From the Rails to the Roost – How the Long Leaf Trace became the ultimate route to Southern Miss gamedays

In Hattiesburg, Mississippi a new kind of game day tradition is rolling into town. No traffic. No tailpipes. Just the hum of bike tires, the purr of golf carts, and the rhythm of a former rail line reborn. Welcome to the Long Leaf Trace, a 44-mile paved recreational trail that’s quietly becoming the golden route for Golden Eagle fans headed to baseball and softball games without ever turning a key to their car.

Built atop the bones of the old Mississippi Central Railroad, the Trace once carried timber and goods through the Pine Belt. Now, it carries students, families, and sports fans from all over the area directly into the heart of the Southern Miss campus — with scenic stops along the way.

Since opening in 2000, the Trace has evolved into a beloved corridor for cyclists, joggers, walkers, and on Southern Miss game days, golf cart caravans decked in black and gold.

On spring afternoons, the Trace becomes a rolling tailgate, buzzing with fans en route to Pete Taylor Park or the Softball Complex just across the way. Whether jogging, walking, biking or a golf cart, there’s an undeniable charm to arriving by trail. You pass beneath leafy arches, over old bridges, and right into the heart of Southern Miss baseball — all without ever crossing a red light or catching the Hardy Street traffic.

The Trace starts in downtown Hattiesburg, winding through the Southern Miss campus on the way to small towns like Sumrall, Bassfield and Prentiss, connecting communities as much as it does destinations. It’s fully paved, well-marked, and lined with rest stops, water fountains, and even bike repair stations.

But on baseball game days? it’s a part of culture. Local musicians sometimes strum under covered pavilions. Food trucks pop up near the 4th Street Trailhead. And longtime fans pull right up to the Pete Taylor Park gates and greet each other like family.

As more towns look to develop walkable, bikeable infrastructure, the Long Leaf Trace is setting a gold standard. With other trails like the St. Tammany Trace in Mandeville and the Lafitte Greenway in New Orleans taking examples of the Long Leaf Trace. It’s a part of the Southern Miss tradition, and a scenic shortcut to Saturdays under the pines of Pete Taylor Park, and one of the most unique ways to get to a game in all of college sports.

So the next time you’re headed to a Southern Miss baseball game, leave the car keys behind. Hop on a bike, golf cart, or even a good pair of shoes. And hop on the Long Leaf Trace.

Because in Hattiesburg, the road to Pete Taylor Park is paved in pine needles.

Where to Rent a Bike or Golf Cart

1. Pedal Power Bicycle Shop
📍 207 Main St, Hattiesburg
🔧 Full-service shop offering bike rentals, repairs, and gear
🕒 Game day mornings can get busy — call ahead!
🌐 pedalpowerhattiesburg.com

2. Campus Rec at USM (for students/faculty)
📍 Payne Center, University of Southern Mississippi
🎓 Affordable bike checkouts with valid ID

3. Hub City Golf Carts (for rentals or custom carts)
📍 4111 Lincoln Rd, Hattiesburg
🛺 Rent a game-day golf cart or trick out your own with black & gold flair