MMississippi probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you’re planning a girls’ getaway. That’s exactly why my sister Rachel and I keep ending up there.
Over the years, we’ve explored different corners of the state together. We spent eleven days road-tripping Highway 61 while researching my Mississippi Delta guide, chasing blues history and crawfish from Tunica down to historic, haunted Vicksburg. I went back more recently for a long weekend in Tupelo, diving into Elvis history and wandering antique malls.
Ridgeland was one region we hadn’t covered yet, and it turned out to be a completely different side of Mississippi: a lakeside town with standout restaurants, easy access to outdoor adventures and a prime location right on the Natchez Trace Parkway, just fifteen minutes from Jackson.
But let’s get real: are there actually enough things to do in Ridgeland, Mississippi to build an entire weekend around? We packed our bags to find out.
Related:
- 3-Night Tupelo Itinerary: Girls’ Getaway to Mississippi
- Mississippi Delta Road Trip: Your Ultimate Guide
- The Start of the Natchez Trace: Franklin, Tennessee
- WATCH: Episode 31 – Getting Away to Tupelo
- WATCH: Episode 28 – A WICKED Travel Tale from the Most Haunted House in Mississippi
Here’s what we actually did, what was worth the time and what you need to know before you book it yourself. There are plenty of things to do in Ridgeland, and it works well as a three-night itinerary if you’re flying in from out of state.
Our Ridgeland Itinerary at a Glance:
- Day 1: Arrive, check into the AC Marriott, dinner at CAET and the Renaissance Show Fountain
- Day 2: Morning on the Barnett Reservoir, the Craft Center and CW Organics tea room, bead bar at Allison Avery and a head spa, dinner at Tico’s
- Day 3: Bike the Natchez Trace, lunch at Cock of the Walk, the Retail Trail, movie at Malco, the Wildflower Field, snack at Buenos Aires Bakery, dinner at Anjou
- Day 4: Breakfast at the hotel, then fly home
Getting to Ridgeland, Mississippi
Ridgeland sits just north of Jackson, on the Natchez Trace Parkway, which meant our flight landed at Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN) and we were unpacking at the hotel 20 minutes later. We flew American Airlines out of Orlando (MCO) + Jacksonville (JAX) with one connection in Charlotte. (Yes, our first trip was cancelled due to a weather situation so we spent far more time at CLT than necessary.)
If you’re driving instead – and we will be driving next time – Ridgeland is close enough to Memphis, Birmingham and New Orleans (each a 3 to 4 hour drive) to work as a weekend trip for a good chunk of the South.
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Where to Stay in Ridgeland: AC Hotel Jackson Ridgeland
221 Township Avenue, Ridgeland, MS · (601) 605-1101
We stayed at the AC Hotel Jackson Ridgeland and in a town full of clean, new hotel options, you really can’t go wrong. We appreciated that we could walk to The Township at Colony Park, Fusion Coffeehouse and Anjou, and almost everything else on this list was within a 10 minute drive, which meant less time in the car and more time actually doing all the fun things.
Our Favorite Things to do in Ridgeland, Mississippi
Day 1 in Ridgeland
Dinner at CAET and the Renaissance Show Fountain
Our very first dinner in this weekend of magnificent eats was at CAET, an oyster / small plates spot in the same busy shopping area as the Ridgeland Visitor’s Center. Beyond the raw bar, the menu had lots of shareable plates like truffle fries and beef carpaccio, and the wine list is impressive. It’s a good call for a dressier first-night dinner within a few minutes of the hotel.
Even though Rachel shockingly wants nothing to do with seafood (are we really even sisters?!), she was a good sport and tried the oysters Rockefeller to appease me. I also had a huge piece of redfish, she had the first big juicy steak of the weekend and we experimented with appetizers like grilled peach and tomato panzanella and zucchini fries.
After dinner, we timed our walk out to catch the Renaissance Show Fountain, which sits right outside the Malco Renaissance Cinema Grill and runs a synchronized water, light and music show nightly from 6 to 9 p.m. It’s free, it’s a little unexpected in the middle of a shopping center, and it’s worth wandering over if just to stretch your legs after the first hefty meal of the weekend.
1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland, MS
Day 2 in Ridgeland
Kayaking and Hiking the Barnett Reservoir (“The Rez”)
We have a FULL day ahead of us, so we were up bright and early to grab breakfast at E.A.T.S Diner, a simple, no-fuss spot with all the classics like biscuits and gravy and beignets. (Pro tip: don’t eat the beignets while laughing.) Their mimosas came highly recommended but note that as in much of the South, you can’t order drinkie drinks before 10 a.m. Good to keep that in mind if you’re searching for a boozy brunch spot for a girls’ weekend.
After we grabbed iced coffees to go from locally owned, one-of-a-kind Fusion Coffeehouse, we drove up to the main attraction – the Natchez Trace. The Trace runs right through Ridgeland, which also happens to sit on the Barnett Reservoir. Locals just call it “the Rez.” It’s 33,000 acres, named for former Mississippi governor Ross Barnett and expansive and wild enough to forget you’re 20 minutes from a bustling state capital.
We split our morning between two spots: a walk along the shoreline at Old Trace Park, which has a great dog park, and a stop at the Reservoir Overlook along the Natchez Trace, where we strung up hammocks (thanks, Explore Ridgeland!) in the shade and watched the parade of geese paddle by on the Rez. If you’d rather be on the water than looking at it, Pearl River Kayaks has rentals, but we were attempting to stay presentable (read: not a sweaty mess) for the rest of our itinerary.
Old Trace Park: 422 Post Road, Ridgeland, MS + Reservoir Overlook: Natchez Trace Parkway, Madison, MS
The Mississippi Craft Center and CW Organics Tea Room
From the waterfront, we popped over to the Bill Waller Craft Center, home of the Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi, which former governor Bill Waller helped organize back in 1973 to give the state’s craftspeople a sustainable way to sell their work. (Note to self: start one of these at home?) What started with around 35 members has grown into a guild of more than 400 artisans, and the current building holds pottery, glasswork, textiles, Choctaw baskets and handcrafted jewelry, much of it made by people you can watch working in the studios while you shop. Rachel gave me a $50 budget and 15 minutes in the gift shop to choose something special, and I have worn my gemstone necklace from local artist Tina Loftin ever since. There’s no better place to shop local for souvenirs from a trip to Mississippi!
950 Rice Road, Ridgeland, MS · (601) 856-7546
It had already been a busy morning so we were pumped for lunch, or tea really, at CW Organics Apothicaire & Tea Room, the cutest little spot with an adorable backstory.
Owner Caroline Warner is a Mississippi-raised herbalist who built the business the hard way: fifty farmers markets a year before she ever had a storefront, then a retail apothecary in 2021, then a full tea room added in 2024 after customers kept asking for somewhere to sit down with their tea. Most of the mismatched china on the tables was donated by people in the community over a two-year period, so you’re likely drinking out of someone’s grandmother’s teacup – isn’t that just charming?
We ordered the tiered tea service for two and while every little sandwich and cookie was delicious, the caramel cake is the thing I’m still thinking about. We also took some tea home as souvenirs – there are dozens and dozens of flavors from high octane to light and fruity to choose from.
103 West Washington Street, Ridgeland, MS · (601) 707-7253
Allison Avery, PaTina Head Spa and Dinner at Tico’s Steakhouse
Ridgeland is known for its plethora of shopping districts, so with limited time we had to be very choosy about our shopping. I’m so glad we ended up at Allison Avery! We were surprised to meet Allison herself when we wandered in, and she promptly gave us the rundown. Allison found love with a Mississippi man and opened her flagship demi-fine jewelry store in Ridgeland’s charming Railroad District. You may recognize the Allison Avery brand from Vogue, Vanity Fair and QVC.
Above and beyond just browsing for sparkles, there are two hands-on activities you should add to your itinerary: the Charm Bar and the Bead Bar, where you build-your-own custom creations with chains, charms and beads. There’s also plenty of ready-to-wear baubles, and yes, I bought earrings to match my new necklace from the Waller Craft Center. Did not expect to come out of this trip looking more bejeweled than ever, but who am I to fight fate?
118 West Jackson Street, Ridgeland, MS · (601) 790-7068
Next was a highlight of the trip: the Head Spa at PaTina Hair Studio. Holy moly. Have you had a head spa treatment yet? If not, find out if there’s one near you and book today, or just plan a trip to Ridgeland ASAP.
If you haven’t had this magic yet, a head spa treatment is a long, luxurious scalp massage, with wash, condition, and exfoliation done while you’re fully reclined. It also comes with a neck and shoulder massage. Ours ran about 90 minutes, and neither of us wanted to get up at the end of it. Book ahead; appointments fill fast on weekends. And just be prepared to think about those 90 minutes every day for the foreseeable future.
108 South Maple Street, Ridgeland, MS · (769) 572-7516
Just when you think you can’t fit one more thing in the day – you remember it’s time for dinner and your first steakhouse of the trip: Tico’s, a Ridgeland institution since 1989.
Owner Tico Hoffman spent a decade at Ruth’s Chris in Ridgeland before deciding he could do it better on his own, and he opened his restaurant in a former fish house on a lot that used to be a putt-putt course. Thirty-six years later, it’s still a go-to spot for Mississippi legislators and lobbyists during session, and his son Jack now helps run the place (there’s a fried crab claw dish named after him on the menu). If you’re visiting while the legislature’s in session, be sure to book ahead.
1536 E County Line Rd, Ridgeland, MS · (601) 956-1030
The Celebrate America Balloon Glow at Northpark
We finished the night at the Celebrate America Balloon Glow at Northpark, a seasonal summer event where roughly 15 hot air balloons light up a field near the mall as night falls. And it was followed by early 4th fireworks. Check the calendar before you plan a trip around it as it’s only one day a year. Glad the timing worked out well for us and it was just down the street from Tico’s.
1200 E County Line Rd, Ridgeland, MS
Day 3 in Ridgeland
Biking the Natchez Trace and the Ridgeland Bikeshare
Our next morning started at Whirl Smoothie Bar & Coffee House in Ridgeland’s railroad district. Good acai bowls, good coffee and it sits right at a trailhead for the Chisha-Foka Multi-Use Trail, a nearly 10-mile paved path that runs through tree-lined, historic Choctaw homelands along the Natchez Trace.
Now, if you’ve read my book Flirting with Disaster, you know riding a bike isn’t exactly my greatest talent. However, Ridgeland was one of the first cities in Mississippi to launch a free, on-demand bikeshare, available for locals and visitors alike, so I had to try it for research, you know?
It works through the Koloni app: download it, scan a bike’s QR code, ride, return it to any rack in town. And it comes with a helmet?! A must for everyone, even if you’re actually good at riding a bike 😉
192 Old Town Crossing, Ridgeland, MS · (601) 201-0342
Now, I talk about the Natchez Trace a whole lot for someone who has only driven bits and pieces from Nashville to Natchez. I’ve never come close to doing the whole 444 mile drive that’s a part of the National Park System, but it’s long been on my list of bucket list U.S. road trips. All that to give you my No. 1 tip for the Natchez Trace: don’t speed! I fortunately don’t know this first hand, but I’ve heard speeding tickets inside a national park are more expensive than anywhere else.
After returning the bikes to the rental rack, we drove along the Natchez Trace Parkway, bursting with greenery on this hot summer day. Our final stop was the Cypress Swamp Boardwalk, where towering cypress trees rise straight out of still, dark water and the boardwalk creaks under every step.
Cock of the Walk, Buenos Aires Bakery and the Ridgeland Retail Trail
Back toward town and right on the Rez, we stumbled across Cock of the Walk, another one-of-a-kind Ridgeland institution. The restaurant built its name on catfish, and the New York Times’ food critic Craig Claiborne once called it possibly the best in the country. We ordered what seemed like a reasonable amount of food, but it surpassed expectations. Coleslaw and hushpuppies and fried everything to go along with the catfish, shrimp and chicken, all served up on tin plates with tin cups. It’s a whole vibe, and a perfect way to spend some time overlooking the Reservoir. Look out for the small crowd of geese hangs around outside hoping for scraps.
141 Madison Landing Circle, Ridgeland, MS · (601) 856-5500
From there we wandered Ridgeland’s Retail Trail, which spans a handful of distinct districts: the upscale Renaissance at Colony Park (home to Mississippi’s only Apple Store), the smaller and more walkable Township at Colony Park half a mile away, the traditional Northpark Mall, the eclectic little Railroad District, and the antiques-and-arts stretch along Highway 51.
We saved room, barely, for Buenos Aires Bakery. Owner Evelyn Aviles calls it a little piece of Argentina in Mississippi, and it’s the only bakery of its kind in the state. The real draw is a lineup of fruit pastries that take three days and four people to make: a glossy fruit shell over layered mousse. Rachel and I split three – mango, pear and pineapple. The shell shatters like a perfect candy shell, and the fruit inside is light and just the right amount of sweet. It’s not often that a “viral” sensation is actually worth the hype, but I’m still thinking about these fruity desserts weeks later.
500 U.S. 51, Ridgeland, MS · (769) 300-2698
The Ridgeland Wildflower Field and Dinner at Anjou
As the light started to shift, we drove to the Ridgeland Wildflower Field & Art Park, which sits right at the intersection of I-55 and West Jackson Street.
The field is planted heavily with zinnias, chosen because they hold up to Mississippi heat and drought. (If only I could get my zinnies to take off like these ones!) Scattered through the paths are sculptures made entirely from up-cycled scrap metal by local artist Harry Day. Visitors are allowed to clip up to a dozen blooms to take home, as long as you leave the roots intact and stick to the marked paths so the field keeps blooming for whoever visits next.
411 West Jackson Street, Ridgeland, MS · (601) 853-2011
Our last big meal of the day was at Anjou, a French bistro in The Township. Chef Christian Amelot trained in France, served as personal chef to a French Foreign Minister while in the French Navy, and cooked for Henry Kissinger before eventually landing in Jackson in 1984. He and his daughter Anne opened Anjou together in 2012, and now Anne runs it today.
The restaurant sits on a small lake with its own walking path and is in the same spot as the hotel, making for an easy meander back to the room. Go ahead, order the 2nd signature cocktail, the French Martini. You’re not going to believe this, but we had escargot, French onion soup, salads and we split yet another steak. I really wanted to see if Ridgeland’s moniker as Steakhouse Capital of Mississippi held water, and did it ever!
And we split a crême brulée, which at this point in our dining journey, was just absolutely insane work. But I’m proud of us for giving it the good old college try.
361 Township Avenue, Ridgeland, MS · (601) 707-0587
Day 4 in Ridgeland
Our final morning was quiet: breakfast at the AC Hotel, which had just added a new breakfast menu, then the short drive back to JAN.
A few spots we didn’t get to that we’re saving for next time
- Pelican Cove Grill, an open-air spot built out over the reservoir
- More of the Steak Trail: Ely’s, Shapley’s & Amerigo came highly recommended
- Aplos also came up multiple times but we couldn’t squeeze in ANOTHER meal, no matter how hard we tried
Ridgeland’s Trails and Practical Tips for Planning Your Trip
Ridgeland organizes a lot of its visitor experience around self-guided “trails,” and knowing about them ahead of time helps:
- Steak Trail and Culinary and Cocktail Trail map out the town’s restaurant and bar scene
- Mocktail Trail is worth checking if anyone in your group is skipping alcohol
- Mural Trail and History Trail cover public art and 22 markers tracing the area back through Choctaw travel routes and the railroad era
A few more tips for things to do in Ridgeland, Mississippi:
- Book dinner reservations ahead, especially on weekends. Tico’s, CAET and Anjou all fill up fast, particularly when the Mississippi legislature is in session.
- Download the Koloni app before your trip, not after. The bikeshare is free and genuinely useful, but it’s one more thing to set up on the fly if you wait until you’re standing at the rack.
- Pack for both a lake morning and a nice dinner. This itinerary swings from kayaks to French bistros inside the same 24 hours.
- Check event dates before you book. The Balloon Glow and other seasonal festivals aren’t year-round, so confirm on Explore Ridgeland’s site before you build a trip around one.
This trip was hosted in partnership with Explore Ridgeland. All opinions here are our own, as always.
Would I Go Back?
Yes, and sooner than makes sense given how many places are still on my list. When people plan a Southern girls’ trip or bachelorette weekend, the conversation usually starts and ends with Nashville, New Orleans, Charleston or Savannah. Ridgeland should come up in that conversation! What sold me is how much ground you can cover without ever feeling rushed, or fighting bachelorette-weekend crowds for a dinner reservation: kayaking in the morning, a head spa by early afternoon, dinner at a steakhouse that’s been open longer than I’ve been alive. If you’re planning a long weekend with your sister, your best friend or your whole crew, put Ridgeland at the top of your list for chill but fun Southern getaway.
For more info on visiting Ridgeland, Mississippi, check out all our other content on the destination:
- YouTube – Don’t sleep on Ridgeland
- Instagram Reel – 5 Favorites from Our Trip to Ridgeland, Mississippi
- TikTok – Ridgeland Carousel with all the Highlights
- Podcast – Coming soon!
Have you been to Mississippi’s Natchez Trace region? Tell me in the comments. Rachel and I are already talking about round two.