Harrell Prairie Botanical Area

Rare 160-acre tallgrass prairie remnant within Bienville National Forest

Harrell Prairie Botanical Area is a 160-acre remnant tallgrass prairie preserved within Bienville National Forest, about five miles south of Forest. Prairies are rare in Mississippi, and this one supports a rich variety of native grasses and wildflowers, including several state-rare plant species. The best time to visit is late summer and early autumn, when the grasses reach full height and the wildflowers are at peak bloom.

The prairie sits on a hilltop with open views in multiple directions — unusual in a state so densely forested. Walking across the open grassland feels genuinely different from anything else in the region. The site requires a short drive on forest roads from Highway 35; check with the Bienville National Forest ranger district for current road conditions.

things to do sight
A story
Prairies in Mississippi sound like a contradiction — the state is synonymous with forest. But scattered patches of tallgrass prairie once occurred naturally across the Gulf Coastal Plain wherever the soils were just right. The Harrell Prairie is one of the few remaining examples, a relic of the pre-European landscape maintained today partly by prescribed burns that prevent the forest from taking over.