There are signs that we pass for days or years and never take notice. There are also places in our back yard that we might know are there but have never taken the time to see them.

On Highway 16 there is a sign for Kemper County Lake. This hidden gem is a perfect destination for a Sunday drive and perhaps a Sunday picnic.

The dictionary defines a picnic as, “an excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors.” If you look at Wikipedia it further states that such a meal is ideally eaten “in a scenic landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view.”

Kemper Lake has all of this and more. Nestled in the hills and forests of Kemper County the manmade lake spans 596 acres and is surrounded by trees, making you feel as if you have stumbled into an oasis of serenity in the sea of our busy modern lives.

As you drive up Kemper Lake Road you will see the gates at the entrance to the lake welcoming you into a playground for nature lovers. There is a fitness trail that is paved and well-marked, camping sites and a boat ramp so that the anglers can have access to the second largest state lake in Mississippi, according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife and fisheries fact sheet.

There are bass, crappie, catfish, redear and Bluegill stocked in the lake and the lake depth ranges anywhere from 4-foot deep to 36-foot deep near the dam. There are fishing piers where you can toss out a line, and picnic benches where you and your family can take a moment to untangle yourselves from the day to day and take a moment to reconnect to one another as you listen to the sounds of the lake around you.

You will hear the gentle lapping of the waves against the pier and the song of the birds that make their homes nearby. You may even catch sight of a bald eagle flying majestically above the lake and the trees. It is a place to let go of your worries and just relax for a moment.

This lake is the perfect place for a picnic or a potluck and there is even a pavilion available for rent.

As the breeze lifts your spirits and the food is packed away, perhaps a sense of peace will wash over you that you can carry away with you. Kemper Lake will be here waiting to be discovered once again, the sun sparkling off the water and the trees closing in around the shore, keeping this treasure hidden and ready for the next person to discover the charms of this peaceful place.

Correspondent Gena Koelker writes Sunday Drives, which appears weekly in The Meridian Star. Recommend a drive to editor@themeridianstar.com.

If You Go

From Meridian, take Highway 39 North to DeKalb. Turn west onto Highway 16. Follow Highway 16 to MS-397N. Follow MS-397N to Kemper Lake Road. Take a right and follow Kemper Lake Road to the entrance.