LeFleur's Bluff State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids LeFleur's Bluff State Park |
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A canoe race at the park
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 LeFleur's Bluff State Park
Location in Mississippi
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| Location | Hinds, Mississippi, United States |
| Area | 305 acres (123 ha) |
| Elevation | 279 ft (85 m) |
| Established | Unspecified |
| Named for | Early settler Louis LeFleur |
| Governing body | Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks |
| Website | LeFleur's Bluff State |
LeFleur's Bluff State Park is a fun outdoor spot in Jackson, Mississippi. It sits right on the banks of the Pearl River. This state park has a 50-acre (20 ha) lake, a golf course, and the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. It's a great place for families and friends to enjoy nature and learn new things.
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Discovering LeFleur's Bluff History
This park is named after a trading post from the late 1700s. A French Canadian trader named Louis LeFleur set it up by the Pearl River. Over time, this small trading village grew into the big city of Jackson.
Long ago, the land that is now LeFleur's Bluff State Park belonged to the Choctaw Nation. In 1830, the Choctaw people agreed to move from their lands east of the Mississippi River. This agreement was part of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. Many Choctaws moved to what is now Oklahoma, but many also chose to stay in Mississippi.
In 1821, Mississippi's leaders needed a new state capital. They sent a group to find the best spot. They explored areas near the Pearl River. They found LeFleur's Bluff in Hinds County. The group reported that this place was beautiful and healthy. It had good water, lots of trees, and a river for boats. It was also close to the Natchez Trace trading route. Because of this, on November 28, 1821, the state decided LeFleur's Bluff would be the new capital of Mississippi.
Fun Activities at LeFleur's Bluff State Park
LeFleur's Bluff State Park is open all year for outdoor fun. You can go hiking, boating, and fishing here. The Pearl River and Mayes Lake are popular spots for fishing and boating. You might catch catfish, bass, bream, or crappie.
The park also has a nine-hole golf course for everyone to enjoy. If you like disc golf, there are two nine-hole courses. One is by the Pearl River, and the other is near Mayes Lake. If you want to stay longer, there are 28 campsites for tents or RVs. Plus, there are 10 special sites just for tent camping.
Explore the Park's Hiking Trails
Since the park is inside the city of Jackson, its hiking trails are all fairly short. They are less than 0.5 miles (0.80 km) long. Each trail has a different color to help you find your way.
| Trail Name | Color | Length | What You'll See |
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| Pearl River Trail | Purple | 0.49 miles (0.79 km) | This is the longest trail. It goes past the store at Mayes Lake, where you can find restrooms. |
| Cypress Swamp Trail | Blue | 0.36 miles (0.58 km) | This trail has some steep parts and wooden boardwalks. It connects the red and green trails. |
| Old River Run | Red | 0.32 miles (0.51 km) | You'll find lots of "paw paws" (a type of fruit tree) along this trail. |
| Overlook Loop | Green | 0.21 miles (0.34 km) | This trail gives you great views from the bluff. |
| Old Pond Trail | Yellow | 0.16 miles (0.26 km) | This is the shortest trail. It has some wooden decking to walk on. |
Discover Nature at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science is a big part of the park. It has cool aquariums and exhibits that show different animal homes. You can also walk on nature trails to see Mississippi's plants and animals up close.
The museum keeps a huge collection of specimens. These include over a million fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals, insects, plants, and fossils. There are also 21 outdoor nature exhibits managed by the museum within the park.
The native plant garden shows off plants like swamp azalea, smooth phlox, and mountain laurel. The prairie garden uses very few chemicals to look like a real prairie. Here you can see prairie coneflower, purple coneflower, and goldenrod.
There's also a woodland pond, which reminds us that the park used to be a farm. This pond is now home to frogs and other amphibians. The upland ridge area is a wooded spot with a disc golf course. It used to be farmland and has many different kinds of trees. Millions of years ago, what is now LeFleur's Bluff State Park was covered by an inland sea. You can still find fossils from that time on the park's bluffs!
