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Paul B Johnson State Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,598 Google reviews · Running trail in Hattiesburg, Mississippi · Dawn to dusk
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Paved
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Dawn to dusk
Confirmed from Paul B Johnson State Park's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
State park with lake offers over 800 acres for camping, swimming, boating, fishing & more.
What runners say about Paul B Johnson State Park
“But it seemed clean and a good value when traveling from out of state to come see family but still need to house a bunch of people.”
“There is plenty of room to walk around and docs over the lake to enjoy the beautiful view.”
“Over the years, I've really enjoyed the quiet serenity of these deeply wooded trails.”
$28 a night for full hook ups with water, electric and sewer. On site laundry machines at each of the shower houses, the laundry machines are coin-operated. We had plenty of space between our site and our neighbors. The park has 1 trail, lake activities and a disc golf course.
Paul B Johnson State Park is a great place to slow down and enjoy the natural beauty of South Mississippi. There is an entrance fee of $4. per vehicle, up to 6 people. The lake is large enough to have swimming areas, boating areas and fishing areas.
Beautiful, peaceful little park. Employees and other campers were very friendly, lots of wildlife.... Unfortunately, no fish to be had by anyone fishing. We were there during the week and campers were minimal until Thursday-then as expected, the traffic flowed in. Sites in back are very spacious and green.
Close to a highway and very accessible. We had a cabin (gift) for two nights #6 and it was quite nice. Two bedrooms eating/TV room with a kitchen w/microwave and a bathroom with walk in shower. Park as a whole is very well maintained.
Trail conditions & character
“There is plenty of room to walk around and docs over the lake to enjoy the beautiful view.”
“Over the years, I've really enjoyed the quiet serenity of these deeply wooded trails.”
“The pad was asphalt but it was crumbling and we had to be careful exiting our camper.”
“Two bedrooms eating/TV room with a kitchen w/microwave and a bathroom with walk in shower.”
“There are plenty of pine and oak trees providing shade and quite a few picnic tables to enjoy a leisurely lunch.”
“Very accessible roads, full Internet/cell access, and within half hour to a delightful city, Hattiesburg, where there is everything you could possibly need.”
Plan your run at Paul B Johnson State Park
The practical stuff
- AccessDawn to dusk — the gates close, so do not plan a run that finishes after dark
- SurfacePaved — asphalt or concrete. Fast and predictable, runnable year-round, and fine with a stroller
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- LightingRunners report lights on the path — useful for pre-dawn and after-work miles. Lighting and opening hours are separate things, so check both.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Websitemdwfp.com
- Phone(601) 582-7721
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 8 AM–5 PM |
| Tuesday | 8 AM–5 PM |
| Wednesday | 8 AM–5 PM |
| Thursday | 8 AM–5 PM |
| Friday | 8 AM–5 PM |
| Saturday | 8 AM–5 PM |
| Sunday | 8 AM–5 PM |
Running trails near Hattiesburg
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
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