Paul B. Johnson State Park is a useful outdoor escape from Hattiesburg, set around Geiger Lake amid south Mississippi pine country. It offers camping, fishing, paddling, picnic areas, and enough water-and-woods scenery to make it feel like a real break from town.
It is best with a car and a bit of time. Treat it as a half-day or overnight nature stop rather than a quick urban sight, especially in warm weather when the lake becomes the main attraction.