1991 to 2020 normals: 50 inches in the north, about 65 along the coast
When things happen
The calendar is set by heat and rain rather than by snow. Spring and autumn carry most organised activity, and the Park Service notes its Trace campgrounds fill in March and April and again in October and November. Summer is possible but long, humid and storm-prone, and the Atlantic hurricane season runs from the start of June to the end of November. Motorcycle enduros run annually at Bethel and draw riders from across the south. Check trail status before travelling, because the forests close motorised trails whenever the ground is wet.
The large expos combine a vendor show, classes and a campground full of real vehicles. Rallies and brand gatherings are smaller and more social. Training weekends and club runs are where you actually drive.
Getting the most from one
The vendor hall is the least useful part.
01Take the classes. They are the best value at any expo.
02Walk the camping area. Owners will tell you what they would do differently.
03Talk to builders in person, and look closely at their work.
04Book camping early. It sells out before day tickets do.
For organizers
List the event with its dates, location, what it costs to attend and a link to register. We will add it to the directory and to the state it happens in.
Questions people ask
Are events worth it for beginners?
They are the quickest education available: a weekend of classes, hundreds of vehicles to look at, and owners who will happily tell you what they would do differently.
How do I add an event?
Use the List your business form and choose Events. Include the dates, the location and a link.
How high is Mississippi?
From Gulfport at 20 feet to Woodall Mountain at 806.
Altitude decides what your engine, your brakes and your lungs have to work with, and how late in the year the passes open.
02,000
Feet above sea level
Towns
Holly SpringsChewalla Lake and the north unit of the forest605 ft
IukaNearest town to Woodall Mountain and the Tennessee River corner570 ft
OxfordHolly Springs forest office and the Yalobusha unit507 ft
ForestBienville forest office; Marathon Lake lies south east479 ft
MeadvilleHomochitto forest office; Clear Springs is five miles west314 ft
JacksonForest Supervisor’s Office; the Trace is busy at rush hour here278 ft
TupeloParkway visitor centre and the way in to Tombigbee forest277 ft
WigginsDe Soto Ranger District office; gateway to Black Creek260 ft
VicksburgCorps district town, the 16-mile tour road and the river bluffs242 ft
NatchezMilepost 0 on the Trace and the south end of the river byways215 ft
WaynesboroChickasawhay country: Turkey Fork, Little Tiger and Longleaf191 ft
HattiesburgLargest services before the De Soto and Camp Shelby country164 ft
New AugustaTurn for Rattlesnake Bay and the Black Creek Wilderness111 ft
Rolling ForkDelta Ranger District office and Delta trail permits106 ft
Ocean SpringsDavis Bayou, the only drive-in Gulf Islands area in the state21 ft
GulfportShip Island ferry and the west end of the Gulf Coast byway20 ft
Passes, high roads and summits
Woodall MountainThe state high point, in Tishomingo County. Our own reading at the summit point gives 805 ft806 ft
Pass, road and summit elevations are the figures published by the agency that manages them. Town elevations are the town’s or county’s own
figure where it publishes an exact one; the rest are from the U.S. Geological Survey (3D Elevation Program at the place’s official coordinates),
retrieved September 18, 2026. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.
