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A limestone bluff rising out of fog above a gravel bar on the Buffalo National River.

The Overland Directory

Tires in Mississippi

Tire and wheel shops that understand load ratings, airing down and what a loaded overland vehicle asks of its tires.

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Buffalo National River, Arkansas

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Mississippi by the numbers

of Mississippi is federal land 1
5.1%
1,556,411 of 30,222,720 acres. The Bureau of Land Management holds 5,123 of them and no recorded routes
acres in six national forests 4
1.2M
The Forest Service’s own figure. The Congressional Research Service counts 1,190,990 Forest Service acres statewide
width limit on the forest-wide OHV pass 8
50 in
The $60 annual pass covers trails 50 inches and under. A full-size vehicle fits none of them
federal campgrounds a vehicle can reach 2
43
29 Corps of Engineers, 10 Forest Service, 4 Park Service; our build of the federal recreation database
acres of wildlife management areas 28
665K+
The department’s user guide says 52 areas, its own article says 54. Both give the same acreage
of Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi 26
312 mi
The state transport department’s figure. The Park Service gives 444 miles for the whole parkway
Woodall Mountain, the state high point 3
806 ft
USGS published. Our own reading at the summit point gives 805. The low point is the Gulf of Mexico at sea level
of rain a year, statewide 37
55.9 in
1991 to 2020 normals: 50 inches in the north, about 65 along the coast

Tyres for sand, clay and hot tarmac

Mississippi asks two different questions of a tyre. On the coastal plain it is deep dry sand around the De Soto and the coast approaches, which wants a tread you can air down and a gauge you trust. North of the Trace it is clay that turns greasy within minutes of rain, which wants open voids that clear rather than pack. Both live on hot pavement in between, since most miles here are highway. Heat rating and load range matter as much as tread pattern, and a full-size spare is not optional.

The full guide to overlanding Mississippi

What a good tire shop does

Tires are the only part of the vehicle that touches the ground, and on a loaded rig they work close to their limits. A good tire shop starts with load rating and size, then tread. It will also tell you when the tire you want will rub, need different wheels or throw off your gearing.

Expect help with

  1. 01Choosing a tire by load, terrain and season
  2. 02Wheels with the right offset and load rating
  3. 03Mounting, balancing and tire pressure sensors
  4. 04A matching full-size spare
  5. 05Alignment, rotation and repairs

How to choose tires for overland travel

Tread pattern is the last decision, not the first.

  1. 01Match the load rating to your real axle weights, not to the badge on the fender.
  2. 02All-terrain tires suit most overland travel. Mud-terrains are louder, heavier and wear faster, and earn it only in real mud and rock.
  3. 03Buy five. A matching full-size spare that you rotate in is worth the money when the nearest tire shop is a day away.
  4. 04Check the wheels too. Wheels have load ratings, and the wrong offset stresses bearings and rubs.
  5. 05Ask whether the shop can move or reprogram your tire pressure sensors.

What to have ready before you ask for a quote

A tire quote is quick when the shop knows what the tire has to carry.

  1. 01Vehicle, current tire size and wheel size
  2. 02Lift height, if any
  3. 03Loaded weight, or a list of what is on the vehicle
  4. 04Where you drive most: pavement, gravel, rock, sand, snow
  5. 05A budget range for five tires

Questions people ask

What does load range mean?

It describes how much weight a tire can carry at a given pressure. Heavier builds, vans and truck campers usually need a higher load range than the vehicle came with. The tire's sidewall and the placard in the door jamb are the places to start, and a tire shop can work through the numbers with you.

How big can I go?

Every platform has a size that fits at stock height, a size that fits with a modest lift, and a size that needs trimming and gears. Tell the shop your lift and wheels and ask what fits without rubbing at full steering lock and full compression.

Should I air down?

On washboard, sand and rock, lower pressure gives a better ride and more traction and is easier on the vehicle. It also means you need a way to air back up before pavement. How low depends on your tire, your weight and your speed, so ask your tire shop and start conservatively.

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.

Towns

  1. Holly Springs Chewalla Lake and the north unit of the forest 605 ft
  2. Iuka Nearest town to Woodall Mountain and the Tennessee River corner 570 ft
  3. Oxford Holly Springs forest office and the Yalobusha unit 507 ft
  4. Forest Bienville forest office; Marathon Lake lies south east 479 ft
  5. Meadville Homochitto forest office; Clear Springs is five miles west 314 ft
  6. Jackson Forest Supervisor’s Office; the Trace is busy at rush hour here 278 ft
  7. Tupelo Parkway visitor centre and the way in to Tombigbee forest 277 ft
  8. Wiggins De Soto Ranger District office; gateway to Black Creek 260 ft
  9. Vicksburg Corps district town, the 16-mile tour road and the river bluffs 242 ft
  10. Natchez Milepost 0 on the Trace and the south end of the river byways 215 ft
  11. Waynesboro Chickasawhay country: Turkey Fork, Little Tiger and Longleaf 191 ft
  12. Hattiesburg Largest services before the De Soto and Camp Shelby country 164 ft
  13. New Augusta Turn for Rattlesnake Bay and the Black Creek Wilderness 111 ft
  14. Rolling Fork Delta Ranger District office and Delta trail permits 106 ft
  15. Ocean Springs Davis Bayou, the only drive-in Gulf Islands area in the state 21 ft
  16. Gulfport Ship Island ferry and the west end of the Gulf Coast byway 20 ft

Passes, high roads and summits

  1. Woodall Mountain The state high point, in Tishomingo County. Our own reading at the summit point gives 805 ft 806 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.

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Sources for this page

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  1. Congressional Research Service. Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data (R42346), Tables 1 and 2. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  2. Recreation.gov. Recreation Information Database (RIDB) full export. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  3. U.S. Geological Survey. Elevations and Distances in the United States, online edition, Highest and Lowest Elevations table. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  4. USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Mississippi. National Forests in Mississippi home page: 1.2 million acres, more than one million visitors a year. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  5. USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Mississippi. Offices: the district office towns and the Supervisor’s Office in Jackson. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  6. USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Mississippi. Holly Springs National Forest: two units, 155,000 acres inside 530,000 acres of private land. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  7. USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Mississippi. Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV): the six trail systems and their width limits. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  8. USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Mississippi. Passes: the Mississippi Adventure Pass and the Mississippi Annual Forest-wide OHV Pass. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  9. USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Mississippi. Camping and Cabins, including the dispersed camping rules and the two stay limits. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  10. USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Mississippi. Visitor Maps and Guides: the 2024-2025 Motor Vehicle Use Maps by forest and district. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  11. USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Mississippi. FAQs: camping limits, the fourteen national forest wildlife management areas, and boundary marking. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  12. USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Mississippi. Delta National Forest: 57 designated primitive campsites and the Sunflower WMA agreement. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  13. USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Mississippi. Delta Multiple-Use Trails: nineteen trails, the 60-inch limit and the self-service permit stations. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  14. USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Mississippi. Bethel OHV Trails, De Soto Ranger District. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  15. USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Mississippi. Rattlesnake Bay ATV Trail, De Soto Ranger District, inside the Camp Shelby permit area. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  16. USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Mississippi. Little Tiger ATV/Motorcycle Trail, Chickasawhay Ranger District. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  17. USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Mississippi. Chickasaw ATV/Motorcycle Trail, Tombigbee, open 1 April to 1 November. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  18. USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Mississippi. Big Biloxi Recreation Area: the seasonal 14 and 30 day stay limits and the site restrictions. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  19. USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Mississippi. Black Creek Wilderness Area: slightly more than 5,000 acres, foot travel only. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  20. National Park Service. Natchez Trace Parkway Frequently Asked Questions: length, speed limit and vehicle restrictions. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  21. National Park Service. Camping Along the Natchez Trace Parkway: three campgrounds, no dispersed camping. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  22. National Park Service. Recreational Vehicles on the Natchez Trace Parkway: size limits and underpass clearances. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  23. National Park Service. Gulf Islands National Seashore, Laws and Policies: the vehicle and campfire closures. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  24. National Park Service. Gulf Islands National Seashore, Boat-In Camping: the 14-day, 48-hour and 42-day limits. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  25. National Park Service. Vicksburg National Military Park, Walking and Biking: the 16-mile Tour Road and its hours. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  26. Mississippi Department of Transportation. Mississippi Scenic Byways: the fourteen designated byways and their descriptions. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  27. Mississippi Department of Transportation. Winter Weather Preparedness and the Traffic Management Center. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  28. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Wildlife Management Area User Guide: 52 areas over 665,000 acres and the user permit. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  29. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. MS WMAs, Something for Everyone: 54 areas, the eight physiographic regions and how they are held. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  30. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Title 40 Part 2 Chapter 1 Rule 1.1, Basic Regulations for All Wildlife Management Areas. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  31. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Hunting and Fishing License Prices: the Wildlife Management Area User Permit. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  32. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. State Park Fees: entrance, off-road vehicle trail use and camping rates. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  33. Mississippi Forestry Commission. Outdoor Burn Bans: how a county burn ban is requested, approved and worded. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  34. Mississippi Department of Revenue. Motor Vehicle Frequently Asked Questions: titling requirements for off-road vehicles. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  35. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Corps Lakes Gateway, Mississippi: the six Corps projects in the state. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  36. Office of the Federal Register, eCFR. 36 CFR Part 327, Rules and Regulations Governing Public Use of Water Resource Development Projects. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  37. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. State Climate Summaries 2022: Mississippi (NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 150-MS). Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  38. NOAA National Hurricane Center. Tropical Cyclone Climatology: Atlantic hurricane season dates. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  39. Harrison County, Mississippi. Rules of the Beach, Harrison County Sand Beach Authority. Retrieved September 25, 2026.

Reviewed September 25, 2026. Conditions, closures and rules change; check with the managing agency before you travel.

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