As a child, summers in Mississippi always included trips to some of our state parks. Those trips included hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, and lots of outdoor picnics. But my favorite memories of Mississippi state parks in the summertime involved short little getaway trips and staying in one of the park cabins with cousins and friends.
For the adults in our family, it was probably a great time to unwind and unplug from the grind of daily life. But for us kids, it was a magical time when regimented bedtimes and bathtimes gave way to late nights, drying out from an entire day of water fun while roasting hot dogs and toasting marshmallows by our campfire.
Forget about television; the tall tales and legendary stories we listened to in those fireside family chats still echo in my heart 50 years later. Truth be told, those late-night stories (and the hardworking, blue-collar Mississippi men and women who shared them) were probably the launching pad of my imagination that led me down the path to a lifetime of writing.
And nothing completed a summer night better than catching lightning bugs (or fireflies, as my Northern cousins called them) and carrying a jar full of those fairylike creatures into the cabin to serve as our nightlights when we finally passed out from sheer exhaustion and absolute delight.
I can say, without a doubt, that those were some of the best days of my childhood – and hopefully, my boys felt the same. After all, summer times at the campgrounds and cabins of Mississippi state parks were a legacy that I carried from my past into the childhoods of my children as well.
But to be honest, the last time we took a trip to one of my favorite parks and rented a cabin for a couple of nights, I was a little disappointed and sad. Our beloved cabins deteriorated over time, and the experience left me worried that my grandkids might not get to share amazing summer nights with any future generations of Mississippians.
Thankfully, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) is working diligently to prevent that loss by renovating the cabins and improving other aspects of the 25 state parks spread across Mississippi from the Gulf Coast to Tishomingo.
According to the Mississippi State Parks Facebook page (facebook.com/msstateparks), these are a few of the renovation projects that were slated for completion in 2026:
1. Lake Lowndes State Park (Columbus) – A brand-new campground bathhouse and the remodeling of Cabins 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B.
2. Trace State Park (Belden) – Park road improvements and the addition of one or two tiny houses.
3. Hugh White State Park (Grenada) – Full renovations of all cabins.
4. Wall Doxey State Park (Holly Springs) – Renovations to 6 cabins and the bathhouse.
5. J.P. Coleman State Park (Iuka) – Full renovations of all cabins and tiny home installations.
6. John Kyle State Park (Sardis) – Full renovations of all cabins, one by one.
7. Tishomingo State Park (Tishomingo) – Complete renovation of cabins and entire park, as funding is received.
Of course, these are only a portion of the renovation plans for our parks, with every aspect of each park being targeted for improvement and new additions. Make sure to visit the state park FB page, as well as the official MDWFP website at mdwfp.com, for updates on these projects (including pictures and videos) or to book a stay in one of these beautifully refurbished cabins.
Obviously, these ongoing renovation projects in our state parks are expensive and extensive. But the monetary investment in some of Mississippi’s most beautiful natural spots is also an investment in the lives of our children and future generations of Mississippians.
I, for one, am most grateful that my grandkids, their children, and even my great-great-grandchildren will experience the joy of sitting around a campfire, eating some hot dogs and s’mores, catching some lightning bugs, and listening to their parents tell some tall tales and old, old stories. And who knows! One of those future campfire stories might have been written by their great-great-grandmother, Joy Lucius.
