Star trek: Possum Walk Heritage Trail starts at Infinity

When you think of space, NASA and the Infinity Science Center in Hancock County, hiking in the woods probably isn’t part of that thought process.

Yet all of these contributed to the creation of the Possum Walk Heritage Trail, a 3-mile path (6 miles out and back) that runs from Infinity to the historic site of Logtown near Pearlington.

Logtown and several other nearby settlements were absorbed into the buffer zone for the John C. Stennis Space Center in the early 1960s. Now, their sites are part of the lush landscape of the buffer zone and add to the beauty of this Heritage Trail walk. Possum Walk was an African-American community here, and markers on the trail tell its history.

Park at Infinity

Park at Infinity just behind the Mississippi Welcome Center at Exit 2 on Interstate 10 and look for the wooden kiosk at the back of the parking lot; that’s where the trail starts.

This time of year, it’s a good idea to apply bug spray, especially if those biting flies find you delicious, and sunscreen before you start, and carry some water. Sunglasses will come in handy.

Inside Infinity, a display between the Cafe and the information desk holds pocket maps to the NASA Scenic Byway to Space, which includes the Heritage Trail. You might also snap a photo of the map displayed at the kiosk where the trail starts.

The path is clearly defined.

Starting out, you’re walking on a roadbed covered with slag gravel; the path temporarily takes to the Old Pearlington-Gainesville Highway, then back onto the slag gravel, ending with a well-constructed boardwalk.

Hiking shoes are fine, but I did the trail in running shoes with no problem.

Ride if you don’t want to walk

If you’re not up to walking the trail, no problem.

An electric-powered shaded tram takes visitors down the path with lively narration (and a bit of a breeze) for a small fee ($5 adults, $4 military and seniors, $3 children and groups of 20 or more); the tours start at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. There also are strategically placed benches for resting along the trail.

Another option if you’re not up to the full hike is to drive to the end of the trail at Logtown and enjoy the scenery and the boardwalk there.

Instead of turning right for Infinity on Mississippi 607, continue south and take a right onto 604 toward Pearlington. Look for Logtown Road, and take it almost all the way down and look for the trail on your right.

Not a loop

Since the trail is not a loop, you need to decide on logistics. Do it out and back? If you’re in a group with more than one car, park one at Infinity and one at Logtown?

Just remember that the trailhead is open for foot traffic between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Access to the trail from Logtown is open dawn to dusk. The trail is closed from October to February.

Starting at the trailhead at Infinity, the first third of the trail is open with woods on either side. Markers indicate particular species of native trees or habitats of certain creatures.

I passed blackberry bushes, their red fruits just starting to turn purple, as well as wildflowers amid tall grass. Bashful dragonflies bounced away during most attempts to capture them in photos, but one rust-colored one lighted on a leaf just long enough for me to snap a couple of shots.

Pearlington-Gainesville Highway

The first turn takes you onto the Pearlington-Gainesville Highway, which led to the little nearby settlement of Gainesville. Then you take a right back onto the gravel trail.

The path starts getting shadier here. Oak limbs arch over the trail and the vegetation is a little closer. Butterflies dart along and keep pace with you.

As you get closer to Logtown and the Pearl River, the surroundings become swampier and the boardwalk starts. An iron bridge rises up as the path skirts the river.

Logtown Road is at the end of the trail. Just up the road is the Logtown Cemetery and nearby an arch of tall Spanish moss-laden oaks create a cathedral of shade over the dirt road.

Logtown

Logtown once was home to one of the world’s largest sawmills, the H. Weston Lumber Co., founded in 1889. It had about 1,200 employees, more than 20 barges and four two-masted schooners, according to information collected by NASA.

By 1930, the supply of timber had been exhausted. By 1961, the population of Logtown had dwindled from a peak of 3,000 to 250.

Today, no homes or stores remain. The only reminder of the settlement’s heyday is a large stone corner of the lumber company’s power plant in the loop at the end of the road by the river.

Nearby, you will hear water burbling; it’s coming from an artesian well. The water eventually spills into the river.

Take time to enjoy the tranquility of the surroundings.

This story was originally published June 26, 2016 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Star trek: Possum Walk Heritage Trail starts at Infinity."