Tanglefoot Trail, Mississippi (44.5 miles)

Tanglefoot Trail

As soon as the tallies were counted for the 2019 Hall of Fame Trail, Joyce and I started planning a trip to Mississippi to ride the Tanglefoot Trail. Since she and Ron had already scheduled to make a cross country drive from Idaho to Georgia in late September, we decided to rendezvous in Tupelo, Mississippi. A few weeks prior to the trip, Joyce brought her bike and gear to me so that Ed and I could transport it to Mississippi in our pickup truck. On Saturday, September 28th, Ed and I drove from our home in Canton, GA to Tupelo (approximately 5 hrs driving time minus the hour we gained due to the change in time zones). We met Joyce & Ron for lunch at the Neon Pig, a local restaurant in Tupelo, located within sight of the La Quinta Inn & Suites, our hotel for the night.

Algoma Whistle Stop

After a quick lunch, we checked into the hotel and then Joyce and I drove the truck, loaded with our bikes, about 30 minutes west to Algoma. We stopped to purchase cold drinks at the Country Store on Algoma Rd and then parked the pickup at the whistle stop (trailhead) parking lot. It was a HOT, humid day (94 degrees) so I decided to mount my GoPro camera, panniers and odometer in the shade underneath a large oak tree in front of the sheriff’s office, which was located adjacent to the trailhead parking lot. We started biking north on the Tanglefoot Trail at 2:30 PM. Fortunately, most of the ride from Algoma to New Albany, a distance of a little under 25 miles, was primarily tree covered. Due to the extreme heat, I brought a cold, wet hand towel which I wore wrapped around my neck for most of the ride. When we arrived in New Albany, about four hours later, my towel was completely dry!

Main Street Trolley

The trail through the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area was slightly uphill from Algoma to Pontitoc (about 6 miles) and then slightly downhill from Pontitoc to New Albany (about 19 miles). Prior to the trip, I researched places to eat along the trail and decided that we would stop in Ecru, located a little more than halfway between Algoma and New Albany, for ice cream at the Main Street Trolley. I purchased a hot fudge sundae and Joyce bought a strawberry ice cream cone. The ice cream cooled us down tremendously, and we were glad that we decided to stop. After our brief respite, we resumed the trail north to New Albany.

Covered Picnic Tables, Pontotoc

Overall, the asphalt trail surface was pretty level and smooth; however, there were numerous cracks and potholes that had recently been repaired. We were astonished by the number of covered picnic tables and benches along the trail, and we both commented about how well maintained the rest stops were, each equipped with modern flush toilets, two covered picnic tables, playground/fitness equipment, a bike rack and a tool station. The restrooms (whistle stops) were located about every 10 miles on the trail. Most of the wood bridges and milepost markers had signs denoting local sponsors, which indicates that the surrounding communities must be very supportive of the trail. At the Ingomar whistle stop, a local church had provided coolers stocked with ice and free bottled water.

Bridge Overlooking Cotton Field

On our ride from Algoma to New Albany, we rode through forests, wetlands, cotton fields and pastures. On this portion of the trail, I spotted one squirrel, a few birds and several butterflies. Other than a few small towns, the trail was very remote, and we probably saw fewer than five people walking or biking. We were the only ones crazy enough to be riding in the blistering heat! However, during our afternoon ride, we were reassured when we spotted a trail monitor regularly patrolling the path by golf cart.

 

 

 

Iron Bridge, New Albany

As we approached the northern terminus of the Tangelfoot Trail, we crossed a large iron bridge leading to downtown New Albany. Immediately after the bridge, we were serenaded by a local band playing at AC’s Coffee Shop on Railroad Avenue. The outdoor seating for the coffee shop and adjacent ice cream parlor was packed with locals enjoying the music. I’m not sure whether live music is typical on a Saturday night at the coffee shop or whether it was part of the Tallahatchie Riverfest, which is an annual event during the last weekend in September featuring crafts, music, and a parade.

Northern Terminus, New Albany

Joyce and I rode to the end of the trail, which was prominently marked with a steel archway displaying “Tanglefoot Trail, New Albany.” After a brief photo, we biked back across the iron bridge to the library parking lot where our husbands planned to meet us. While we biked the trail, Ed and Ron had toured the Elvis Presley birthplace in Tupelo and driven Ron’s car to Algoma where they picked up the truck that Joyce and I had parked at the trailhead. They arrived at the library parking lot in New Albany at 6 PM, and we secured the bikes in the back of the pickup truck.

 

 

Ed & Martha, Tallahatchie River

After loading the bikes, we walked over to the Tallahatchie Riverfest. Most of the festival events were set up along the river, and we could hear the country western band playing on the outdoor stage in the distance. We decided to walk across a footbridge in the park to get a better view of the river, and we talked about the infamous “Ode to Billy Joe,” a song about the Tallahatchie Bridge written and recorded by Bobbie Gentry in the late 60s. As dark was approaching, we walked a few blocks back into town where we ate dinner at the Tallahatchie Gourmet on West Main. After dinner, we drove both vehicles back to our hotel in Tupelo.

Martha & Joyce, Algoma

Following a filling breakfast, Ed shuttled Joyce and me with our bikes back to the Algoma trailhead. By 8:15 AM, we were on the trail pedaling south toward Houston, a distance of 19.3 miles. Based on our pace from the previous day, we estimated that it would take us 2 hours to bike down to Houston. It was noticeably cooler this morning, and I enjoyed the ride much more than the previous day.

 

 

 

 

Sheep Farm

On the outskirts of Algoma, we passed a large sheep farm on our right. Overall, the scenery was very similar to the northern portion of the trail with hardwoods and pines lining both sides of the paved path. We saw a single rider biking in the opposite direction and we followed a young couple riding ahead of us down to the southern terminus. Later, after taking a brief restroom break in New Houlka, we met the young couple on their way back north. They both had full panniers so we suspected they may have camped along the trail.

Bridge near Houston

Determined to record some of the wood bridges on the trail, I turned on my camera as we approached a double bridge and was startled by six or seven large buzzards perched on both sides of the railing (see video below). Fearful that I would frighten the birds and that they might fly directly at me, I slowed to almost a stop and allowed them to fly away before continuing across the bridge. I don’t believe that I’ve ever been that close to buzzards; in case you’re curious, they smell like garbage :-).

The ride to Houston took a little over two hours, and Ed was waiting for us in the parking lot when we arrived. We’d hoped that there would be a sign denoting the name of the trail or its Hall of Fame status at the Houston trailhead, but it appeared that the area was still under construction. There was a wood framed arch spanning the trail but no sign yet. The week prior to our trip, I called the Tanglefoot office, and a very helpful agent explained that the trailhead and parking lot had just opened. After loading our bikes, Ed pointed out a sign across the street which marked the site for a future bed & bike lodging facility. After our ride, I tried to find more information on the overnight accommodations; however, I was unable to find any information. It will be interesting to see whether the site will be for camping or will offer a hostel style bunkhouse.

Elvis Birthplace

On our drive back to Tupelo, we stopped at McDonald’s for a milkshake. Joyce’s husband contends that our bike trips are merely an excuse for eating ice cream all across the country 🙂 We returned to the LaQuinta Inn before noon so I had time to change clothes before checking out of the hotel. Ed drove by the Elvis Presley birthplace on our way out of town so that I could take a quick photo, and then we drove back home to Georgia. Now that we have ridden the most recently inducted Hall of Fame Trail, we plan to travel to Minneapolis in the spring to bike the Midtown Greenway (only Hall of Fame Trail that we have not ridden) and to Colorado next fall to bike the Rio Grande Trail (not a Hall of Fame Trail but on my bucket list).