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The North Central Hills
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Explore Mississippi’s North Central Hills for Oxford’s literary heritage, rolling woodland, historic towns, local food and the Tanglefoot Trail.

Food is generally informal and rooted in Mississippi and the American South: catfish, barbecue, fried chicken, biscuits, seasonal vegetables, pecans and locally produced goods appear alongside contemporary Southern cooking. Music remains important, from blues and gospel traditions to live performance in Oxford and small-town venues. Visitors should allow time for short drives between towns, since the region’s appeal lies in its combination of literary landmarks, forest roads, historic squares, trails and ordinary working landscapes rather than in one concentrated resort area.

When is the best time to visit The North Central Hills?

Best: April–May, October · 23–28°C
Average daytime high and rainfall by month
MonthHigh (°C)Rainfall (mm)
January12100
February14110
March19120
April (best)23110
May (best)28120
June32100
July34110
August33110
September30100
October (best)2490
November18100
December13110

Getting to and around The North Central Hills

How to get there

The region is primarily reached by road. Memphis International Airport in Tennessee, outside Mississippi and north-west of the area, is the principal major international gateway for many overseas visitors; Tupelo Regional Airport, east of the North Central Hills, provides a smaller domestic option when suitable services are available. Amtrak does not provide a passenger railway route through the main hill towns, so visitors commonly arrive by car from Memphis, Tupelo, Jackson or Birmingham. Highways including US 45, US 78, US 278 and routes serving Oxford, Pontotoc and New Albany provide the principal approaches.

Transportation

A car is the most practical way to connect the region’s dispersed towns, forests, historic sites and rural communities. Oxford has the strongest local taxi and rideshare availability, while bus services are more limited outside the main centres and should not be assumed for reaching trails or remote attractions. The Tanglefoot Trail is suitable for walking and cycling, with access points in several communities, but it is not a substitute for transport between every destination. The Natchez Trace Parkway offers a slower scenic drive, and visitors should allow more time than mapping distances alone may suggest on rural roads.

Top city travel guides in The North Central Hills

The cities of The North Central Hills, and the easiest places to base yourself.

Destinations in The North Central Hills

Resorts, valleys and scenic spots worth a trip of their own.

Best attractions in The North Central Hills

The North Central Hills offers a varied collection of literary, historical, outdoor and cultural attractions rather than one concentrated visitor complex. Oxford’s Rowan Oak and the University of Mississippi introduce visitors to William Faulkner and the region’s continuing literary life, while the town’s galleries, independent bookshops and museums provide a broader cultural context. New Albany is the principal gateway to the Tanglefoot Trail, a former railway route extending through wooded hills and small communities towards Houston. Holly Springs National Forest adds dispersed opportunities for hiking, fishing, wildlife observation and quiet drives, although facilities are not arranged like those of a compact urban park. The Natchez Trace Parkway provides a scenic route through the wider north-central landscape, with interpretive stops and access to natural and archaeological features. Pontotoc’s historic centre, local craft traditions and courthouse-square setting offer a more small-town experience, while Houston and the southern hill country show the transition towards the Tombigbee basin. Civil War sites, historic churches, cemeteries and community museums are best approached as part of a self-guided regional itinerary, since many are separated by rural roads and have limited or changing opening arrangements.

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Best landmarks in The North Central Hills

Rowan Oak in Oxford is the region’s most recognisable literary landmark, the former home of William Faulkner and a tangible link between the author’s life and the landscapes that informed his fiction. The University of Mississippi campus provides a contrasting architectural and cultural landmark, with historic buildings and the long-established academic identity that distinguishes Oxford from neighbouring hill towns. Oxford’s courthouse square remains an important civic space, framed by commercial buildings and streets that illustrate the town’s development. New Albany’s historic centre and nearby Tanglefoot Trail mark a different inheritance: one shaped by rail transport, small-town commerce and the conversion of industrial infrastructure into a public route. Pontotoc’s courthouse-square setting reflects the county-seat pattern that spread through Mississippi after American settlement, while the Natchez Trace Parkway offers a linear landscape landmark linking the hills to a much older travel corridor. In the southern part of the region, the wooded uplands around Houston and Holly Springs National Forest express the area’s geographical character more powerfully than any single monument, revealing the ridges, streams and forests that have influenced settlement, farming and travel.

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Explore The North Central Hills on the map

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Best restaurants in The North Central Hills

Dining in the North Central Hills combines familiar Mississippi cooking with a contemporary food culture most visible in Oxford. Menus commonly draw on catfish, barbecue, fried chicken, biscuits, greens, seasonal vegetables, pecans and other Southern staples, while independent restaurants and cafés reinterpret these ingredients in more modern ways. Oxford has the widest range of sit-down restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries and evening dining, supported by the university population and a steady literary and cultural audience. New Albany, Pontotoc, Houston and smaller towns offer locally oriented cafés, diners, barbecue restaurants and family-run establishments rather than a dense restaurant scene. Farm produce, preserves and baked goods can appear at seasonal markets and roadside stands, but availability varies. Visitors should distinguish the region’s hill-country food traditions from dishes marketed across the whole American South: the local identity is often expressed through ingredients, informal hospitality and links to farming communities rather than through one defining regional dish. Reservations may be sensible around university events, football weekends and cultural festivals.

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Best bars in The North Central Hills

Oxford is the North Central Hills’ main centre for evening activity, with bars, restaurants, live music, performance spaces and social venues concentrated around the university and the historic square. The atmosphere changes with the academic calendar and major sporting weekends, when demand for accommodation and dining can rise sharply. Elsewhere, nightlife is generally more relaxed and town-based, centred on traditional pubs, restaurants, cafés, local music and occasional community performances rather than a large club circuit. New Albany and Pontotoc provide evening venues, while smaller communities tend to close earlier and may have fewer choices between scheduled events. Blues, gospel, country and Southern rock influences are part of the wider north Mississippi sound, although specific performances and venues change frequently. Visitors should check current listings rather than rely on permanent assumptions, and should arrange a safe journey between rural accommodation and evening venues.

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Best nightclubs in The North Central Hills

Oxford is the North Central Hills’ main centre for evening activity, with bars, restaurants, live music, performance spaces and social venues concentrated around the university and the historic square. The atmosphere changes with the academic calendar and major sporting weekends, when demand for accommodation and dining can rise sharply. Elsewhere, nightlife is generally more relaxed and town-based, centred on traditional pubs, restaurants, cafés, local music and occasional community performances rather than a large club circuit. New Albany and Pontotoc provide evening venues, while smaller communities tend to close earlier and may have fewer choices between scheduled events. Blues, gospel, country and Southern rock influences are part of the wider north Mississippi sound, although specific performances and venues change frequently. Visitors should check current listings rather than rely on permanent assumptions, and should arrange a safe journey between rural accommodation and evening venues.

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Best shops in The North Central Hills

Shopping in the North Central Hills is concentrated in historic town centres, university-oriented Oxford and practical commercial districts rather than in a single regional retail capital. Oxford’s square and surrounding streets are the strongest destination for independent books, art, clothing, gifts, homewares and locally produced goods, with literary themes especially prominent. New Albany and Pontotoc offer smaller collections of independent shops, antiques, craft goods and locally oriented retailers, while Houston provides services and shopping for the southern part of the region. Visitors may find pottery, woodwork, paintings, textiles, handmade gifts and food products connected with north Mississippi’s rural and artistic traditions. Farmers’ markets and seasonal community markets can provide produce, baked goods, preserves and crafts, but their days and locations vary, so local noticeboards and town information are useful. Regional souvenirs are better chosen from independent makers, booksellers and food producers than from generic roadside outlets; availability is more limited outside the main towns, especially on Sundays and in rural areas.

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The North Central Hills essentials

Currency and Payment
The currency is the US dollar (USD), used throughout Mississippi and the wider United States. Credit and debit cards, including contactless payments, are widely accepted in Oxford, New Albany, Pontotoc and other established commercial areas. Carry some cash for rural food stands, small vendors, trail-related purchases, occasional markets and businesses with unreliable mobile reception. International visitors should tell their card provider about overseas use and check whether a foreign-transaction fee applies.
Safety
The principal visitor concerns are practical rather than unusual: secure vehicles and valuables, take care on rural roads, and allow for limited lighting and mobile reception outside towns. Summer heat, humidity, ticks, poison ivy and sudden thunderstorms can affect walks in woodland and on the Tanglefoot Trail. Use marked routes, carry water and check hunting or weather notices where relevant in forest areas. Traffic can be fast on major roads, while cyclists and pedestrians should use extra caution near junctions and road crossings.
Emergency Situations
Dial 911 anywhere in Mississippi for police, fire or ambulance assistance, and give the dispatcher the nearest town, road, trail access point or clearly marked landmark. Mobile reception can be inconsistent in wooded and rural areas, so download maps and tell someone your route before a longer walk or cycle. For serious outdoor incidents, emergency services coordinate the appropriate rescue response; visitors should not assume that a remote trail has an immediate on-site ranger service. Travel insurance with medical cover is advisable for international visitors.
Do's and Don'ts
Do observe posted rules at historic homes, university grounds, cemeteries, forests and private land, and ask before photographing people, homes or community events. Do keep to marked trails and leave archaeological or historic objects where they are. English is the everyday language, and ordinary courtesy, queuing and moderate tipping in restaurants and bars follow wider US conventions rather than a special regional code. Do not trespass on farms or rail and utility property, and do not underestimate distances simply because towns appear close on a map.
Local Tips
Pair Oxford’s literary and university sights with a drive through the smaller communities around Pontotoc and New Albany to see the region beyond its best-known town. The Tanglefoot Trail is most comfortable in the cooler parts of the day, particularly during summer. Historic squares are often best explored on foot, while forest and park facilities may be separated by substantial distances. Ask local booksellers, gallery owners and food vendors about current cultural programmes, as performances and community markets can be seasonal or change from year to year.
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From Eve

Local phrases worth knowing

You don't need to get them perfect. A few words go a long way, and locals appreciate the effort.

6 phrase groups · English, local and pronunciation

Basics
EnglishLocalSay it
HelloHey[Hay]
GoodbyeSee ya[See yah]
YesYeah[Yea]
NoNope[Nope]
Please/You're welcomePlease/No problem[Pleez/No prob]
Thank youThanks[Thangs]
Excuse me/SorryExcuse me/Sorry[Excuse me/Sorree]
How are you?How y'all doin'?[How y'all doin'?]
Fine. And you?I'm good. And you?[I'm good. An' you?]
Do you speak English?Do ya speak English?[Doo ya speek English?]
I don't understandI ain't gettin' it[I ain't gettin' it]
Eating & Drinking
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to see the menu, pleaseCan I see the menu, please?[Can I see th' menu, pleez?]
I don't eat meatI don't eat meat[I don't eat meat]
Cheers!Cheers![Cheers!]
I would like to pay, pleaseI wanna pay, please[I wanna pay, pleez]
Emergencies
EnglishLocalSay it
Help!Help![Help!]
Go away!Get away![Git away!]
Call the Police!Call the cops![Call th' cops!]
Call a doctor!Call a doc![Call a doc!]
I'm lostI'm lost[I'm lost]
I'm illI'm sick[I'm sick]
Shopping
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to buy...I wanna buy...[I wanna buy...]
I'm just lookingI'm just lookin'[I'm just lookin']
How much is it?How much is this?[How much is this?]
That's too expensiveThat's too high[That's too high]
Can you lower the price?Can ya lower the price?[Can ya lower th' price?]
Time & Numbers
EnglishLocalSay it
What time is it?What time is it?[What time is it?]
It's one o'clockIt's one o'clock[It's one o'clock]
Half past (10)Half past ten[Half past ten]
MorningMorning[Mornin']
AfternoonAfternoon[Afternoon]
EveningEvenin'[Evenin']
YesterdayYesterday[Yest'day]
TodayToday[Today]
TomorrowTomorrow[Tomorrah]
1One[Wun]
2Two[Too]
3Three[Three]
4Four[For]
5Five[Fiv]
6Six[Six]
7Seven[Sev'n]
8Eight[Ayt]
9Nine[Nin]
10Ten[Ten]
Transport & Directions
EnglishLocalSay it
Where's a/the...?Where's the ...?[Where's th' ...?]
What's the address?What's the address?[What's th' address?]
Can you show me (on the map)?Can ya show me on the map?[Can ya show me on th' map?]
When's the next (bus)?When's th' next bus?[When's th' next bus?]
A ticket (to ....)A ticket to ...[A tick't to ...]

History of The North Central Hills

Chickasaw Homeland and Indigenous Landscapes

For centuries before European-American settlement, the hills and valleys of north-central Mississippi formed part of the homeland of the Chickasaw people. Earlier Indigenous communities also left archaeological traces across the wider region, including earthworks, settlement sites and long-used travel corridors. The Chickasaw organised agriculture, hunting and trade around the upland forests and nearby river systems. Many modern place names and historical accounts reflect the disruption that followed increasing American settlement, while the memory and continuing presence of Chickasaw people remain essential to understanding the region’s past.

Removal and American Settlement in the 1830s

The Treaty of Pontotoc Creek in 1832 transferred a large area of Chickasaw land to the United States and preceded the forced removal of most Chickasaw people to lands west of the Mississippi River. American settlers then established farms, roads and county seats across the uplands. Pontotoc and surrounding communities developed during this period, while the region’s courthouse squares and older road patterns preserve elements of the settlement landscape that emerged during Mississippi’s transformation into a slaveholding state.

Cotton, Railways and the Hill Economy

Although the North Central Hills were less suited to large-scale cotton cultivation than the flat Delta, cotton and mixed farming became central to the nineteenth-century economy. Enslaved labour shaped plantations, farms and households, and emancipation brought profound economic and social change. Railways later connected hill towns to larger markets, encouraged timber extraction and altered the movement of people and goods. The former railway corridor now used by the Tanglefoot Trail is a visible reminder of the infrastructure that once linked small communities across the uplands.

Civil War in North Mississippi

The region was strategically important during the American Civil War because roads and railways through north Mississippi supported Confederate supply and movement. The Battle of Brice’s Cross Roads, fought in June 1864 near Baldwyn, was a major Confederate victory before Union forces later destroyed supplies and infrastructure in the area. Oxford and other communities also experienced military occupation, disruption and the breakdown of the plantation economy. Civil War earthworks, cemeteries and interpreted sites remain part of the wider historical landscape.

Reconstruction, Agriculture and Community Change

After the Civil War, the North Central Hills experienced the difficult transition from slavery to a system dominated by tenant farming, sharecropping and small-scale agriculture. African American communities built churches, schools, businesses and civic institutions despite segregation and political exclusion. Timber, livestock, cotton and local manufacturing supported changing town economies, while rail connections encouraged the growth of courthouse centres such as New Albany, Pontotoc and Houston. The period left a complex legacy that continues to shape regional memory and social history.

William Faulkner and the Literary Landscape

William Faulkner made Oxford and fictionalised versions of north Mississippi central to American literature. After acquiring Rowan Oak in 1930, he lived and worked in the town for much of his later life, drawing on the region’s landscapes, families and historical tensions in works including The Sound and the Fury and Absalom, Absalom! Faulkner’s presence helped give Oxford an international literary identity, but the surrounding communities and their real histories are broader than the fictional Yoknapatawpha County associated with his writing.

Modern Cultural and Recreational Revival

During the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, universities, heritage organisations, local governments and community groups placed greater emphasis on the region’s literary, musical, environmental and built heritage. Oxford developed a particularly strong cultural economy, while the Tanglefoot Trail turned a disused railway line into a regional recreation route. Forests, historic squares and music traditions now sit alongside education, healthcare, manufacturing and agriculture in a north-central Mississippi economy that is more diverse than its earlier cotton-centred image.

The North Central Hills in Photos

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  • In-depth history of The North Central Hills and travel essentials.
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Embark on an unforgettable journey through The North Central Hills, Mississippi with Evendo, your all-in-one travel companion. Nestled in the heart of Mississippi, The North Central Hills offer a rich tapestry of attractions and experiences, all waiting to be explored. With Evendo, you can delve into the historical charm of landmarks such as the French Camp Historic Village or the Natchez Trace Parkway, known for its scenic beauty and historical significance.

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