Cycling in Mississippi is fun, as this is indeed a beautiful state. There are many wonderful routes one can take to cross the state and since the State is tall and thin you can really get a good long-distance 2-day ride out of it. For instance Memphis to Biloxi is 387 miles by bicycle and could be a 2-3-4 or even five-day ride taking Hwy 51 to 31 and then to highway 13 and down to highway 11 cutting off to highway 53. Easy route and lots of interesting Elvis Stops if you are touring, why not make it one week?

Then one could also take Highway 51 from Memphis tracking the 55 Freeway totally a straight shot indeed about 260 miles or so. Lateral passes by long distance riders report favorable roads from Natchez, Mississippi on Highway 84 into Alabama. I have driven this route and it is a no-brainer, scenic and a perfect road.

Greenville to Columbus, Mississippi is also a very fun route on Highway 82 about 148 miles in to Alabama. Now lets look at another very cool ride choice and one I recommend to you for your first major long-distance ride through Mississippi. Vicksburg to Meridian is a straight shot pretty much, with a little V dip detour down Highway 27 then back up on Natchez Trace Parkway to Jackson then East on Highway 80 to Meridian that is a good 159 miles. The grass is always green on this route. We can do this route in one day with some energy to spare on our Trek Across America. Consider this in 2006.