowest highpoint behind Florida, Louisiana, and Delaware. Even knowing this fact, you still might find the summit disappointing.

At the turn for Woodall Mountain Road, a sign will educate you about the geology of the area: that the soil is rust-colored, iron-rich sandstone and how the mountain is a monodnock, meaning the hard rock at the summit is more erosion resistant than its surroundings. If you really want to hike, you could park your car on the side of the road here and walk the mile uphill to the summit. The road isn't particularly scenic though, as pictured below (it's probably lovely with autumn leaves, however).

The dirt mountain road winding through the forest

The dirt mountain road winding through the forest

The summit is anticlimactic, especially if you've been sitting in the car for a while. While the Highpointers Club clearly improved the summit with a nice plaque on the boulder in the first picture below and the bench and mailbox seen in the second picture below, the mass of communications towers makes the place ugly and feel a little less special. Even flat Mount Sunflower in Kansas has a more exciting highpoint summit!
The boulder and plaque at the summit of Woodall Mountain

The boulder and plaque at the summit of Woodall Mountain

The mailbox with summit register and a bench

The mailbox with summit register and a bench

From the plaque at the summit, you will learn how this place was named after Sheriff Zephaniah H. Woodall of Tishomingo County. You will also learn how a Civil War battle was fought nearby, and that it was likely that both sides used Woodall Mountain as a lookout spot.

Despite having a couple hundred feet of prominence over the surrounding terrain, Woodall Mountain lacks anything resembling a view due to the dense forest on the summit. The closest thing is a narrow window without trees underneath a powerline, as pictured below. I imagine the view is slightly better in winter, though probably not by much. Someone should build a lookout tower here like they have in Alabama!
The only view is this tiny slit through the forest under a powerline

The only view is this tiny slit through the forest under a powerline

Check off another state highpoint with Mississippi, and hopefully your Woodall Mountain experience will be more pleasurable than mine. Connect with me using the social media links below and share your adventures!



Directions

From U.S. Highway 72, take the exit for Mississippi Highway 25 in Iuka, then head south. Turn right onto Fairground Road/Old Highway 25 (for this turn, and the remainder of the turns, there will be signs pointing to Woodall Mountain), then turn left onto County Highway 176. Turn right onto Woodall Mountain Road, and continue until you reach the top.

Google Maps Directions

Parking, Fees, and Facilities

Parking is free! There are no facilities here.

External Links