Jan 31-Feb 4, 2025. This 43-mile rail trail runs north-south between New Albany and Houston, Mississippi. It’s a cool trail in that there are “Whistle Stops” in each tiny town through which it passes. Each whistle stop has a small covered shelter with bathrooms, water fountains, parking, trash cans, and bike racks. The set-up made it easy for me to shuttle myself with a bike so I did not have to double my hiking miles with a ton of out-and-backs.
Each morning I would drive to a parking area, bike down the trail to the next whistle stop, lock my bike, and hike the trail back to my vehicle. This was a first for me. I am not used to biking, and my butt cheeks let me know that during the first couple of days. I found I enjoyed the dual experience though, first biking the miles and then immediately hiking them. Biking let me preview what I would more thoroughly enjoy while hiking.
The scenery throughout is represented by the attached photos/videos. It’s Mississippi, so there aren’t summits or real hills. Mainly woods, tiny towns (where the whistle stops were located), some farmland, and a small body of water or two. I enjoyed the experience. The trail is well used, and people I met were friendly.
A year ago, I would have done this trail in two or three days. For the sake of healing my stress fracture, I stretched this out over a longer period of time.
