The Mississippi Horse Park
By Jack Kean
The
Mississippi Horse Park is not an RV park in the traditional sense. They
do have 150 level sites with water and electricity (30 AMP), along with
a convenient dump site. The RV spaces are all gravel, as is the road
leading into the facility. There is also a shower available. All sites
are back-in, but they can easily handle the largest RV.
The facility is primarily used for a wide variety of events from dog shows to horse shows to RV parking for Mississippi State University home football games. Except for special events, there will quite likely be no one around after 5 pm. WI-Fi is available, but since they are associated with Mississippi State University, you will want to discuss whether a password will be needed when making your reservation.
The Horse Park is situated about four miles south of the Mississippi State campus which is located in Starkville. Starkville is approximately 90 miles west of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 60 miles south of Tupelo, Mississippi, and 125 miles north of Jackson, Mississippi.
The RV sites are surrounded by rolling hills, pasture land and a quite peaceful atmosphere. If you are in the vicinity and need a quiet place to park your RV, this certainly fills the bill. There is a track, primarily used for horses but perfect for the afternoon walk, located on site. The normal rate is $20 per night, and they welcome you if the facility is not being used for a special event. You may make a reservation by telephone, and they accept major credit cards. You will likely need to pay via credit card when making a reservation.
To get to the Horse Park from Starkville, take Highway 12 to South Montgomery Street and follow that south to Poor House Road. Take a left, and the Horse Park will be on your left after about one half mile. There are signs to guide you.
Our
experience at the Horse Park for Mississippi State football games has
been positive. Given the limitations of the facility not being primarily
an RV Park, it is quite a nice surprise. You will have an easy drive to
the campus of Mississippi State University and Starkville. A visit to
the campus should provide you with some entertainment. Starkville has
quite a few excellent restaurants, including Oby's, The Veranda, and
Little Dewey's, which is a favorite of the ESPN sports announcer Kirk
Herbstreit.
On the MSU campus, you will find the MAFES (Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station) store, and it definitely merits a stop. MSU ice cream and cheese are famous throughout Mississippi. The muscadine juice is an especially good southern treat that you won't find many places. You can also buy muscadine jelly and a variety of other southern delights.
The Mississippi Horse Park is located at 716 East Poorhouse Road, Starkville, MS 39759. Contacts: Bricklee Miller, facility manager, 662-325-9350, bbmiller@ads.msstate.edu.
