Phone Numbers for Each National Forest District Office

Planning a ride in a Mississippi national forest can get confusing fast: a road that looks open on a map may be gated, seasonally closed, or unsuitable for an ATV. Calling the ranger district responsible for that area is a good way to check access before you load the trailer. Here are the main district office numbers and what to ask.

Mississippi National Forest district office phone numbers

The Forest Service’s Mississippi offices cover different forests and regions, so the right number depends on where you intend to ride. Use the table to find a likely starting point, then explain the specific road, trail, or recreation area you have in mind.

Office	Area it serves	Phone
Bienville Ranger District	Bienville National Forest and nearby central Mississippi areas	601-469-3811
Chickasawhay Ranger District	Chickasawhay National Forest and parts of southeastern Mississippi	601-428-0594
De Soto Ranger District	De Soto National Forest, including the Wiggins and southern forest area	601-528-6160
Delta Ranger District	Delta National Forest in the Mississippi Delta	662-873-6256
Holly Springs Ranger District	Holly Springs National Forest and nearby north Mississippi areas	662-236-6550
Homochitto Ranger District	Homochitto National Forest in southwest Mississippi	601-384-5876
Tombigbee Ranger District	Tombigbee National Forest in northeast Mississippi	662-285-3264
National Forests in Mississippi Supervisor’s Office	General questions that do not clearly belong to one district	601-965-1600

If you are unsure which district covers your destination, call the closest office and ask to be directed to the appropriate ranger district. Forest boundaries do not always line up neatly with familiar city or county boundaries, and a trailhead’s name may not make its managing office obvious.

Phone numbers and office arrangements can change. Before a long drive, confirm the contact details through the Forest Service’s official Mississippi offices directory. That extra check is especially worthwhile if you are calling about a closure, a storm-damaged route, or a trip planned around a narrow weather window.

Match the office to the forest, not just the nearest town

Start with the name of the forest you plan to visit. If you are headed to the De Soto National Forest, for instance, the De Soto Ranger District is the sensible first call. A rider going to the Holly Springs National Forest should begin with the Holly Springs office, even if another district office looks closer on a highway map.

For destinations that sit near a forest boundary, do not assume the nearest office handles the road in question. Give the staff the road name, recreation-area name, nearest highway, or GPS coordinates if you have them. A description like “the trail off Highway 49” may not be enough if there are several access points nearby.

If your trip includes more than one national forest, call each relevant district. A single weekend route can cross from one management area into another, and access rules or closures may differ on the other side of the boundary. [Mississippi National Forest Riding Explained] offers a broader look at why it is important to check the specific land and route rather than treating all forest roads as one continuous riding area.

Know what the district office can help clarify

A ranger district can often direct you to information about local road access, closures, recreation areas, trail conditions, and land-management rules. Staff can also help you identify whether the place you have in mind is on national forest land or somewhere managed by a different agency.

A call is not the same as permission to ride wherever a route appears on a map. Public forest land may include roads closed to motor vehicles, gated roads, sensitive areas, or routes limited to particular uses. Ask directly whether the specific route is open to your type of machine and whether there are current restrictions.

For a question about access to a named destination, the local ranger district is usually more useful than a general office. For questions about a forest-wide program or a contact you cannot identify, the Supervisor’s Office can be a reasonable starting point. If it is not the right place to answer, ask which district or office should handle the question.

What to ask before riding a national forest route

A quick call can save a wasted drive, but only if the question is specific. “Can I ride an ATV in the forest?” is broad enough to invite confusion. Be ready to identify the place you want to visit and ask about the exact kind of access you need.

Ask about the exact route and machine

Describe your intended route as clearly as possible. Share the name of the trail or road, the nearest entrance, and the kind of vehicle you plan to bring. An ATV and a wider side-by-side may not be treated the same way on a route with a width restriction, gate, or narrow bridge.

Useful questions include:

1. Is this road or trail open to motorized use?
2. Is it open to ATVs, side-by-sides, or both?
3. Are there width, vehicle, or route restrictions?
4. Is the route open for the dates I am planning to visit?
5. Is the access point on national forest land, or is it managed by another agency?

If you are asking about multiple routes, list them one at a time. A broad description such as “the roads around the lake” can refer to several roads with different access rules. Having a paper map or a saved map pin ready makes it easier to talk through the location.

You can use an app such as onX Offroad to organize waypoints and describe a planned route, but treat it as a planning aid rather than proof that a road is open. Map layers can help you explain where you hope to go; the managing office is the better place to confirm current access. [How to Read a Forest Service Trail Map] can help you understand why map symbols and road designations matter before you head out.

Check closures and conditions separately

A route that is normally open may be temporarily closed because of heavy rain, flooding, storm damage, fire danger, maintenance, or another management need. Mississippi’s wet weather can turn a firm forest road into a muddy, rutted stretch in a short time. A route may also be technically open but in poor condition for a low-clearance vehicle or an inexperienced rider.

Ask whether there are current closures or advisories, and whether the office has a trail-conditions phone line or another way to check updates before departure. If the trip is several days away, check again shortly before leaving. Conditions can change between the time you make plans and the morning you tow out.

Also ask what the closure applies to. A sign may close a particular trail, a road segment, a parking area, or an entire recreation site. If you hear about a closure through a social-media post or a fellow rider, call the district to confirm the affected location and whether an alternate access point is available. [Checking Trail Conditions Before You Load the Trailer] is useful when you are deciding whether a route is still practical after rain or a storm.

How to make the call useful

Calling a ranger district does not need to feel intimidating. You do not need to know every Forest Service term before you pick up the phone. A concise description of your plan and a few clear questions will usually get the conversation started.

Have your location details ready

Before calling, gather the details that will help staff identify your destination:

• The national forest and the closest town or highway
• The trail, road, recreation site, or access gate name
• A map pin or coordinates, if you have them
• Your machine type, including whether it is an ATV or side-by-side
• The planned date and approximate time of the ride
• Any alternate route you are considering

If you do not know the official road name, say so. Describe where you found the route and what landmarks are nearby. A saved map pin can be especially helpful when a local trail has a nickname that does not appear on official maps.

If the office cannot answer while you are on the phone, ask where to find the information and what wording to search for. You can also ask whether another office manages that specific access point. Write down the answer, the staff member’s suggested contact, and any route name or closure notice they mention. That small note can save you from repeating the same research later.

Use a short, specific call script

A simple opening helps staff understand what you need:

“I’m planning to ride near [place or road name] in [forest] on [date]. I’ll be bringing a [ATV or side-by-side]. Can you tell me whether that specific route is open to my machine, and where I should check for closures before I leave?”

Then ask your follow-up questions. If you are unsure whether the route is on national forest land, say that directly: “Could you help me confirm which office manages this location?” That is more useful than guessing and asking the wrong district about a route it does not oversee.

If your plan depends on a particular trail being open, ask what the closest alternative is. The office may not be able to recommend a full itinerary, but it may be able to point you toward official maps or clarify which nearby routes are designated for motorized use. For broader planning, [Mississippi Trail Phone Numbers Worth Saving] is a handy companion to a list of district contacts.

Keep a backup plan

Even after confirming a route, have another option in mind. A sudden storm, maintenance work, or an unexpected closure can change the day’s plan. Before leaving home, identify a second legal riding destination or decide what you will do if the route is unavailable.

Do not treat a locked gate as a puzzle to solve or a temporary inconvenience to bypass. It may mark a closure, private property, or a road that is not open to your vehicle. Ask the district office about the sign or gate rather than riding around it. For an overview of pass and access distinctions, see [Mississippi Forest Pass Coverage] and [Which Trails the $60 Forest Pass Opens].

Important riding details to confirm before you go

A phone call about access is one part of trip planning. You will also want to understand the rules that apply to your machine, the land, and the type of ride you are planning. A pass or an open road does not automatically mean every route is available to every vehicle.

Confirm passes, permits, and vehicle requirements

Ask whether your destination requires a forest pass, day-use ticket, or other permit, and whether it applies to each machine or to the rider. Do not assume that a pass for one forest or recreation area covers another location. Save proof of purchase where you can access it, and keep any required documents with you during the ride.

If you are bringing a side-by-side, ask about width limits before you drive to a trailhead. Some routes are designed for narrower machines, and a vehicle that cannot fit may be turned away. The same goes for requirements involving driver eligibility, safety certificates for young riders, helmets, or other equipment. The district can help point you to the applicable rules, but ask about the specific land unit and route instead of relying on a general answer.

If you use onX Offroad to plan, keep official forest maps and signs in the picture. The app can help you keep track of a route, but its displayed roads do not replace a posted closure or a current direction from the land manager. [Mississippi National Forest OHV Passes] and [Mississippi Forest Pass for a Second Machine] cover related questions that can affect the cost and logistics of bringing more than one vehicle.

Understand the difference between forest roads and riding trails

A road on national forest land is not necessarily an OHV trail. Some roads may be open to highway-legal vehicles but not to off-road machines; others may be closed to motorized travel altogether. Designated routes, posted signs, gates, and official maps matter more than whether a dirt track looks rideable.

That distinction catches many visitors off guard. Someone may see tire tracks, follow a road for a short distance, and assume it is open to ATV traffic. But tracks could be from authorized work, land-management vehicles, or use that is not permitted to the public. Check the route designation and follow posted instructions even when other riders appear to have gone through.

For public riding, also check whether the destination is a national forest trail system, a wildlife management area, a state park, or a private riding park. Each may have its own access rules, passes, hours, and closures. If your route includes more than one kind of property, check the requirements for each segment rather than assuming one set of rules applies throughout the trip.

Make a final check before you tow out

On the day before your ride, review the relevant forest information and call the district if you have an unresolved question. Confirm the entrance, parking arrangements, route status, and any weather-related restrictions. If an office is closed or you cannot reach anyone, avoid interpreting silence as approval to use an uncertain route.

Before you leave, make sure your phone is charged, save important contact details, and download or carry a map that will still be available if cell service drops. onX Offroad can help keep your planned route and waypoints organized offline, but carry an official map too when practical. Forest roads can have poor reception, and a dead zone is a frustrating place to discover that your only map depends on a signal.

For a destination in or near De Soto National Forest, check the local information specifically rather than assuming details from another forest apply. [The De Soto Ranger District Trail Conditions Line] and [Which Forest Office to Call About Trail Access] can help you narrow down where to ask and what to verify before the ride. Knowing the correct office number is useful; confirming the route, rules, and conditions is what helps turn that call into a safer, smoother trip.

Disclaimer

This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Laws, prices and regulations vary by location and change over time. Consult a qualified professional for guidance on your specific situation.