natchez trace travel guide

The Scenic Natchez Trace Parkway: our Ultimate Road Trip Guide

Most travellers would say that a really great road trip lets you explore stunning landscapes, historic places and amazing cities - and the Natchez Trace Parkway is all three in one.

The 470-mile road trip from Nashville to Natchez along the Natchez Trace Parkway takes 9 hours to drive, passing Leipers Fork, Fall Hollow Falls, the Meriwether Lewis Monument, Florence, Dogwood Valley, Tupelo, Bynum Mounds, Jackson and Sunken Trace.

One of the best things about the Natchez Trace Parkway is that for almost its entire length, it's free of development, so you can really enjoy this beautiful and unspoiled landscape, while still being able to visit some great towns and attractions on or near the route. So sit back and enjoy the ride as you travel a route that's crossed this fascinating part of the country for centuries.

Where is the Natchez Trace Parkway?

Natchez Trace Parkway, located in the southern states of Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi, is famous for being a historic cross-country trail used first by Native Americans and then by European settlers, to make the difficult journey from Nashville to the Mississippi River.

The forest trail that came to be known as the Old Natchez Trace has been used since prehistoric times, but it was President Jefferson who gave the order that turned the trail into a postal road from Nashville to the Mississippi River which, at the time, marked the United States frontier.

Back in the day when folk travelled this route in wagons and on horseback, they called the Trace the Devil's Backbone, since it was such a hard route to travel. It used to take up to 3 weeks to make the journey, and it was frequented by highwaymen.

It's a much easier route to travel now though, since the Parkway was constructed in line with the historic trail. The road is closed to commercial traffic, and speed limits are mostly 50 mph or under, so it's a relaxed drive that lets you explore some untouched scenery at your own pace.

Where does the Natchez Trace Parkway begin and end?

The Natchez Trace Parkway runs between Nashville and Natchez. It mainly runs through Tennessee and Mississippi, with a short section in the northwest of Alabama too.

The modern-day Parkway is a national park which follows the historic route of the Old Natchez Trace, taking you between towns, cities and former settlements which mainly grew up around this important trade and transportation route.

It passes through or near a number of towns and cities, including Collinwood, Florence, Tupelo, French Camp, Kosciusko, Jackson, Clinton and Port Gibson, and crosses the Tennessee and Duck Rivers.

The whole length of the route is a national park, but the road also passes near Devil's Backbone State Natural Area, Laurel Hill Wildlife Management Area, Tishomingo State Park, Tombigbee State Park and National Forest, Chickasaw Wildlife Management Area.

How long is the Natchez Trace Parkway, and how long will it take to drive its entire length?

If you join the Natchez Trace Parkway in the early morning, you could make the 9 hour 10 minute drive all the way from Nashville to Natchez in a single day.

However, that won't leave much time to stop and enjoy all the amazing places you'll pass along the way, so we'd recommend allowing 3 to 4 days to drive the whole 470-mile length of the route.

This means that on each day you'll only have 2 or 3 hours of driving, so you can really immerse yourself in the natural and historic sights you'll see along your trip.

The shorter route option from Nashville to Winona takes around 3 hours less, so we'd suggest taking 2 or 3 days for this 330-mile journey along the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Whether you're driving the full route or exiting at Winona, the section from Jackson Falls to the Meriwether Lewis Monument is the busiest part of the whole Parkway, so don't expect to have the road to yourself until you're further into your drive.

The shortest option of all, from Jackson to Natchez, only takes 2 hours to drive. You can make this manageable 110-mile trip in a single day. However, seeing as this stretch is also a popular commuter option linking the two cities, it can get busy in the morning and evening rush.

Best way to drive the Natchez Trace Parkway

The whole length of this route is stunning, whatever time of year you travel. As well as the many beautiful Overlooks that you can stop and enjoy as you pass, you'll find numerous trailheads which let you hike out to explore the beautiful surroundings.

Some of the highlights of driving the whole route include sections of the Old Trace that you can hike and sometimes drive along (depending on your vehicle), Jackson Falls, the Meriwether Lewis Memorial and Native American Burial Mounds,

If you don't have the time to get all the way to Natchez, you can follow the route as far as Mathison and then exit towards Winona. You'll cover three quarters of the full route, so you'll still get a real feel for the Parkway, with many chances to see parts of the Old Trace, burial mounds, historic settlements and of course, hike some fantastic trailheads.

By following the Parkway from Nashville to Winona, you'll find yourself back on the Interstate, so you can continue your journey to other destinations if that's what you have planned. Or you can be back in Nashville in around 5 hours, if you're taking a round trip.

For travellers with only a little time to spare, the drive from Jackson to Natchez is the perfect way to enjoy a part of the Natchez Trace Parkway. This route can be driven in a day. You'll still get a flavor for the area's beautiful landscape and fascinating history, and you can take some time to explore Sunken Trace.

Joining the Parkway at Jackson means you're right on the Interstate too, so it can easily be combined with a longer road trip – an East-West trip from Savannah or Montgomery towards Dallas would link up especially well, or join the Parkway as part of a longer trip south via St Louis or Memphis.

So, whether you have the time to drive the whole route or just a part of it, it will be a truly unforgettable trip. Keep reading to find out what's in store.

Driving the entire length of the Natchez Trace Parkway

This is a route that has been used to travel from Natchez to Nashville for centuries, so driving the whole length of the modern-day Parkway lets you revisit that long and challenging history journey in full.

You'll see everything that the Natchez Trace Parkway has to offer, and follow in the footsteps and wagon tracks of countless travellers in the past.

To join the Parkway, take the highway out of Nashville to Pasquo, where you'll have the chance to grab a coffee or refuel before joining the northern end of the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Soon, you'll cross the impressive Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge, and you'll really feel like your road trip is underway!

Seeing as this is a dedicated scenic parkway, it's pretty easy to navigate your way along the length of the route. Simply follow the road until you reach the final exit point at Natchez! However, there are a number of places to look out for as you pass them along the way.

Stop for food in Leipers Fork, or enjoy some time outdoors at Garrison Creek Park or up at Water Valley Overlook. Next, you'll pass Gordon House Historic Site, right by the Duck River, then continue on to beautiful Jackson Falls.

You can really get the feel for the history of this route when you stop at places like Old Tobacco Farm, then continue on past Devil's Backbone State Natural Area, Swan View Overlook and Fall Hollow Falls.

One of the most visited parts of the Natchez Trace Parkway, the Meriwether Lewis Monument, is you next waypoint. Then think about a short detour off the Parkway to visit Florence, Alabama, before crossing the Tennessee River just by Rock Springs Nature Trail.

As you carry on south, you should definitely stop off at Bear Creek Mound, the first of several Native American ceremonial mounds that you'll pass on this drive.

If you have time, take a short detour off the Parkway to visit Bay Springs Lake, then head back to the main route to walk through the beautiful Dogwood Valley and then stop in Tupelo, which as well as being the birthplace of Elvis Presley, is also where you'll find the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center.

From here, carry on past Bynum Mounds and then the towns of French Camp and Kosciusko which are right by the Parkway. Then continue further south past Pearl River State Wildlife Management Area until you get to Mississippi's state capital, Jackson.

If you're visiting the city, it's a simple run in and out of Jackson along the highway. From here, the last stretch of your drive will take you through Sunken Trace - one of the most visited parts of the Old Trace - and Brandon Hall Plantation. Then you'll pass Natchez State Park just before reaching the end of the Natchez Trace Parkway in the city of Natchez.

Driving the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez to Jackson

To reach the southern entrance to the Natchez Trace Parkway, pick up Liberty Road as you travel South West out of the city and it will take you straight there.

After visiting Natchez State Park, you can visit Emerald Mound, then continue north until you reach the lovely small town of Port Gibson. From here it's only a short drive until you reach Sunken Trace, which many say is the most atmospheric and special part of the Natchez Trace Parkway.

After around an hour, you'll exit the Natchez Trace Parkway onto Interstate 20, then follow the interstate into the center of Jackson to complete your short road trip in Mississippi's stunning state capital.

Driving the Natchez Trace Parkway from Nashville to Winona

If you're only following the Natchez Trace Parkway as far as Winona, you can save a little time by joining the Parkway a few miles after its starting point. Simply take I-65 south out of Nashville, then continue west past Burwood. From here, pick up Leipers Creek Road which will take you onto the Parkway just after the small town of Fly.

From here, simply follow the route south - it's impossible to get lost!

Along the way you'll pass many of the same waypoints as the full route, including Gordon House Historic Site, Jackson Falls, the Meriwether Lewis Monument and Bear Creek Mound.

You can also stop and spend some time in Tupelo as you make your way along the southern part of this route, then you'll pass the impressive Bynum Mounds.

After a few more miles it will be time to leave the Natchez Trace Parkway. Follow signs onto Route 82, which you'll follow west through Stewart and Hendrix into Winona, at the end of your amazing road trip.

Best places to stay along the Natchez Trace Parkway

To enjoy the Natchez Trace Parkway to the full, we'd recommend making a couple of overnight stops, so keep on reading for our top picks along the route.

If you'd like to see more options for an overnight stop along the beautiful Natchez Trace Parkway, check out our ultimate guide to the best stops on the route here .

Overnight stop in Tupelo

Whether you're driving the whole of the Natchez Trace Parkway or just going as far as Winona, Tupelo is one of the larger cities along the route. With plenty to see and do, and some great restaurant and hotel choices, it's the ideal place for an overnight stop.

Tupelo, which is around 4 hours out of Nashville, is best known as the birthplace of Elvis Presley, and most visitors to Tupelo head straight to see his childhood home. It's only small, as the legendary musician came from humble beginnings, so tag on a visit to the Elvis Presley Museum too.

There's more to the town than just its musical heritage though. Natchez Trace HQ is located right here in Tupelo, and can fill you in with more details on the Parkway and its history.

The Oren Dunn City Museum is dedicated to telling the story of the area around Tupelo, you can find out more about some of the places you'll have driven through on the Parkway.

History fans might also like to pay a visit to Tupelo National Battlefield Site, where a significant Civil War battle is commemorated, or the Tupelo Veterans Museum. The city is also a great place to go hunting for antiques - check out Relics Antique Marketplace to see what you can find.

Back on the road and not far from Tupelo you can explore the Dogwood Valley, a beautiful, wooded section of the Old Trace. A little further afield is Tombigbee State Park, a beautiful habitat full of wetlands and waterways where you can fish and hike.

One of the best hotel choices in town is Hotel Tupelo , which is more central than most Tupelo hotels. The hotel has spacious rooms which feature simple but elegant design with a nod to Tupelo native Elvis Presley and the 1950s and 60s.

There are all the facilities you'd expect here, including a fitness center and in-house restaurant and bar, plus a terrace with views across the town. You can also walk to Elvis Presley's birthplace from here.

Parking is easily available nearby, and as it's just off the highway which takes you back to the Parkway when you're ready to carry on your drive.

Overnight stop in Jackson

Mississippi's state capital prides itself on its southern hospitality, and as one of the biggest cities on the whole of the Natchez Trace Parkway, it's a great place to spend a night if you're driving the whole route or the shortest section which ends in the city itself.

There's plenty to see in the City With Soul, including the Old Capitol Museum. The Old Capitol was the state's seat of government during the 19th century, and at this informative museum you can learn about this period, when wagons still followed the Natchez Trace.

Rolling forward in time, the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum tells the important story of some of the people who helped shape the modern United States

You can also follow the self-guided Freedom Trail, which illustrates the African-American history of the city, and includes parts of the Farish Street Historic District. Or for a different view of Jackson, take a guided kayak tour through the center of the city.

With welcoming staff, spacious rooms and smart, modern design throughout, The Westin Jackson is an amazing place to stay in the city . It also offers a great breakfast, and with a pool and on-site spa you can treat yourself to some relaxation time.

The hotel is really centrally located. It's just a short walk to the state capitol and also near to Mississippi Museum of Art and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum

On-site parking will take away some of the stress of arriving in a new place, and seeing as the hotel in only a couple of blocks to the main interstate and highway, you can get on and off the Natchez Trace Parkway really easily too.

Things to see on a road trip along the Natchez Trace Parkway

From stunning hikes and historic sites to charming small towns, there's plenty to see and do when you take a road trip along the Natchez Trace Parkway.

What you can see depends on the route you take. If you drive the whole Parkway, you'll pass all the attractions listed for the shorter routes, plus some extra gems that sit outside of the other sections.

The Natchez to Jackson section:

• Natchez State Park - Centered around Natchez Lake, you can enjoy fishing and other outdoor activities here, or take a tour of one of the 19th century mansions which have been preserved here.
• Brandon Hall Plantation - A former cotton plantation, the historic buildings here have been preserved and now operate as a bed and breakfast.
• Emerald Mound - This man-made mound is thought to have been used for hundreds of years, as a ceremonial meeting point for local populations.
• Mount Locust - At this house dating back to the 1780s, you can now admire the historic building and also take a moment of reflection in the cemetery for the slaves who worked for the house's owners.
• Sunken Trace - This atmospheric part of the Old Trace Trail was trodden down by travelers over many years so that the path now makes a hollow through the forest.
• Owens Creek Waterfall - The spring which feeds this waterfall often dries up, but after heavy rain, this atmospheric small cascade can still be seen at times.
• Jackson - Mississippi's state capital is a rare urban break as you travel along the Parkway. Visit the Old Capitol Museum, or follow the Blues Trail and Freedom Trail around the city.

The Nashville to Winona section:

• Water Valley Overlook - As the name suggests, this hilltop overlook will reward you with beautiful river views, which are spectacular when decked out in fall foliage.
• Gordon House Historic Site - This brick-built house has been a landmark on the Old Trace for over 200 years. Even after Trace become less used as a trading route, locals continued to use the Duck River ferry which operated from the house.
• Jackson Falls - Hike up to this beautiful woodland waterfall – be prepared for a fairly steep climb though.
• Old Tobacco Farm - Tobacco was big business along the Natchez Trace, and this farm is set up as it would have been around 1900.
• Devil's Backbone State Natural Area - This is a great hiking opportunity, which follows a creek through the forest.
• Fall Hollow Falls - This impressive cascade is only a few meters off the route, so it's easily accessible even if you don't have time for a long hike.
• Meriwether Lewis Monument - One of the great pioneers of the United States, who famously traveled to the Pacific Ocean in 1805, was found dead as he made his way along the Trace just 4 years later.
• Rock Springs Nature Trail - Seek out beaver dams and watch the flourishing birdlife in this beautiful wetland area.
• Bear Creek Mound - This ceremonial mound, thought to be almost 1000 years old, has been restored after being damaged by farming.
• Bay Springs Lake - Take a short detour off the Natchez Trace Parkway to enjoy boating and fishing.
• Dogwood Valley - Lined with the dogwood trees that this section of the Old Trace is named after, you can take a relaxing and peaceful walk along the old trail here.
• Tupelo - The birthplace of Elvis Presley is a great place to pause and refuel, rest your legs or grab a meal. Take a detour to Tombigbee State Park to fish and hike if you have extra time.
• Bynum Mounds The oldest mounds here date from around 100 years BC, and formed a cultural meeting point for the Chickasaw people who built them.

Things you can only see if you drive the whole Parkway:

• Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge - Take a moment to appreciate the views from this stunning man-made feature, which marks your entry onto the parkway.
• Leipers Fork - This small Tennessee town is a hidden gem, full of great restaurants and boutique shops, and with a buzzing live music scene. Get a taste of bourbon at the distillery while you're in town too!
• French Camp - Visit the reconstructed historic village here to get a real feel for what life would have been like in the heyday of the Natchez Trace.
• Kosciusko - This much-visited small town was named after a Polish general who fought in the American Revolution, but one of its more well known modern inhabitants is Oprah Winfrey, who was born here. Take a stroll around the town's historic buildings and visit the Cultural Center while you're in town.
• Pearl River State Wildlife Management Area - Take a short detour off the route to enjoy hiking or bird watching in this peaceful wetland habitat.

Best time to visit the Natchez Trace Parkway

The Natchez Trace Parkway is open 365 days a year, but seasonal variation means you'll have a very different experience depending on when you travel.

The region enjoys a sub-tropical climate, so conditions can be quite hot or humid from April through to October, with temperatures into the 90s Fahrenheit during the peak summer months. There's frequent rainfall, so come prepared!

Winters here tend to stay mild, but temperatures can drop below freezing and there's a chance of snow right the way from December to March, which will occasionally close sections of the Parkway. Keep an eye on updates on closures and local conditions from the National Parks Service if you're planning on taking the trip in winter.

Also, be sure to drive safely, as there are no street lights on the road, and make sure your vehicle is ready for the drive – GPS coverage is limited on parts of the route. With cooler weather, most travellers prefer not to drive this scenic route in winter, as the hikes and the views are better from spring to fall.

Spring and fall are probably the most popular times to travel along the Parkway, with average temperatures ranging from 60 to 80 degrees as the seasons change. Popular Spring and Fall Pilgrimage Tours run for a month in each season, so popular attractions will be busier at these times – check ahead for dates to avoid if you prefer to have a quieter view of these historic sites.

In spring, you'll see wildflowers bursting into life. In May, the Natchez Trace Century Ride sees cyclists coming from miles around to ride up to 100 miles of the Parkway, so you might like to load up your bike and make this a part of your trip. Cyclists share the road with cars, so your drive is likely to be a little slower if you visit the same weekend.

Along the Natchez Trace Parkway, the fall foliage is some of the best in the US. It will be busy at times, especially in the areas closest to the cities.

During Fall, several of the towns along the Trace hold Harvest Festivals, where you can enjoy food and drink, traditional crafts, live music and horse and carriage rides. Natchez also holds an impressive Hot Air Balloon Festival each year in October.

Travellers should also be aware that, although this is technically a scenic drive, it's also used by local commuters. This means peak times can see heavy traffic on the sections nearest bigger towns - the perfect excuse to linger over breakfast before setting out!

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The Ultimate Natchez Trace Trip Planner

The Natchez Trace Parkway was literally made for road tripping! The parkway is 444 miles of beautiful scenery with no billboards, no stop lights, and very little traffic. As you drive or pedal or ride on the trace you will feel as if you have gone back in time. Enjoy this Natchez Trace trip planner!

Table of Contents

What is the Natchez Trace Parkway?

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a National Scenic Trail. It is a 444 mile road through three states beginning in Natchez, Mississippi, passing through the northeast corner of Alabama, and then through Tennessee to just south of Nashville.

All along the trace are historic markers as well as many opportunities for recreational activities and a lifetime of history.

History of the Old Natchez Trace

There is SO much history on the Natchez Trace! This is a very brief overview.

The trace roughly follows a trail that has been used by both animals and people for around 10,000 years. It is believed that Bison originally created the trail by traveling from the Mississippi River to the salt licks in Tennessee.

Pre-historic American Indians as well as the more recent Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Natchez Indians traveled the trace left by the animals for hunting, trading, and just getting from place to place.

The first recorded European explorer to travel the trace in its entirety was an unnamed Frenchman in 1742. He wrote about the trail and its “miserable conditions.”

Thomas Jefferson was the first US President to order improvements on the trail. He wanted a postal route to be built from Nashville to the Mississippi River. By 1809 the trace was navigable by wagon. However, it was still such a rough ride that was often called “the Devil’s backbone.”

By this time traders, colloquially known as “Kaintucks,” were regularly traveling the trail. They would float their wares by raft or boat south on the Mississippi and then make the long trek northward home on the trace.

Due to peace treaties with the Indians and the increased traffic on the trace a series of “stands” were developed. Stands were often owned by Indians or frontiersmen with their American Indian wives. The stands were a type of inn that offered basic food and shelter to those traveling the Natchez Trace.

The invention of steam power, the removal of the Indians from their native lands, and the completion of a shorter route to the Mississippi River under President Andrew Jackson caused the decline of the trace.

By the mid 1800’s there was very little traffic and the portions of the trace that weren’t being used by locals were returning to the wilderness.

The trace was a difficult and colorful place. It was traveled by animals, Indians, frontiersmen and women looking for a new home, anonymous traders just wanting to get back to their families, presidents, the postal service, the army…and now us…history buffs, nature lovers, and road trip aficianados.

The Development of the Natchez Trace Parkway

In the 1938 President Franklin E Roosevelt signed legislation to create the Natchez Trace Parkway. The federal government began construction of the Natchez Trace Parkway in 1939.

It was designed as a limited access two-lane scenic road between the river city of Natchez, Mississippi up to just southwest of Nashville, Tennessee. The current parkway encompasses more than 45,000 acres and is managed by the National Park Service

Things to Know About Driving the Natchez Trace!

• There are no stops signs or stop lights on the trace
• There are no billboards or other forms of advertising
• There are approximately 90 marked stops on the parkway.
• You will not see any commercial vehicles including dump trucks and 18 wheelers
• The entire trace is also designated as a bike route and bicyclists may use the entire lane. You will need to pass them leaving at least 3 feet of clearance as you go by. Always keep in mind a bicycle might be around the next corner.
• The speed limit is 50 mph most of the way but lower in certain areas
• There will be areas with very little cell phone service
• You can download the Natchez Trace Parkway section of the free National Park Service app to your phone.
• There are no gas stations right on the trace although there are plenty at the towns just off the trace.
• There are restrooms at some of the marked stops on the trace (though not all)
• Although most of the trace has very little traffic although you might encounter some near the bigger cities. (Near Tupelo, Ms was the only place we encountered any traffic and it still wasn’t bad.)
• There are animals, particularly deer, that might decide to jump in front of your car. Be especially careful when driving at dawn and dusk. All the wildlife on the trace (including snakes) is protected.

Here is How we Planned Our Trip on the Natchez Trace

We were two adults without kids driving the trace in a car. We stayed 4 nights in towns near the Natchez Trace and we drove it from north to south.

• Day 1: We drove to the northern end of the trace and began our southward trek spending the night in an Airbnb in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee
• Day 2: Spent the morning exploring Leiper’s Fork and then traveled south to a bed and breakfast just off the trace near Florence, Alabama
• Day 3: Spent the morning exploring the sound studios of Muscle Shoals, Alabama and then drove the trace to Tupelo, Mississippi. Spent the night in a chain hotel in Tupelo.
• Day 4: Spent the morning seeing the birthplace of Elvis and eating lunch in Tupelo and then drove the trace to Jackson, MS. Spent the night in a nice inn in Jackson .
• Day 5: Drove to the end of the trace in Natchez and headed straight home from there.

This felt about right for us. We didn’t get to spend much time in Jackson as we were heading home on the last day and we have already spend quite a bit of time in Natchez so we didn’t do anything there.

If you haven’t been to Natchez I do recommend spending some time in this quirky city! You can read my posts about things to do in Natchez , where to stay , and places to eat!

Planning Your Own Personal Road Trip on the Natchez Trace Parkway

So, I’ve told you how WE planned our trip but you might want yours to look completely different!

As mentioned above the Natchez Trace Parkway is 444 miles.

• The trace can be done in one long stretch like we did or you might do bits of the trace as day trips.
• You can spend a day on the trace or a week or longer depending on how much you want to explore the surrounding area.
• You might choose to stay longer in the cities off of the trace.
• You can stop at each and every one of approximately 90 historical and recreational markers along the trace or you can stop at none of them and just enjoy the scenery. Or you can pick and choose which stops to make!
• You can choose to drive from north to south or south to north. The “official” beginning of the trace is Natchez but you can go either way.

Really there are so many ways to enjoy this gorgeous and historic stretch of uniquely American and southern parkway.

Here are some more tips for planning your road trip on the Natchez Trace.

Natchez Trace Trip Planner: Important Tips!

There are none. The Natchez Trace Parkway is free to drive

Speed Limit and Traffic

As mentioned above the speed limit is 50 miles per hour and sometimes less. Watch the speed limit signs as you drive.

Usually there is no traffic at all! In fact, you might drive for long stretches without seeing another vehicle.

There can be a little traffic around some of the bigger cities as the locals might use the road to commute.

We found the trace to be blissfully traffic free, well-maintained and just wonderful driving.

Accessibility

Although not everything on the trace is accessible for varying abilities many things are. Here is a list from the park service of accessible facilities and features.

Where to stay on the Natchez Trace

There is only one place to stay that is right on the trace and that is at the French Camp Historic Village Bed and Breakfast .

However, there are numerous cities and small towns along the trace with chain hotels. You can also find plenty of nice bed and breakfast places just off the trace.

Here is a list from the park service of some of the towns with places to stay along the trace.

Eating on the Natchez Trace

As with places to stay there are very few places to eat right on the trace. The Council House Restaurant is one and it is also located at the French Camp stop. The Loveless Cafe is a fun place just a few yards off the trace at it’s northern end. The Dragonfly Emporium is a great little shop and cafe just off the trace near Collinwood, Tn.

In addition to those mentioned there are some great places to eat a little farther off of the trace. Tupelo in particular has some delicious restaurants. We loved Kermit’s Outlaw Kitchen and highly recommend a detour to eat there!

However, if you don’t want to get too far off of the trace to eat then I suggest bringing a picnic lunch, plenty of waters, and snacks.

Here is a list from the park service of some of the towns with places to eat along the trace.

Facilities on the Trace

There are bathrooms on the trace at some, but definitely not all, of the stops. We found them generally to be clean and stocked with soap and toilet paper.

A couple of times we noticed that the bathrooms weren’t open.

There were drinking fountains at some of the stops that typically weren’t in service. Definitely bring your own cooler of water.

Historic and Recreational Stops Along the Natchez Trace

These marked stops range from simple informative signs, to monuments, to walkable portions of the old trace, to hikes, to historic buildings, to Indian mounds, to waterfalls and springs.

Some provide tables for picnicking. Some have bathrooms and additional information.

Although the historical and recreational stops are all along the parkway they do tend to be somewhat more concentrated in the north. You may find yourself be making more stops with fewer distance between them. Take this into consideration when planning.

The stops will be marked with signs located approximately 1/2 mile before the actual pull-off. This will give you time to prepare to turn.

Check out this post about what are, in my opinion, the best stops on the Natchez Trace .

Mile Markers are Your Friend on the Natchez Trace

These milepost markers stand about three feet tall and are found along the eastern side of the road. They begin with zero on the south end of the parkway. You will find them to be very helpful as you drive between the various stops.

Camping on the Trace and traveling in an RV

There are three campgrounds along the trace. Those campgrounds are Meriwether Lewis at Milepost 385.9, Jeff Busby at Milepost 193.1 and Rocky Springs at Milepost 54.

The three Parkway campgrounds are free, primitive, and available on a first come, first serve basis. They do not offer electricity, showers, or dump stations.

The Natchez Trace Parkway does not allow dispersed camping so you will not be able to just pull over and set up your tent.

We spoke with several people who were traveling in RV’s and they did tell us that there are some nice campgrounds with more facilities in some of the towns along the trace.

The length restriction for RVs is 55 feet, including a tow vehicle, and the height restriction is 14 feet.

There are only a few of the marked stops that are not accessible for RV’s because they don’t have a circular drive.

Biking on the Natchez Trace

Check out this information by the park service about bicycling on the Natchez Trace Parkway. We saw a lot of bikers while we were traveling.

There are even some bicycle only campgrounds on the trace if you are riding long distances.

I can’t claim to know anything about long distance biking. My only piece of advice is that the road is winding and hilly at times and drivers can be somewhat distracted by the scenery so I would suggest that bikers make themselves as visible as possible.

For drivers please watch out for bicyclists especially as you come around corners. Also stop completely at one of the many pull-overs if there is something you want to see or if you need to look at your map.

Horseback Riding on the Natchez Trace

Horseback riding has become a popular recreational activity along the trace.

Please note that horseback riding is not allowed on the parkway itself but only in designated areas. Also horses are not allowed in the camping or scenic area.

There aren’t horse concessions available on the parkway but you can bring your own horse to the specifically established trails. You can also check out Natchez Trace Stables .

Traveling the Natchez Trace with Children

First, I have to be honest and tell you that we did not travel the parkway with children.

However, as a former homeschool mom of three who still finds herself always noticing educational opportunities – I think this could be a great trip for families.

If you are traveling with children then my suggestion would be to travel shorter sections. I personally would start with a day trip to see how it goes. That said, you know the interest level of your children.

I would definitely alternate the history with some fun recreational activities.

The park system has some coloring pages about the Natchez Trace Parkway that you can download for your children as well as a junior ranger program .

You will find plenty of places to get out and run around and have a picnic.

There are some short hikes that would be good for all ages and, best of all, there are plenty of creeks and water features. If you are traveling in the summer I would definitely bring water shoes, bathing suits, and towels in order to allow the kids to play in some of the creeks along the trace.

Unless you plan to get off the trace often then I would bring plenty of drinks and snacks.

Closing Thoughts About Driving the Natchez Trace

One word to use to describe the drive on the parkway was restful. It was amazing to be able to cruise along past gorgeous scenery with no 18 wheelers or gaudy billboards blocking the view.

We found our drive on the Natchez trace to be both peaceful and educational. I hope that you do, too!

I also hope that you will find my Natchez Trace Trip Planner to be helpful!

Let me know in the comments if you do and also please let me know if you think of anything that I have forgotten to include.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Natchez Trace Parkway Association

Tracing the journey of southern discovery.

Visiting the Park

The old Natchez Trace became a cradle of southern culture as settlers moved southwest and built towns along the road. The unique music, food, and traditions they created can still be experienced along the route.  Chickasaws, Choctaws, and Cherokees are renewing interpretation of their own cultures in their historic homelands along the trace.  American Indians’ contributions to the development of southern culture can also be explored on a trip through the park.

The parkway motor road runs through the park to connect the sites by leisurely driving, cycling and hiking. As the ninth most-visited national park site in the U.S., the parkway also contains the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, as well as numerous side trails, streams, rivers, and waterfalls.  Learn more on this site about how to use the trails to improve fitness and wellness in the outdoors.

Serious cyclists worldwide place the parkway on their “bucket list.”  We are working with Adventure Cycling Association to develop a pilot program to improve the cycling experience on the parkway and to make it safer for both cyclists and motorists.  Select specific topics from the list below to help make the most of your visit to the Natchez Trace Parkway.

The Natchez Trace Parkway Association is honored to have been the friends group for the Natchez Trace Parkway for more than 80 years.  We invite you to join as a member or to make a donation to help.

Explore the new cell phone tour we are developing for the parkway.  Click on “Visiting the Park”, then “Tour Information” above to access the tour.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected] or mail us at Natchez Trace Parkway Association, 203 3rd Avenue South, Franklin, TN 37064.

Natchez Trace Parkway Highlights: 4-Day Road Trip Itinerary

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Most American travelers are familiar with famous scenic driving routes such as the Blue Ridge Parkway , Route 66, or the Beartooth Highway, but when I’ve shared stories of my experience driving the Natchez Trace Parkway, the common response has been, “what’s that?”

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444 mile national scenic byway through Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi that follows the path of the “Old Trace,” a historic walking and wagon trail developed in the 1800s. The Old Trace was roughly based on original Chickasaw and Choctaw footpaths, but was repurposed by colonists as a postal, military, and trade route. Merchants who sailed their goods down the Mississippi River would sell their boats for lumber in Natchez, Mississippi, then walk the Trace back north to get home (where they might contend with robbers or hostile run-ins with indigenous people). “Coffles” of enslaved people were marched down the Old Trace to be sold at market. Soldiers in the War of 1812 followed Andrew Jackson up and down the Trace, and used it to return home after their victory at the Battle of New Orleans.

When you drive the parkway from Nashville to Natchez today, you’ll have opportunities to pull over at historical markers, ghost towns, ancient Native American earth mounds, remnants of 1800s traveler’s “stands” or inns, waterfalls, state parks, and even recent landmarks related to rock’n’roll legends. The Natchez Trace is a tangible journey through eons of American history in the Deep South.

It’s hard to narrow down which road trip stops to choose from all the options! This Natchez Trace itinerary pinpoints the top highlights you shouldn’t miss while driving the parkway over four days, plus additional sites you could fit in depending on your interests and priorities. If you only have three days, you could easily combine days three and four of this itinerary. If you have more than four days, you could spend extra time in Nashville, Franklin, Leiper’s Fork, Jackson, Tupelo, Natchez, or take a detour to Vicksburg.

Click the icon at the top left of the map to see other map layers, such as restaurants along the Natchez Trace.

How to pronounce “Natchez” : Having been born in Texas, I really want to pronounce Natchez similar to how we would pronounce the Neches River, like “naychis,” or at the very least I’m tempted to go for “natch-ehz” with a Spanish flair on the end. Both would be wrong. A common rule of thumb is to remember that the town of Natchez, Mississippi is pronounced by local southerners as if it rhymes with “matches.” However, the indigenous Natchez tribe would pronounce it differently. “The –chez portion of Natchez was kind of a Frenchized version on paper of what the French people were hearing when they encountered the Natchez Indians. The Natchez people who are in Oklahoma pronounce it ‘Notchy.’” – Jim Barnett, director of the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians .

Getting to the Natchez Trace Parkway

Most people will drive the Natchez Trace north to south, beginning in Nashville and ending in Natchez. This is mainly because Nashville is easily accessible from most other points in the country. However, if you choose to drive south to north from Natchez to Nashville, this will mirror the journey merchants would have taken to get home after sailing their wares down the Mississippi. People would have walked the Old Trace in both directions for different purposes, so either way would be historically “correct.” It’s up to you!

I approached the Natchez Trace from Colorado, so I paired this road trip with other fun stops in Kansas and Missouri before making my way south to begin the Trace in Tennessee. This added valuable context for me because I saw Cahokia , the largest Native American earth mound city north of Mexico. There are many earth mounds along the Natchez Trace and seeing the foremost example of such mounds, Monk’s Mound in Cahokia, really informed my understanding of them. I also visited Mark Twain’s hometown of Hannibal, MO , which lies along the Mississippi River. His books about adventures on this river have contributed to Americans’ national identity, and he undoubtedly navigated its waters to and past Natchez.

Prior to your trip, be sure to check the latest Alerts and Conditions on the Natchez Trace Parkway official website. Some historical sites or sections of roads may be temporarily closed.

When is the best time of year to drive the Natchez Trace Parkway?

Autumn is the best time of year to drive the Natchez Trace Parkway if you want to see the beautiful fall colors dominating its miles of untouched forest land. Fall is also when the Natchez Balloon Festival and Natchez Pilgrimage take place (there is a spring version of the Pilgrimage too)! The scenic drive is extremely pleasant and relaxed any time of year because it has low traffic and is heavily tree-lined and cozy, but when I drove it in winter, the lack of leaves and occasionally overcast skies gave it a slightly creepy tone. This also has its benefits; it depends on what you’re looking for.

In winter, because the leaves had fallen, I could see back behind the first rows of roadside trees in order to understand how truly deep the wilderness goes and how alone 1800s travelers must have felt while enveloped by it. If you’re someone who enjoys dark tourism , there will be plenty of ghost towns and cemeteries along the Trace to interest you, and going during a drearier time of year like winter will highlight their gravity. If you’re looking for a travel destination in the United States to escape colder climes in the winter, the Natchez Trace is a good choice, but don’t expect it to be like summertime there. It can still get cold – just not as cold as the northern states.

If you are excited about the waterfalls, you might consider spring or summer when they’ll be flowing more heavily. If you are camping, nights will be warmer in spring and summer. I was comfortable car camping on the Trace in winter, but I have a super warm 0 degree sleeping bag. The parkway might be slightly more touristed in summer than winter, but I would guess not by much. I hardly saw another soul throughout my winter trip and have heard that it’s pretty lowkey in summer too – the Natchez Trace is underrated!

Road conditions and amenities on the Natchez Trace Parkway

The road itself is smooth and in fantastic condition. There is nothing harrowing about driving the Natchez Trace, as it’s mostly flat and you will not be on precarious mountainsides. You only thing you might contend with is weather. The area can experience heavy rains and maybe even a freak snow storm and icy roads every few years.

Note that in order to maintain the integrity of the historic Trace, there are very few modern buildings or amenities directly along the road. I really enjoyed this; I can’t remember another time I’ve been able to “unplug” in this way on a road trip! I don’t recall any gas stations or cafes, though a few times I could pick out homes or farms buried back behind the trees. There are no advertisements, billboards, or stop lights, but there are wooden road signs signaling when to pull over for historic monuments and hiking trails. One thing you can rely on is that there are plenty of well maintained NPS restroom facilities all along the Trace.

You will need to get off the Trace and visit nearby towns for food and gas, which is easy to do. You may feel quite isolated and far from civilization while on the byway, but in reality it should rarely take more than 10-15 minutes to find a community if you drive off the Trace. I usually had good enough cell service for my maps app to guide me to the closest gas station, but I did lose service often enough that it’s a good idea to start thinking about where to fill up before you get into a “last minute” situation. You should also pre-download music and podcasts in case you lose service.

Camping and accommodations on the Natchez Trace Parkway

There are three free campgrounds along the Natchez Trace Parkway and they are perfectly evenly spaced so that you could stay in one each night on a four-day trip! They are the Meriwether Lewis Monument Campground , Jeff Busby Campground , and Rocky Springs Campground . In Natchez there are paid campgrounds, or you could choose a proper hotel.

These first-come first-serve free campgrounds have bathrooms, picnic tables, and potable water, but no showers, electricity, or dump stations. Campers can stay for up to 14 days.

If you prefer hotels across the board, you can stay in Hohenwald, TN or Florence, AL the first night, Tupelo, MS the second night, Jackson, MS the third night, and Natchez, MS the last night (if you’re not getting a head start on your journey home at the end of day four).

Day 1 Highlights on the Natchez Trace: Tennessee

The northern terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway begins near Loveless Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee. This is convenient because Loveless Cafe is a very popular spot for southern comfort food – if you plan ahead. I tried to go without a reservation and it would have been an hour wait! Luckily you can grab a quick and easy bite at the Biscuit Kitchen next door instead. 

Double Arch Bridge at Birdsong Hollow

Sometimes referred to simply as the Natchez Trace Bridge, this double arch architectural feat at Birdsong Hollow is the first stop that greets you soon after passing the Natchez Trace Parkway northern terminus entrance sign. Built in 1994, it received the Presidential Award for Design Excellence and is quite impressive in-person. Pedestrians can’t be on the bridge, but there is a convenient pull-off just before you drive over it where you can park and walk a short trail to a photography viewpoint.

War of 1812 Monument

When I set out to begin my Natchez Trace drive, my top priorities were the Native American earth mounds and Old Trace stands/inns. I’m not typically interested in war history and have never visited any battlegrounds. That said, war related monuments along the Trace did end up luring me, starting with this stark War of 1812 monument.

It’s just a stone pillar erected to honor fallen soldiers on the Trace, but something about it struck me. I had seen no-one else on the lonely parkway yet, and I was the only person at the monument. It was very quiet, and while reading about the hardship they endured while marching along the Trace, I looked around in each direction through the trees and tried to imagine what it must have been like in their shoes. I would have this opportunity for reflection countless more times on the Trace.

Gordon House

Unlike many buildings of the time, the brick home of Captain John Gordon, built in 1818, is still standing today. It was situated directly along the Old Trace and would have been a welcome sight for travelers who needed to use Gordon’s ferry service to cross the Duck River. Gordon served in the War of 1812 and the Seminole War, and was praised by Andrew Jackson himself.

In addition to viewing the house from the outside, visitors can also walk down to the ferry site. At least, you’re supposed to be able to, but I found this walk confusing. While attempting to read the (unreadable) information sign in front of the house, there is an obvious trail to your right which goes into the woods. I went this way for awhile before realizing it wasn’t correct. While facing the information sign, it turns out your back is facing the correct direction of the trail. You need to walk down the big hill into a clearing, where you’ll find a path into the trees which leads to a creek called Fattybread Branch ( map here ). If you are able to cross this creek, you can continue on the Old Trace until you reach the ferry site on the Duck River. I didn’t see an obvious way to cross the creek without sloshing in the water a bit, which would have been fine and not dangerous, but I knew I’d be visiting Colbert Ferry the following day and decided not to continue searching for Gordon’s Duck River ferry. The house itself was the main draw.

Baker Bluff Overlook

Shortly after Gordon House, there is a place to pull over on your left for the Baker Bluff Overlook. This is a quick stop to take in a pretty view of the surrounding landscape. I found some of the other panoramic viewpoints throughout the Trace a bit underwhelming in wintertime (forest overlooks might be nicer when the leaves are colorful in autumn), but this one was worth it.

Fall Hollow Waterfall

Between Jackson Falls and Fall Hollow, I much preferred Fall Hollow because it had a heavier stream. Jackson was barely dripping and had frozen icicles during my visit. If you have time to do both though, there is some interest to Jackson Falls. For that one you’ll follow a paved walkway down into a deep canyon and watch the water pour into it from the rim.

After Jackson Falls, drive on to Fall Hollow. The Fall Hollow site has two different falls. When you park and begin the walking trail , you’ll pass the first trickle almost immediately. Continue past this for the more impressive one. You’ll first walk by its source, and then the trail will bring you down to the base of the fall. The descent to get there may be a bit slippery, but it’s short. Just take your time; the view from the base of the fall is cooler than from the top! Once you’re down there you’ll also have a new perspective on the first fall. 

Meriwether Lewis Monument and Grave Site

If you’re camping, you’ll end your first day on the Natchez Trace at the Meriwether Lewis Monument and campground near Hohenwald, TN. Grinder’s Stand was located here, a place where weary travelers could book accommodation and a meal. It’s where Meriwether Lewis, of Lewis and Clark Expedition fame, had the last meal of his life in October of 1809. Late at night the sound of two gunshots rang out, and in one account, a cry for help, but no-one investigated. By morning, Lewis was dead in a log cabin. A replica of this cabin can be seen today. He was buried only a few hundred yards away, where a gravesite monument marks the spot.

The circumstances surrounding his death were mysterious; it was hastily ruled a suicide, but because there were two shots and his money was missing, some historians are not so sure.

A “stand” was like an inn and safe haven where traveler’s could rest, eat, and (attempt to) take sanctuary from potential dangers on the trail. As a long distance hiker myself, I know what a relief it is to arrive at a refuge or mountain hut!

Other potential stops on Day 1

• Jackson Falls : Read above in my explanation of Fall Hollow.
• Old Trace Walk : You will have many opportunities to stretch your legs and walk on surviving sections of the Old Trace throughout this entire road trip.
• Devil’s Backbone State Natural Area : A 3-mile hiking trail for nature lovers.
• Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee : A cute village for those who love shopping, antiques, and galleries.
• Franklin, Tennessee : A Civil War battle took place here and there is a lot to see in historic downtown Franklin. You can take tours of three Civil War era homes, including Carter House, Carnton, and Rippa Villa. Taking a detour to Franklin requires getting off the Natchez Trace.
• The Natchez Trace Parkway website has a list of everything you can see on the Tennessee section of the drive here .

Where to stay, end of Day 1

• Free camping at Meriwether Lewis Monument.
• Hotels in Hohenwald, TN or Florence, AL . There are some good breakfast spots in Florence and a fancy dinner place called Odette .

Day 2 Highlights on the Natchez Trace: Alabama and Mississippi

You have a couple options on how to start Day 2. You can begin by driving from your campsite at Meriwether Lewis Monument towards Sunken Trace and Colbert Ferry. After Colbert Ferry, get off the Trace in order to visit Muscle Shoals. Then retrace your “steps” back to the Trace and continue on to the Native mounds. Or, after Sunken Trace, get off the Trace and head straight into Florence, AL and Muscle Shoals, then visit Colbert Ferry afterwards. If you are planning to have breakfast in Florence/Muscle Shoals, that may decide your timing.

Sunken Trace

There are two pull-offs called “Sunken Trace”; the second one will come on Day 4. At this site, you can still make out three parallel paths where travelers tried carving different trails to get their wagons through the muddy, waterlogged, and “sunken” terrain. It’s a quick stop where you can pretty much look at the three paths, say “yup,” and then keep on your way, so not everyone may be interested in prioritizing this one. Personally, I think landscape archaeology is really cool. I get a kick out of being able to see cuts from pioneer wagon wheels still leaving their mark on the forest.

Muscle Shoals Sound Studio

Like Abbey Road, Electric Lady, and Sun Studio, the iconic Muscle Shoals Sound Studio is known to music fans around the world. Artists including The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cher, Bob Seger, Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon, and the Staple Singers recorded there. More recently, The Black Keys and Lana Del Rey have added to its history.

Muscle Shoals was known for the iconic “swampy” sound of the studio musicians who accompanied the artists who recorded there. This backing band ultimately became known as The Swampers.

Today when you visit the studio, you can take a $20 guided tour which is offered every hour on the half hour from 10:30am to 3:30pm. The tour I took was guided by the sound engineer Chase, who provided a lot of context for the “artifacts” in the studio. I put artifacts in quotes because Muscle Shoals is still a working studio, and Chase said they don’t clear out any of the historic instruments or furniture when modern artists come in to record!

Bob Seger’s song “Old Time Rock & Roll” was recorded using that Yamaha piano pictured in my gallery. Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Billy Powell wrote the piano part on “Freebird” on that Yamaha as well, though it was ultimately recorded elsewhere. The Swampers’ bassist David Hood had a special corner of the room where he always played; can you pick out David’s corner from my gallery? In the Staple Singers song “I’ll Take You There,” Mavis repeats the phrase “little David” a handful of times, a reference to David Hood.

Colbert Ferry

George Colbert ran a stand and ferry on the Tennessee River from 1800-1819. Andrew Jackson and his soldiers crossed the river via this ferry on their return from the Battle of New Orleans. Unfortunately the stand itself no longer exists, though you can see the clearing of land where it would have been located and look out over the riverbank to imagine how useful the ferry dock would have been before the bridge was built. 

Colbert had a Scottish father and a Chickasaw mother and was bilingual, so he was the perfect person to run a business that catered to many types of travelers along the Trace. When the Chickasaw people negotiated the treaty allowing the Americans to transform the Natchez Trace into a road through their lands, they did not give Americans all rights to the region. Colbert, as a member of the Chickasaw nation, retained the right to run this ferry (if you’re wondering why Gordon was allowed to establish a ferry on the Duck River despite not being Chickasaw – he came to a special agreement with Colbert).

Colbert was often referred to as a “chief speaker” representing Chickasaw interests. He traveled and met with presidents, including George Washington, to negotiate additional treaties with the US government. He even served in the Creek Wars and War of 1812. Despite all of this goodwill between cultures, ultimately he and his people were removed from their lands and forced to march towards Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears.

Pharr Mounds

The Pharr Mounds site is particularly scenic. You will look out over a large, idyllic meadow dotted with a collage of hay bales and Native American earth mounds. Eight of them, built and used about ~1-200AD during the Middle Woodland period, are spread over 90 acres. According to the National Park Service, some of them are burial mounds. You can read about the archaeological excavation of Pharr Mounds here . 

For context throughout the rest of the trip, you may find this chronological timeline of all the Natchez Trace mounds or this list by milepost helpful.

Graves of 13 Unknown Confederate Soldiers

Just outside of Tupelo, pull over to embark on a short 5 minute walk into the woods where you’ll find the grave markers of 13 unknown Confederate soldiers. Their final resting place is quiet and isolated, another opportunity to imagine what life might have been like for infantry who contended with unpredictable conditions in an America yet to be fully developed. Perhaps these soldiers died of exposure, untreated injury, or disease. This is also a place to reflect on the principles this country was (or wasn’t) founded on, and on whose backs. 

Civil War soldiers didn’t rely on the fading Trace as much as War of 1812 soldiers did, but they clearly found themselves on sections of it. As a result, some of them, these thirteen at least, died on the same trail that enslaved people would have been forced to march down in order to be sold at market in Natchez. Considering many Confederate soldiers fought to keep slavery alive as an institution, there’s some irony there. 

After seeing evidence of beautiful indigenous villages, stops like this juxtapose and cut through the charm of the Old Trace to remind you that the subsequent societies we built on top of them and the belief systems we imposed were not much of an improvement.

Note : On my Apple Maps app, there is a site called “Confederate Gravesites and Old Trace” that sits right on the Trace, and nearby there is another site called “Old Trace Confederate Cemetery” in the woods. If you put the second one into your device, it will take you on a weird suburban backroad where you can spot the back of the cemetery through the woods but you can’t park anywhere. Choose the first option, which has a pull-off parking spot.

Unfortunately, because of European influence, Chickasaw and Choctaw people also bought, sold, and owned African slaves. They continued this practice after their removal to “Indian Territory” on the Trail of Tears and even after slavery ended with the Civil War. Owning slaves was one criteria for acknowledgement as one of the “ Five Civilized Tribes .”

Elvis Presley Birthplace

Considering Tupelo, Mississippi is pretty much known for one thing and one thing only, it would be a shame to pass through without paying homage to The King!

Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in a small house built by his father, grandfather, and uncle in Tupelo. His twin brother was stillborn. His father Vernon had been loaned $180 to build the house but was not able to repay the loan, so the family was forced to move out when Elvis was 3 years old. They bounced around different residences in Mississippi until they moved to Memphis, Tennessee when Elvis was 13 years old. When he became successful, he ultimately bought Graceland in Memphis.

That first house is still standing in Tupelo, and you can actually go inside. With only two rooms, it reminded me of the historic 1800s stands that used to dot the Trace, which threw my sense of chronology for a loop. Elvis’ heyday was really not that long after the removal of Native American tribes from their ancestral homelands, and not that long after the end of slavery. In the other direction, Elvis died only 15 years before I was born, so I suppose my own lifetime is not that far removed from these events either.

There is also a museum on the grounds featuring stage clothes and casual clothes that Elvis wore, concert ticket stubs, artifacts that speak to the technology of the time, and contextual information about what it would have been like for their family to live “on the wrong side of the tracks” in Tupelo in the early 1900s. It is a small museum, so perhaps if you’ve already been to other Elvis-themed tourist attractions you might find it redundant, but as an Elvis “newb” I thought it was a great collection and very informative. 

You can also visit the church the family would have worshiped at. Since the ticket is more expensive if you visit all three buildings, I opted out of including the church. It’s $10 to visit one site, $15 to visit two sites, and $20 to visit all three. I chose the house and the museum .

Other potential stops on Day 2

• Alabama Music Hall of Fame : I was satisfied with my visit to Muscle Shoals, but if you want to dig deeper into regional music history, this museum is highly rated.
• Bear Creek Mound : This mound sits right on the border of Alabama and Mississippi and is one of the later examples from about 1100 CE. Prior to the mound, this was a village site with history dating back to 8000 BC. I think every mound is worth a stop, but this one is quite small compared to the others, and partly reconstructed after excavations . If you are trying to prioritize only a few Native American mounds, I would pick Emerald Mound, Pharr Mounds, and Bynum Mounds.
• Tishomingo State Park : Tishomingo was the last Chickasaw chief and war leader before the tribe’s removal to Oklahoma.
• Chickasaw Village Site : A Chickasaw village once stood here, but there is little remaining evidence. It is more of an interpretive site with some informational signs and depressions in the earth where we can assume structures once stood. They’ve been paved over to highlight the outlines, which seems like an odd choice from a preservation standpoint.
• Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center .
• Woodall Mountain : If you are a peakbagger, this is the tallest peak in Mississippi at 806 feet.
• Rock Spring Nature Trail : This is just over the river on the opposite bank from Colbert Ferry. After stopping so long for Muscle Shoals, I wasn’t in the mood to do a walk and wanted to put some driving mileage under my belt to get back on the Trace. I skipped this one, but the peaceful pictures make me regret that a little.
• Tupelo National Battlefield and Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield .
• The Natchez Trace Parkway website has a list of everything you can see from milepost 341.7-249.6 in Alabama and Mississippi here .

Where to stay, end of Day 2

• Free camping at Jeff Busby Campground. There is a nice lookout point called “Little Mountain” that you can check out at Jeff Busby even if you don’t plan on staying to camp, though I think the forested view is probably more impressive when there are leaves on the trees. If you camp at Jeff Busby tonight, then you will pass by Bynum Mounds on the way and I would recommend adding that to your list of stops for today instead of tomorrow.
• Hotels in Tupelo, MS .

As you leave Tupelo behind, you are making your way out of ancestral Chickasaw lands and into Choctaw territory.

Day 3 Highlights on the Natchez Trace: Mississippi

Bynum mounds .

If you stayed in Tupelo last night instead of camping at Jeff Busby, then the Bynum Mounds are your first stop on morning three. The two surviving Bynum Mounds are the earliest examples of Native American earth mounds that you’ll find along the Natchez Trace, dating to the Middle Woodland Period between 100 BCE-100 CE. Human remains were found in the mounds they excavated on this site. I enjoyed this site because you can take a paved walkway up close to the mounds.

French Camp Historic Village

French Camp is so named because it was established in 1812 by Frenchman Louis LeFleur, who ran a stand to accommodate travelers on the Natchez Trace. More businesses set up shop around him, and soon there was a small village. Today about 200 people live at French Camp, in more modern homes of course, but some historic buildings are still standing. Drive or walk a loop road to visit the old blacksmith shop, Colonel James Drane House, the Alumni Museum with Natchez Trace memorabilia, and some kind of barn building that has cute miniature ponies outside! With no-one around to explain, I was confused as to why a seemingly working and active stable was mixed in with the old 1800s log cabins. 

Make sure you time your trip so that you aren’t visiting French Camp on a Sunday! I really messed up in this regard. Gift shops and other buildings are closed on Sundays. The quaint Council House restaurant with its consistently well-rated cuisine is a main draw of French Camp, and it’s also closed on Sundays. It’s attached to an 1840s building so that you feel as if you’re experiencing the same hospitality you might have enjoyed in LeFleur’s day. The problem is that the two museums in Jackson are free on Sundays , so if you’re trying to see French Camp and the Jackson museums on the same day, Sunday is both good and bad. You might time it so that you visit French Camp on a Saturday, stay in Jackson overnight, and visit the Jackson museums first thing Sunday morning.

“LeFleur married a Choctaw woman. Their famous son who changed his name to Greenwood Leflore, became a Choctaw chief and a Mississippi State Senator. Named after him are the city of Greenwood and the county of Leflore.” NPS

Cole Creek and Cypress Swamp

The swamps were some of my favorite stops along the entire Natchez Trace Parkway! Having grown up in southeast Texas, I’ve contended with my fair share of mosquito-ridden, hurricane-ravished, smelly swamplands, but the baldcypress and water tupelo swamps at Cole Creek and Cypress Swamp were something else entirely. Rather than rotting, decaying cesspools, these water forests were pristine and elegant. The trees twist and turn like artful sculptures, and the water reflects rainbow color palettes.

There are two separate swamp stops, each with boardwalks that allow you to venture on short interpretive nature trails. The first and shorter stop is Cole Creek, and about an hour’s drive later you’ll come to the longer Cypress Swamp stop. Since I was particularly enchanted by these walks, I would recommend stopping at both, but if you want to prioritize one over the other, go with Cypress Swamp. 

As you make your way into Jackson, Mississippi, don’t forget to cue up Johnny Cash and June Carter’s “Jackson” on your radio!

Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Museum of Mississippi History

These two museums in Jackson are brand new and immaculate.

The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum ’s mission is to “document, exhibit the history of, and educate the public about the American Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. state of Mississippi between 1945 and 1970.” Touring the museum’s eight galleries will teach visitors about Jim Crow Laws, Brown vs. Board of Education , the murders of Vernon Dahmer, Medgar Evers, and Emmett Till, the practice of lynching, the formation of the KKK, the Freedom Riders, the Biloxi Wade-In, and more. The museum also looks back on the experiences of the first enslaved Africans shipped to Virginia in 1619 and Caribbeans brought to Mississippi in 1721. 

You could spend hours in this museum, and most people pair it with visiting the Museum of Mississippi History , which covers 15,000 years from the mound-builders to present day. This really puts a lot of what you’ve been seeing along the Natchez Trace into context. Some travelers on the Natchez Trace may want to dedicate an extra day to staying around Jackson to experience both museums fully.

Both museums are closed on Mondays but have FREE entrance on Sundays! Otherwise, general admission includes both museums for $15 per adult.

Jackson is also a good place to stop for lunch. Check out the restaurant layer on my Google Map above .

Rocky Springs Townsite

If you are camping, you’ll end Day 3 at the Rocky Springs ghost town and campground. There is also a hiking trail here if you need to stretch your legs. If you spent a lot of time in Jackson at the museums, you might arrive at your campsite after dark and decide to check out the ghost town in the morning. If you decided to get a hotel in Jackson, then Rocky Springs will be your first stop on morning 4.

Rocky Springs was first settled in the 1790s along the creek that gave it its name. According to the Park Service, 2,616 citizens plus 2,000 slaves lived there by 1860. It ultimately declined for multiple reasons, including crop failure due to a boll weevil infestation, a yellow fever epidemic, and the Civil War.

The only building still standing at Rocky Springs is the old church, which apparently still holds services for surrounding communities (after I posted my pictures of it on Instagram, a friend from Mississippi told me he got married there!). If unlocked, you are welcome to go inside. Behind the church is a cemetery with graves dating throughout the 1800s. I assume some of the people buried there were victims of yellow fever.

Across the trail from the church is a loop walk with information plaques about Rocky Springs. Along this loop you’ll find two metal safe deposit vaults, left behind because they were too heavy to move, I presume, and the remnants of a cistern. One of the safes is the only remaining evidence of the Rocky Springs post office. 

Other potential stops on Day 3

• Boyd Mounds : Again, I made an effort to stop at every single mound site, but if I had to recommend visiting only the most impressive, Boyd would not be on that list since it’s quite small.
• Detour to Vicksburg : You’ll need to get off the Trace to visit the U.S.S. Cairo Museum and Old Courthouse Museum. Thoroughly exploring here could add an extra day to your Natchez Trace itinerary. If you do go, check out a self-guided audio tour of Vicksburg here .
• Raymond Military Park : A Civil War battlefield where the Battle of Raymond took place.
• The Natchez Trace Parkway website has a list of everything you can see from milepost 131-249.6 in central Mississippi here .

Where to stay, end of Day 3

• Free camping at Rocky Springs Campground.
• Hotels in Jackson, MS .

Day 4 Highlights on the Natchez Trace: Mississippi

This stop really drives home the meaning of the word “sunken” more than the other “Sunken Trace” stop from Day 2. Where the Old Trace path was soft with loess soil, thousands of walkers, wagons, and riders wore a deep fissure into the ground. I didn’t realize that was the case when I made this stop. At Rocky Springs the night before, signs explained how similar features at the ghost town were caused by erosion, so I thought it was the same situation here. I only parked and took a quick look, but you can join walkers of years past by strolling on this section of the Old Trace.

Windsor Ruins

The Windsor Ruins are not listed on the National Park Service’s official Natchez Trace Parkway website under “things to do” in southern Mississippi, so I’m glad I heard about it elsewhere and was able to work it into my trip!

Construction on Smith Coffee Daniel II’s Greek Revival-style 23-roomed mansion was completed in 1861. This opinion may be in bad taste considering a tragic 1890 fire left only these ruins, but the main draw of Windsor Ruins is how gorgeous the charred and slowly decaying 45-foot pillars look as they tower above your head. As I arrived early in the morning, sunshine glinted through the trees and highlighted the columns from behind, casting long shadows over the grounds. It’s a photographer’s dream.

Mount Locust Stand

Mount Locust is the only surviving stand along the Natchez Trace. By the time you arrive here, you’ve really earned it after seeing so many empty plots of land that require you to squint to imagine where an inn once stood.

Unfortunately, Mount Locust was also a cotton plantation that kept slaves; there is a cemetery behind the stand where 43 enslaved people are buried in unmarked graves. Some of these slaves were likely bought at Forks of the Road market in Natchez, which we’ll visit when we arrive at the southern terminus of the Trace later today. 

There is also a cemetery onsite for the white family that ran Mount Locust, featuring much nicer headstones. The same Ferguson-Chamberlain family continued to live on the grounds until 1944. Rick Chamberlain was the last member of the family buried here, and he was the first interpretive Park Ranger at Mount Locust.

When I visited in January of 2024, this alert was on the NPS website: “Due to storm damage the visitor center and restrooms are closed. The grounds, and historic inn and stand will be open intermittently throughout the winter.” I didn’t understand what exactly “intermittent” meant or how to plan around it. When I arrived, the gate to the parking area was closed and I couldn’t drive in. I parked outside of the closure and walked the rest of the way in. I avoided the cordoned off visitor center and restroom block, but continued on to Mount Locust and the cemeteries. I was the only one there. Signs indicated that visitors can enter the stand through the back door, so I walked around back and tried all four doors. I struggled to open three of them and didn’t want to force it. The fourth door opened onto a bedroom with creepy dolls inside. I shut it pretty quickly.

As I made my way back towards my car, two volunteer rangers were walking their dog and found me. I thought I would get in trouble for trespassing, but instead they took me on a private tour of the stand and opened all of the locked doors for me to go fully inside! They taught me more about the history, letting me know the background about Rick Chamberlain, that some travelers would actually sleep underneath the stand, that the high chair in the dining room is thought to be original and passed down through the Ferguson-Chamberlain family for generations, and that some historians belief Mount Locust was built on top of a Native American mound.

Emerald Mound

Emerald Mound is the second largest Mississippian Period Native American temple mound after Monk’s Mound at Cahokia in St Louis . If you only visit one mound on the Natchez Trace, make it Emerald Mound! This one is absolutely massive and has a paved walkway that you can climb to actually get up on top of the first square-shaped flat-topped tier. Once atop this tier, please do not climb up onto the smaller rounded mounds.

Emerald was built and used around ~1300-1600 AD (some sources date the beginning at around 1350 AD and the end as late as 1750. It was built over a prior Mississippian village that existed c. 1200 AD). Cahokia was abandoned circa ~1350 AD. This made me wonder if perhaps Cahokians migrated south and went on to build Emerald? Like Monk’s Mound at Cahokia, Emerald has smaller temple mounds on top of a giant platform mound. Of course, as we’ve learned throughout our Natchez Trace road trip, other mounds were being built all along the Mississippi River Valley since before Cahokia’s emergence.

Grand Village of the Natchez

As travelers arrive at the southern terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway, they’ll finally enter the town of Natchez, Mississippi.

The National Park Service believes the Natchez are descendants of the Native Americans who built Emerald Mound; when they abandoned Emerald in the 1600s, they established their new capital at the Grand Village site in modern day Natchez. If my theory about Cahokian connections to Emerald is correct, then this was the latest in a long line of southward migration before the Natchez were ultimately removed to Oklahoma reservations, or sold into slavery in the USA and Haiti.

A massive, thunderous storm poured buckets over Natchez on the day I arrived, so I wasn’t able to wander the grounds to check out the mounds, but the indoor museum was free. Here I learned how the Natchez tribe battled against French colonists in the 1700s to protect their homelands. I was also enthralled by accounts of Natchez cultural practices and societal hierarchies written by French ethnographer Antoine-Simon Le Page du Pratz. 

The chief of the Natchez was called the Great Sun, and the war chief was the Tattooed Serpent. The person who held the office of Tattooed Serpent was always the younger brother of whoever held the position of Great Sun. The Tattooed Serpent during the time of Le Page du Pratz died in 1725. At his funeral, many of his family members and servants were voluntarily sacrificed along with him, strangled at a temple atop a platform mound. The war chief’s body was carried to this temple on a palanquin, and everyone was buried within and around it. 

Forks of the Road

Forks in the Road slave trade “market” operated in Natchez from 1833 to 1863 and was the second largest domestic slave market in the Deep South. Enslaved people were brought here from Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, and the Carolinas. Shackles and chains embedded in cement on the ground serve to mark the location of Forks in the Road, a particularly heinous reminder of our country’s past.

There is a lot of charm throughout the Natchez Trace Parkway, but by the time I got to Natchez, I struggled to see it anymore. I had no interest in visiting the stately, genteel Old South mansions built from slave labor that are advertised as pretty tourist attractions. They are mixed in with poverty that’s been passed down over generations. 

I found the final day on the Trace to be extremely somber. Throughout the Parkway, travelers are physically confronted at every milepost with eons of history, and that history is often traumatic more than celebratory. You watch as beautiful Native mounds stop being inhabited, as enslaved people are forced to build new towns on top of them, and as tombstones of soldiers begin to dot the forest. It made me look around and wonder, “…and for what? So this could take its place? People had to die so that towns like Natchez could exist?” I feel bad talking down on what is many people’s hometown today, but Natchez is quite gloomy. A lot of towns that colonists created in Alabama and Mississippi did not turn out to be some grand wonderland.

While this may sound like a downer of a wrap-up to my Natchez Trace Parkway road trip itinerary, I think it’s appropriate. Elements of this road trip should feel unsettling. We are pilgrimaging through American history, which was not always noble.

Other potential stops on Day 4

• Owens Creek “Waterfall” : This spring would have once been important to the Rocky Springs community, but today it’s just a small trickle. It’s still a pleasant little stop, but a very quick one.
• Mangum Mound : This mound is rather large, and before I got to Emerald Mound, I figured this would probably be the largest example on the Trace. Since Emerald is bigger and you can’t walk on top of Mangum, this one takes a backseat as my second favorite mound of the day.
• Antebellum homes : There are tons of old buildings in Natchez, a few of which you can take tours of. Check out Rosalie Mansion, Melrose Mansion, The Burn, Longwood, Stanton Hall, and St. Mary Basilica. During the Natchez Pilgrimage event held in spring and fall, additional homes are open for tours. Third-party operators also offer history tours in Natchez .
• Natchez Balloon Festival : If you’re in Natchez in autumn, you might be in time for the festival !
• The Natchez Trace Parkway website has a list of everything you can see from milepost 0-131 in southern Mississippi here .

Where to stay, end of Day 4

• Hotels in Natchez, MS .
• There are free campsites 30-60 minutes from Natchez but they aren’t particularly well rated. Staying at one of the paid campgrounds nearby is more convenient.

Driving the Natchez Trace Parkway is so affecting because it’s relatively untouched by modernity and allows visitors to experience history as authentically as possible. There is rarely anyone else around to remind you what decade you’re in. It’s easy to imagine yourself traversing this route in the 1800s, concerned about robbers and the distance to the next stand.

Even if you never step foot in any of the curated museums along the Trace to look at artifacts behind glass enclosures, the roadside pull-offs teach you the same lessons more viscerally. If following my four-day Natchez Trace Parkway itinerary, I guarantee even the most studied historian or ecologist will come away with new perspectives on the peoples and places of the American southeast.

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This looks so cool, I honestly felt like I had already stepped back in time looking at the photos! Seeing Elvis Presley’s birthplace would be cool too – I feel like he had such an interesting life.

I’ve never heard of this place before reading your article! It sounds like an underrated place to explore. Thanks for sharing your recommendations for this area!

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Natchez Trace Parkway

• 1.1 History
• 1.2 Landscape
• 1.3 Flora and fauna
• 1.4 Climate
• 2 Fees and permits
• 5.1 Tennessee
• 5.2 Alabama
• 5.3 Mississippi
• 7 Stay safe

The Natchez Trace is a 444-mile-long (715 km) national parkway that runs from Nashville in Central Tennessee to the town of Natchez in Mississippi . The route has been in use from pre-Colonial times and includes exceptional scenery, Indian burial mounds, overlooks, hiking trails, nature exhibits, and sites of historic interest. There are no commercial vehicles allowed on the road, making the route a laid-back journey through the Southeast. Although its length is impressive, the park averages only 800 feet (about 240 m) in width.

Understand [ edit ]

History [ edit ].

The parkway follows the old Natchez trace from Natchez to Nashville. The trace originated as a footpath used by Native Americans and early explorers to travel across the region. In the late 1700s, the route was heavily used by Ohio Valley farmers, who floated their goods down the Mississippi, sold their flatboats for lumber, and then returned home on foot. These "Kaintucks" often walked the trace's approximately 500-mile (800-km) distance in just 30 days. By 1820, over 20 "stands" (inns) were located along the route to cater to the increasing traffic.

Landscape [ edit ]

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a haven of biodiversity because it traverses a variety of ecosystems that possess an amazing array of natural features. The southern portion of the park features bayous and swamps situated in the floodplains of meandering rivers. Man-made impoundments of flowing watercourses have created small ponds and massive lakes with miles of shoreline. As the park rises in elevation, outcrops of limestone become apparent, some of which contain caves and fossils. Limestone is also the parent material underlying the park's remnant prairies. The natural features most readily visible, however, are the vast tracts of eastern deciduous forest lining the parkway motor road.

Flora and fauna [ edit ]

As a 444-mile-long National Parkway, the Natchez Trace Parkway provides a safe corridor for wildlife to move between neighboring national forests, state parks, and other public lands. While traveling on the parkway, visitors may see mammals on the move, especially around dawn and dusk. Deer are quite common, but a lucky traveler may have a chance to see a coyote, fox, or armadillo. While black bear have been confirmed on the parkway, a bear sighting is extremely rare.

Several of the parkway's pull-offs are noted for their quality birding opportunities. Wading birds such as great blue herons, great egrets and double-crested cormorants can be seen from the Ross Barnett Reservoir, Ten-Tom Waterway, or Colbert Ferry. Songbirds such as buntings, cardinals, cedar waxwings and scarlet tanagers are commonly seen from the Rocky Springs, Jeff Busby, Witch Dance, Donivan Slough, and Meriwether Lewis nature trails. Raptors such as bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, Mississippi kites, and kestrels have been seen in the skies at Chickasaw Village, Pharr Mounds, Water Valley Overlook and Birdsong Hollow. The parkway's grasslands are home to killdeer, whip-poor-wills, and the Northern bobwhite. Hundreds of people visit Rock Spring every fall to witness the ruby-throated hummingbirds feasting on jewelweed nectar. Featured on the North Alabama Birding Trail, both Rock Spring and Colbert Ferry provide excellent birding opportunities throughout the year. In addition, turkey, Canada geese, vultures, and hawks are often visible while driving.

Fifteen species of frogs, from big bullfrogs to stealthy leopard frogs, are known to live within the woods and wetlands preserved along the parkway. Newts and salamanders are plentiful within the park as well. Note that the park's amphibians are very vulnerable to traffic, particularly south of Interstate 20 in Mississippi, and frequently try to cross the parkway between December and March in an attempt to reach their breeding pools; please obey posted speed limits to protect them.

The parkway is home to over 40 different species of reptiles, including alligators, turtles and snakes. While reptiles may not be as easy to spot as many of the mammal species of the parkway, there are opportunities to see alligators at Cypress Swamp, or turtles along the numerous creeks and streams along the Natchez Trace Parkway. There are 25 species of snakes that live along the parkway, with only three of them being venomous (Southern copperhead, Western cottonmouth, and Canebrake rattlesnake). While the chance of seeing a venomous snake is rare, visitors are encouraged to use caution when hiking and picnicking along the Parkway.

The Natchez Trace Parkway contains a huge and diverse array of plant species by virtue of it being a 444-mile-long park oriented in a generally north-south direction. This enables it to contain representative habitat from four ecosystem provinces: the eastern broadleaf forest at the northern end of the park is dominated by hickory and oak species, while the lower Mississippi riverine forest at the opposite terminus features beech and oak species adapted to warmer conditions. In between the two extremes lie the outer coastal plain mixed forest and the southeastern mixed forest, both of which contain more of a pine and hardwood mix. Add to this diverse array of ecoregions the fact that the parkway traverses eight major watersheds, and it is not surprising that nearly 2,200 plant species have been documented in the park. More will surely follow as additional studies are completed. But while this diversity of species is impressive, more readily apparent is the ever-changing beauty of the park's vegetation, whether it be the flowers of spring, the lush greenery of summer, or the magnificent fall colors of autumn.

Climate [ edit ]

In the summer, expect hot and humid weather throughout the length of the parkway, high temperatures typically in the 90s (F, i.e. above 32°C). In the winter, because the parkway spans 444 miles north and south, conditions vary greatly. Expect very mild winters near Natchez with only occasional freezing. In Tennessee, snow and icy bridges are common. Spring and fall are very pleasant.

Fees and permits [ edit ]

There are no fees for entering the parkway, nor for any of the visitor centers, exhibits, or campgrounds along the route.

Prepare [ edit ]

There is no food or gas located on the parkway itself, but over its 444 mile length there are numerous options to exit the parkway and make use of services in the many towns located within a short drive of the parkway.

Get in [ edit ]

The combination of low speed limits and no commercial traffic makes for a very relaxing and enjoyable drive - popular with bicyclists, motorcyclists, and motorists. The route is fairly unique in that a motorist can travel the 444-mile length without seeing commercial buildings, traffic lights, or many other signs of the modern world. Rangers enforce the 50 mph speed limit, so the journey is at a slower pace than on most modern roads.

Drive [ edit ]

The parkway mileposts start at Natchez (milepost 0) and end near Nashville at milepost 444.

Tennessee [ edit ]

• 36.0343 -86.976 1 444.0 Northern Terminus. Intersection with Tennessee 100.
• 35.986 -86.99 2 438.0 Birdsong Hollow. Completed in 1994, this double-arched bridge received the Presidential Award for Design Excellence in 1995.
• 35.8762 -87.0346 3 427.6 Garrison Creek. Named for a nearby 1801-02 Army post. The area is a trailhead for horseback riders and hikers.
• 35.876 -87.029 4 426.3 Old Trace. The U.S. Army cleared this section in 1801-02 and continued southward with consent of the Chickasaw Nation.
• 35.86 -87.045 5 425.4 Burns Branch.
• 35.842 -87.059 6 423.9 Tennessee Valley Divide. When Tennessee joined the Union in 1796 this was the boundary between the United States to the north and the Chickasaw Nation to the south.
• 35.743 -87.205 7 411.8 Water Valley Overlook.
• 35.703 -87.26 8 407.7 Gordon House Historic Site. From 1801 until traffic on the trace declined, the Gordons ran a ferry across Duck River here. The house was built about 1818.
• 35.697 -87.282 9 405.1 Baker Bluff Overlook.
• 35.693 -87.299 10 404.7 Jackson Falls. Named for Andrew Jackson, the falls are on the intermittent Jackson Branch that empties into Duck River.
• 35.691 -87.32 11 403.7 Old Trace. Take a pleasant walk on a 2000-foot section of the original trace.
• 35.665 -87.323 12 401.4 Tobacco Farm. Exhibits explain tobacco growing. A two-mile drive along the old trace begins here. The road is not accessible for travel trailers or low-clearance vehicles.
• 35.657 -87.332 13 400.2 Sheboss Place. A stand (inn) stood here. The Widow Cranfield operated this inn with her second husband, an Indian who spoke little English. According to legend, the inn was named by the husband's habit of answering all traveler's questions by pointing to his wife and saying "She boss".
• 35.625 -87.388 14 397.4 Old Trace. Here the trace marked the boundary of Chickasaw lands ceded to the United States in 1805 and 1816.
• 35.594 -87.412 15 394.0 Devils Backbone State Natural Area. Not accessible for RVs.
• 35.587 -87.425 16 392.5 Swan View Overlook.
• 35.581 -87.429 17 391.9 Fall Hollow. This stop offers a short walk to a waterfall.
• 35.572 -87.428 18 390.7 Phosphate Mine. A short hike leads to an old phosphate mine.

• 35.52 -87.452 19 385.9 Meriwether Lewis. The co-leader of the Lewis & Clark expedition is buried here, having died unexpectedly on his way to Washington. Campground, picnic area, ranger station.
• 35.474 -87.47 20 382.8 Metal Ford. Travelers crossed the Buffalo River here; the remnants of an ironworks and McLish's stand are nearby.
• 35.442 -87.476 21 381.8 Napier Mine. Miners worked this open pit mine in the 1800s.
• 35.407 -87.518 22 377.8 Jacks Branch. Picnic area and restrooms.
• 35.39 -87.529 23 375.8 Old Trace Drive. A 2.5 mile long road follows the original trace route. Not for travel trailers.
• 35.29 -87.602 24 367.3 Dogwood Mudhole. The often impassable mudhole provided an obstacle for early travelers and lies a mile south of this location.
• 35.269 -87.617 25 364.5 Glenwood Branch. Picnic area, restrooms.
• 35.256 -87.633 26 363.0 Sweetwater Branch. A 20-minute self-guiding trail follows this fast-flowing stream; seasonal wildflowers.
• 35.148 -87.743 27 352.9 McGlamery Stand. Village bears the name of the stand that stood nearby.
• 35.117 -87.765 28 350.5 Sunken Trace. Three sections of the original road show how the route was relocated to avoid mudholes.
• 35.088 -87.794 29 346.2 Holly. Picnic area.
• 35.052 -87.819 30 343.5 Cypress Creek. Picnic area.
• 35.006 -87.823 31 341.8 Tennessee-Alabama state line.

Alabama [ edit ]

• 34.869 -87.897 32 330.2 Rock Spring. A walk on this trail along Colbert Creek takes about twenty minutes. In the fall this is an excellent place to see ruby-throated hummingbirds feasting on jewelweed nectar.
• 34.841 -87.918 33 328.7 Lauderdale. Picnic area.
• 34.841 -87.933 34 328.6-327.8 John Coffee Memorial Bridge. This span crosses Pickwick Lake, which was formed by Pickwick Landing Dam on the Tennessee River.
• 34.838 -87.944 35 327.3 Colbert Ferry. Chickasaw George Colbert operated a stand and ferry in the early 1800s and reportedly charged Andrew Jackson $75,000 to ferry his army across the river. Information (seasonal), fishing, boat launch, bike-only primitive campground, restrooms.
• 34.759 -88.014 36 320.3 Buzzard Roost Spring. Chickasaw Levi Colbert owned a stand nearby. Exhibits. A short trail leads to Buzzard Roost spring.
• 34.713 -88.038 37 317.0 Freedom Hills Overlook. A steep, quarter-mile trail leads to Alabama's highest point on the parkway, 800 feet above sea level.
• 34.662 -88.095 38 313.0 Bear Creek. Picnic area.
• 34.647 -88.13 39 308.9 Alabama-Mississippi state line.

Mississippi [ edit ]

• 34.644 -88.138 40 308.8 Bear Creek Mound. This ceremonial structure was built between 1200 and 1400.
• 34.643 -88.144 41 308.4 Cave Spring. A natural cave that was probably used by American Indians.
• 34.612 -88.187 42 304.5 Tishomingo State Park. The park is named for a Chickasaw medicine man. Camping, picnicking, swimming, canoeing and fishing.
• 34.505 -88.316 43 293.4 Bay Springs Lake. Lake and dam access.
• 34.505 -88.325 44 293.2 Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and Jamie L. Whitten Bridge. The waterway makes 459 miles navigable between the Gulf of Mexico and the Tennessee River. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers administers the waterway and nearby visitor center.
• 34.47 -88.418 45 286.7 Pharr Mounds. This 90-acre complex of eight burial mounds is between 1800 and 2000 years old. Restrooms.
• 34.47 -88.448 46 283.3 Donivan Slough. Self-guiding trail. Allow twenty minutes to walk through an area where occasional flooding influences plant varieties.
• 34.434 -88.55 47 278.4 Twentymile Bottom Overlook. This area along the stream typifies the landscape of the old trace. Not for travel trailers.
• 34.425 -88.587 48 275.2 Dogwood Valley. Self-guiding trail that winds through dogwood trees for fifteen minutes.
• 34.365 -88.68 49 269.4 Confederate Gravesites and Old Trace. A short walk leads to the graves of thirteen unknown Confederate soldiers.

• 34.325 -88.709 50 266.0 Parkway Visitor Center (parkway headquarters). A self-guiding trail goes through forest regrowth; allow about twenty minutes. Exhibits, information, orientation program, restrooms. You can reach Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site from here via Miss. 145 north to Miss. 370 west.
• 34.302 -88.728 51 263.9 Old Town Overlook. Views of Old Town Creek and its floodplain.
• 34.234 -88.774 52 261.8 Chickasaw Village Site. Exhibits portray daily life and history at the Chickasaw village that stood here. A self-guiding trail features plants used by the Chickasaw.
• 34.252 -88.732 53 259.7 Tupelo National Battlefield. The 1864 battle took place one mile east on Miss. 6.
• 34.144 -88.827 54 251.9 Black Belt Overlook. This once-vast prairie has rich, black soil.
• 34.126 -88.839 55 251.1 Chickasaw Council House. Pontatok, the capital of the Chickasaw Nation in the 1820s, was located here. Picnic area.
• 34.108 -88.862 56 249.6 Tockshish. John McIntosh settled here in 1770. After the Natchez Trace was declared a national Post Road in 1800 the stand became the midway point where post riders from Natchez and Nashville met up, exchanged mailbags, and returned.
• 34.068 -88.867 57 245.6 Monroe Mission. Chickasaw learned trades at the mission. Picnic area.
• 34.063 -88.875 58 243.3 Hernando de Soto. The Spanish explorer spent the 1540-41 winter near here.
• 34.039 -88.885 59 243.1 Davis Lake. Access point to U.S. Forest Service picnicking and summer camping area.
• 34.02 -88.898 60 241.4 Chickasaw Agency. Agency for the Chickasaw was located here from 1801 to 1825.
• 33.915 -88.941 61 233.2 Witch Dance. Horse trail access, bike-only primitive campground, picnicking, restrooms.

• 33.904 -88.94 62 232.4 Bynum Mounds. Prehistoric people built these mounds between 2100 and 1800 years ago. Exhibits.
• 33.777 -89.012 63 221.4 Old Trace. See part of the original trace.
• 33.666 -89.065 64 214.5 Dancy. Ranger station.
• 33.65 -89.078 65 213.3 Line Creek. Boundary between lands of the Chickasaw and Choctaw tribes.

• 33.529 -89.151 66 203.5 Pigeon Roost. Nathaniel and David Folsom ran Folsom's stand and trading post near here. Millions of passenger pigeons, now extinct, roosted here.
• 33.494 -89.187 67 201.3 Ballard Creek . Picnic area.
• 33.476 -89.199 68 198.6 Old Trace. Part of the original roadway leads into the woods.
• 33.414 -89.266 69 193.1 Jeff Busby. Picnic area, campground, restrooms. Allow twenty minutes to hike a self-guiding trail or drive to one of Mississippi's highest points, 603 feet above sea level.
• 33.289 -89.401 70 180.7 French Camp. Louis LeFleur established a stand here in 1812. It opened as a school in 1822, which is still in operation. Sorghum syrup is made here in the fall.
• 33.239 -89.431 71 176.3 Bethel Mission. One of thirteen Choctaw missions; it was one-half mile to the northwest. Picnic area.
• 33.233 -89.439 72 175.6 Cole Creek. Short, self-guiding trail through a water tupelo/bald cypress swamp.
• 33.084 -89.528 73 164.3 Hurricane Creek. A short, self-guiding walk identifies plants found in different soil conditions.
• 33.046 -89.568 74 160.0 Information Center. Kosciusko chamber of commerce volunteers provide travel information for the parkway and local area.
• 33.035 -89.585 75 159.7 Kosciusko. Ranger station.
• 32.908 -89.626 76 154.3 Holly Hill. Picnic area, restrooms.
• 32.836 -89.677 77 145.1 Myrick Creek. Self-guiding trail. Take ten minutes to learn about the beavers here.
• 32.767 -89.694 78 140.0 Red Dog Road. Named for a Choctaw chief, the road was opened in 1834.
• 32.716 -89.697 79 135.5 Robinson Road. Dating from 1821 this road connected Jackson and Columbus, Miss. Picnic area.

• 32.657 -89.784 80 130.9 Yockanookany. Quiet rest stop.
• 32.645 -89.813 81 128.4 Upper Choctaw Boundary. Self-guiding trail. Allow ten minutes to walk in an area that features southern pines. A row of trees marks this dividing line.
• 32.589 -89.862 82 122.6 River Bend. Picnic area, restrooms.
• 32.579 -89.865 83 122.0 Cypress Swamp. Twenty minute self-guiding trail through a water tupelo/bald cypress swamp.
• 32.465 -90.055 84 107.9 West Florida Boundary. This old boundary ran from Yazoo and Mississippi rivers' confluence east to the Chattahoochee River.
• 32.451 -90.067 85 106.9 Boyd Site. These burial mounds were built from 900 to 1200 years ago.

• 32.438 -90.073 86 105.6 Reservoir Overlook. Ross Barnett Reservoir on the Pearl River parallels the parkway for eight miles.
• 32.427 -90.079 87 104.5 Brashears Stand and Old Trace Site. The stand was advertised in 1806 as "a house of entertainment in the wilderness". Part of the original trace is nearby.
• 32.429 -90.119 88 102.4 Parkway Information Cabin. (seasonal) Information, exhibits, restrooms. Allow twenty minutes to an hour to explore the trail.
• 32.433 -90.169 89 100.7 Choctaw Agency. From 1807 until after 1820 a brick structure here housed an agent who served as a liaison between the U.S. government and the Choctaw Nation.
• 32.389 -90.258 90 93.1 Osburn Stand. Noble Osburn opened a stand here in 1811. By the early 1820s, when the city of Jackson was founded, traffic shifted away from this part of the old trace.
• 32.348 -90.344 91 88.1 Cowles Mead Cemetery. Much of the Mississippi's history can be traced through the life of Cowles Mead, a stand owner along the old trace and acting territorial governor (1806).
• 32.271 -90.482 92 78.3 Battle of Raymond. This 1863 Civil War battle of the Vicksburg campaign was fought nearby.
• 32.226 -90.549 93 73.5 Dean Stand Site. This site served travelers in the 1820s and 1830s. Nearby is the site of Dillon's Plantation, May 1863 Vicksburg campaign headquarters for US generals Grant and Sherman of the Civil War.
• 32.204 -90.604 94 61.0 Lower Choctaw Boundary. This line divided - north and south - lands taken by new settlers of the Mississippi country from lands of the Choctaw Nation.
• 32.142 -90.738 95 54.8 Rocky Springs. A short trail from the upper parking area leads to the old townsite. Camping, picnicking, ranger station, restrooms, phone and part of the old trace.
• 32.068 -90.818 96 52.4 Owens Creek Waterfall. Picnicking, hiking.

• 32.002 -90.87 97 45.7 Grindstone Ford/Magnum Mound. Northbound travelers considered themselves in wild country once they crossed the ford on Bayou Pierre. Artifacts tell of prehistoric people who lived in the area.
• 31.975 -90.953 98 41.5 Sunken Trace. Self-guiding trail. Allow five minutes to walk through a deeply eroded section of the original trace.
• 31.944 -90.972 99 39.2 Port Gibson. Ranger station.
• 31.721 -91.172 99 18.4 Bullen Creek. A fifteen minute, self-guiding trail goes through a hardwood-pine forest.
• 31.706 -91.183 99 17.5 Coles Creek. Picnic area, restrooms.
• 31.689 -91.187 99 15.5 Mount Locust. Interpretive programs available February through November at this restored historic stand, one of the first in Mississippi. Exhibits, ranger station, restroom.
• 31.663 -91.201 99 12.4 Loess Bluff. Deposits of topsoil (loess) were blown here during the ice ages.
• 31.653 -91.209 99 12.1 Turpin Creek. Picnic area.

• 31.636 -91.238 99 10.3 Emerald Mound. Natchez ancestors built this ceremonial mound between 1200 and 1730. It is nearly eight acres and second largest in the US behind Monks Mound in Cahokia . A trail leads to the top.
• 31.621 -91.248 99 8.7 Old Trace Exhibit Shelter. See the old trace.
• 31.578 -91.294 99 5.1 Elizabeth Female Academy Site. Founded in 1818, this was the first school for women chartered by the state of Mississippi.
• 31.5455 -91.3687 99 0 Southern Terminus.

Sleep [ edit ]

There are no hotels located on the parkway itself, but numerous lodging options can be found in the many towns that are along the route. The largest of these towns include Tupelo and Jackson , each of which offers dozens of hotels.

Three campgrounds are located on the parkway. These campgrounds are free and available on a first come, first served basis. While restrooms with running water are available, they do not offer electricity, showers, or dump stations. Campgrounds are typically busiest during the spring and fall, especially during holiday weekends. Camping is limited to fourteen consecutive days at a single site or thirty days park-wide during a calendar year. In addition to the sites listed below, there are also a handful of campgrounds that are available only to bikers and hikers.

• 32.126 -90.75 1 Rocky Springs ( Milepost 54 ). 22 campsites, picnic tables, restrooms, horseback riding, and self-guiding trails.  
• 33.412 -89.271 2 Jeff Busby ( Milepost 193.1 ). 18 campsites, picnic tables, trails, exhibits, restrooms and an overlook.  
• 35.5159 -87.445 3 Meriwether Lewis ( Milepost 385 ). 32 campsites, pioneer cemetery, picnic tables, ranger station, exhibits, restrooms and trails.  

Stay safe [ edit ]

The parkway speed limit is 50 miles per hour in most areas, and this is enforced by park rangers. In some areas lowered speed limits are put in place to protect both motorists and local wildlife - for example, the area between mileposts 85 and 87 is home to a wide variety of salamanders and frogs, and lowered speed limits may be in place during times of the year when they are likely to be crossing the roadways. Please obey posted limits, both for your own safety and for the safety of wildlife that makes the area its home.

Dangers from wildlife are minimal and exercising common sense should prevent any unwanted encounters. There are three species of venomous snake in the area (Southern copperhead, Western cottonmouth, and Canebrake rattlesnake), which, while rarely seen, can be avoided by paying close attention to where hands and feet are placed. Note that all wildlife, including venomous snakes, is protected along the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Go next [ edit ]

• 36.159 -86.776 1 Nashville - The parkway's northern terminus is located in America's country music capital.
• 34.262 -88.716 2 Tupelo - Elvis Presley's birthplace is located just off of the parkway near milepost 260.
• 32.305 -90.185 3 Jackson - The parkway passes through Mississippi's capital city between mileposts 90 and 100.
• 32.337 -90.884 4 Vicksburg - Site of a major Civil War battlefield and home to the Vicksburg National Military park, this town is located about fifteen miles from the parkway near milepost 60.
• 31.555 -91.393 5 Natchez - The parkway's southern terminus is home to an impressive and historic cemetery as well as many Antebellum homes.

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2680 Natchez Trace Parkway Tupelo, MS 38804

800 305-7417 The Parkway Visitor Center near Tupelo, MS, is open 9am-4:30pm seven days a week. The visitor center is closed Thanksgiving, December 25th and January 1st.

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My Itchy Travel Feet

The Baby Boomer's Guide To Travel

Driving through History on a Natchez Trace Road Trip

This article may contain referral links. Read our DISCLOSURE

On a Natchez Trace road trip, you’ll experience history, culture and a scenic drive through beautiful areas of the South. Alan and I have driven a small portion of the road on a short, Natchez Trace tour .

However My Itchy Travel Feet Featured Contributor, Debi Lander from ByLanderSea , drove the entire parkway. She shares her Natchez Trace itinerary so that you can do that, too!

The 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway runs from Nashville, Tennessee , to Natchez, Mississippi . The recreational road and scenic drive links the Cumberland, Tennessee, and Mississippi rivers, while passing through three states.

Table of Contents

What is the Natchez Trace Parkway?

The parkway roughly follows the “Old Natchez Trace.” The historic travel corridor was used by American Indians, “Kaintucks,” European settlers, slave traders, soldiers, and future presidents. 

The National Park Service manages the Parkway ( official website ), so I think of it as a very long, but narrow National Park travel adventure . The landscape includes trails, campgrounds, historic markers, and bodies of water.

You’ll find the two-lane Natchez Trace permits no billboards, trucks, hotels or gas stations—and limits speed to 50 mph. It’s like taking a Sunday drive on a rural country road.

My girlfriend Judy and I carefully planned a slow, southern sojourn centered around the Trace. We would drive the route, stopping to explore and stay in nearby cities.

We hoped to discover American history , country music, and indulge in southern cuisine . While others enjoy hiking, biking, horseback riding, and camping on the Trace, we chose less adventurous, but more comfortable activities. 

The History of the Natchez Trace Trail

The original trail comprised a patchwork of foot trails stretching over Choctaw and Chickasaw land. The early travelers encountered many hardships among the swamps, dense forest, and rivers.

Over time, some of the footpaths were beaten down, creating long passages with banks so high travelers could only see what lay immediately ahead. Lying in wait were bands of robbers anxious to steal from the traders heading home. 

It took about 35 days to traverse the Natchez Trace trail by foot, 25 days on horseback. Life was tough, but the settlers, soldiers and opportunists were tougher.

Passing along the original Natchez Trace were figures from history such as Daniel Boone, Aaron Burr, Washington Irving, the great chief Tecumseh, David Crockett, Jim Bowie and Andrew Jackson. Even Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark trekked this route, although he died under mysterious circumstances at Grinder’s stand and is buried nearby.  

By 1809, the Trace had been widened to accommodate wagons, making it an important trade route between Nashville and the Mississippi River. It continued to flourish until the rise of the steamboat, then slowly fell into disuse.

By the Civil War, the Natchez Trace was all but forgotten though some skirmishes and battles were fought in the vicinity.

The trail would likely be lost had it not been for the formidable ladies of the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution). They brought the project to the attention of lawmakers and raised funds.

The National Park Service took over in 1938. The Parkway was finally completed in 2005.

Boomer Travel Tip

Use our road trip planner to make the most of your next road trip adventure.

Start your Natchez Trace Road Trip in Nashville

Judy and I flew to Nashville to soak in the lively atmosphere of Music City and take in a performance at the Grand Ole Opry . The next morning, we entered the beginning (or end) of the well-marked Trace at the Double Arch Bridge.

As bridges go, the Double Arch is a lovely thing, impressive in its simplicity. However, getting our first glimpse of the scenic Parkway, made us feel conflicted. We wanted to continue down the canopy-covered road, but our plans included a longed-for visit to Graceland in Memphis. Elvis was calling. 

We detoured to Memphis and found those ghosts of Elvis—lurking among his home, costumes and platinum records. The King still reigns supreme at Graceland. 

Diverting to Tupelo

Tupelo, Mississippi lies two hours south of Memphis; its claim to fame is the Elvis Presley Birthplace Park. The 15-acre setting features the wooden, two-room shotgun house where the performer was born.

The house is so small that it only takes about five minutes to tour. His family moved around, losing the home, but remaining in this neighborhood, until moving to Memphis.  

Of course, the Birthplace Museum showcases Elvis’ early years. The Presley childhood church was moved to the site and you can stop in a memorial chapel next door, built after his death. 

Two statues grace the hill above. The pair, entitled Becoming, symbolize the transformation of Elvis, The Boy at 11, to Elvis, The Entertainer. Well done!

Downtown Tupelo tributes include several colorful murals, street-side, and guitar-shaped artworks. Of course we visited Tupelo Hardware, the place Elvis’ Mama bought him his first guitar. 

Judy and I spent the night in Tupelo ( search for hotels here ) after dining at the Blue Canoe (renowned for its live music and Blueberry Donut Bread Pudding). A suggested Elvis-themed breakfast made me hesitant, but the King Chicken Fillin’ Station’s proved over the top delicious—as were the calories.  

Natchez Trace Parkway Headquarters

Before driving the trace, we stopped at the Natchez Trace Visitor Center in Tupelo to see the introductory film. As always, the National Park Service does a good job with their presentations; this one explores the trail’s history. Highly recommended.

The official Natchez Trace map (available at the center or online ) denotes the numerous historical markers, all designed to pull off and park. We used the map as our Natchez Trace trip planner, stopping frequently and occasionally finding something interesting enough to get us out of the car.  

For example, at the Chickasaw Village site, homeland to the tribe, we looked at artist renderings and walked a short interpretive trail. Plans to reconstruct a fort and village have not reached fruition. The tribe was one of many forced to relocate to Oklahoma in the 1800s.

At another marker, we walked five minutes to reach old Confederate graves with stone markers. A group of motorcyclists were putting flags on the gravesites. 

Need to update your road trip gear? Start with our recommendations for best road trip gear .

Stopping in Jackson, Mississippi 

Jackson lies just 10 miles off the Trace, an ideal place to spend a night . After all, it’s the state capital and boasts two fantastic museums: the Mississippi History Museum and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.

Good thing we allotted the entire afternoon. The two attractions jointly cover 200,000 square feet and include 22,000 artifacts. As recommended, we started on the history side and found the 1800-1900s the most interesting.  

The Civil Rights Museum

The state-of-the-art Mississippi Civil Rights Museum presents powerful stories . You’ll find eight interactive galleries with striking images and displays. Seven of the galleries encircle a central space, highlighted by a sculpture called “This Little Light of Mine.”

You move from the darkened galleries into the light as you work your way around the museum. The sculpture becomes brightest when the music of the Movement swells, about every 15 minutes.

I found myself pulled in by the clapping, swaying and singing. This spot is truly uplifting, a good thing because there’s no sugarcoating here. The museum tells poignant, often tearful tales.  

A lynching tree inscribed with names bears witness to the 600 Mississippians hung in the state. Other displays include Ku Klux Klan robes, the rifle that killed Medgar Evers, plus many informative videos set within small spaces—for example, the back of a police wagon or a jail cell. 

The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum highlights stories that Americans can’t and shouldn’t forget. It’s a must-visit while visiting the state. 

Dining in Jackson, Mississippi

For dinner, we headed to Babalu, a restaurant named after the signature song of the television character Ricky Ricardo, played by Desi Arnez, on I Love Lucy . The Latin-inspired menu features tapas and tacos instead of typical southern fare. Try their signature fresh guacamole made tableside along with the house margarita: The Baba Rita. 

For breakfast, boomers will love Brent’s Drugs , an old-fashion pharmacy/soda fountain that takes you back to childhood days. The place opened in 1946 and feels like a time capsule with real soda jerks.

No surprise, many scenes in the movie The Help (did you read the book?) were filmed there. Hidden in the rear of Brent’s you’ll discover The Apothecary—the most wonderful speakeasy-style bar. I wish we’d known of this earlier. 

The Mississippi State Capitol

In my opinion, state capitols are always worth a visit. They burst with grandeur and symbolic art.

Judy and I quickly popped in to the Mississippi State Capitol building for a self- tour using the visitor brochure as our guide. We loved the rotunda and thought it fun to see author John Grisham ’s photo on the wall (1983-90) when he was representative of the State Senate.   

Touring Vicksburg

Vicksburg also lies about 25-30 off the Trace but should be included on the road trip. The Vicksburg National Military Park ( official website ), a unit in the National Park Service, is the most visited site in the entire state.

Hire a guide (at the visitor center) to join you in your car. Ours was a walking encyclopedia with knowledge about the battles, the importance of topography, and what happened to those in the town. 

Stop for lunch at Walnut Hills Restaurant for a fabulous family-style meal. The table will be laden with bowl after bowl of Southern specialties: green beans, turnip greens, macaroni & cheese, coleslaw, creamed corn, cheese broccoli, fried okra, cheese grits, black-eyed peas, rice and gravy, plus a basket of cornbread and biscuits. 

Then, comes the fried chicken, honestly the best I have ever tasted anywhere—almost enough to make you drool. 

The Cedar Grove Mansion Inn , a bed & breakfast surrounded by manicured gardens, immediately put us under its spell. We indulged in the gracious charm of the Antebellum estate, honestly an attraction on its own.

Judy slept in the General Grant room, including many original furnishings. I enjoyed the General Sherman room.  

Windsor Ruins

Vicksburg could have kept us busy another day and night, especially if we’d been interested in gambling. Casinos do big business in Vicksburg.

Instead, we headed toward the Windsor Ruins near Port Gibson, getting a bit lost in kudzu covered territory. The ruins are all that remain of what was once a palatial mansion, but they make a haunting sight and favorite of photographers.   

Onward to Natchez

Driving again on the well-marked Natchez Trace felt like a breath of fresh air. The Parkway eliminates stress unless you can’t abide the 35mph speed limit. On the Trace, you’re surrounded by nature and feel the joy of being behind the wheel. 

Reaching the city of Natchez , however, wasn’t the end of the trip. We stayed two more days and basked in elegance and charm.

In Natchez, history runs deep and we specifically timed our trip to coincide with the Fall Pilgrimage of Homes, a semi-annual event when rich antebellum splendor shines. Historic homes, including some privately-owned homes, open for special tours. Costumed, knowledgeable guides share the history of the houses, families and city. 

We started at Green Leaves where the owner was our guide, a descendant of the original owner. An incredible variety of priceless keepsakes fill this home.

On the back porch, we found period costumes and were encouraged to try them on. Judy and I didn’t hesitate. We delighted in the opportunity and almost felt like real Southern belles. 

Touring  Longwood , the grand dame of Natchez, should be on everyone’s list. The massive, but unfinished octagonal house shows its designed-to-impress wealth on the outside. Only the lower floor was ever completed but it contains many original pieces and paintings.

Greek Revival Stanton Hall , built in the 1850s by a cotton merchant, remains one of the most opulent antebellum mansions to survive the Civil War. Thankfully, many Natchez homes were spared and therefore include fine antiques.

Many refer to Rosalie Mansion , built with red bricks in 1823, as Our Lady of the Bluffs. The house overlooks the river on the site of Fort Rosalie. During the Civil War, the home and grounds acted as the Union Army headquarters for the Natchez area, but the owner’s wife and daughter remained in residence.   

Judy and I stayed at the Monmouth Historic Inn , a gorgeous property with 26-acres of bucolic grounds. Overnight guests feel the colonial ambiance of the mansion, yet stay in period-looking cottages with all the modern amenities.

Their famed bartender will mix up the ‘best mint julep in the South’ to guarantee good moods. Even if you don’t stay there, drop by for a cocktail. Better yet, stay for dinner at Restaurant 1818 ; we feasted on a grand meal featuring decadent seafood. 

There’s more to Natchez than wealth. You can’t leave the Mississippi city until you’ve gone down by the river’s edge. Stop at Natchez Under-the-Hill , a row of riverfront restaurants and shops far tamer than the brothels, taverns and gambling halls that stood there 200 years ago.

Locals and tourists alike sip drinks at the popular Under-the-Hill Saloon . This area radiates a fun, lively atmosphere and becomes especially popular at sunset. 

Finally, it was time to return the rental car in New Orleans and fly back to Florida . Our Natchez Trace trip and exploration of cities in Mississippi far exceeded our expectations.

We learned fascinating tales of American history and savored much Southern cuisine. Road trips that get off the highways are the best way to see the USA and the Trace certainly offers a traveler many options.

Frequently Asked Questions about driving the Natchez Trace

The Trace has been a unit of the National Park System since 1938.

The Parkway can be driven in two days, but why hurry? Take your time by stopping at all of the pullouts, taking short hikes and exploring nearby communities.

Nashville, Tennessee and Natchez, Mississippi are the end points of the Natchez Trace. Those traveling south will begin in Nashville and end in Natchez. For drivers motoring north, the road begins in Natchez and travels north to Nashville.

The road is mostly posted at 50 mph, however some sections have a lower speed limit. This is a road for taking it slow and enjoying your surroundings so don’t hurry the trip.

You won’t find any lodging on the Natchez Trace Parkway itself, except for three primitive campgrounds. However you’ll find bed and breakfasts, inns and hotels in nearby communities. Take the opportunity to explore while you’re there.

Active travelers will enjoy biking on the Parkway. Horseback riding, fishing and hiking are other options. Hiking trails vary in length but include short paths that travel the original Trace.

In spring, you’ll enjoy flowering dogwoods and wildflowers. Fall offers a colorful scene from the changing leaves. Summer is hot and humid on the Parkway.

Many thanks to Mississippi Tourism, especially Visit Tupelo, Visit Jackson, Visit Natchez, and Visit Vicksburg for their support of our Natchez Trace road trip. For more information and tourist tips visit their websites. 

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Raymond, ms, clinton, ms, jackson, ms, ridgeland, ms, take a unique journey from natchez to nashville, french camp, ms, chickasaw co., ms, tishomingo co., ms, tuscumbia, al, sheffield, al, muscle shoals, al, florence, al, collinwood, tn, hohenwald, tn, leiper’s fork, tn, franklin, tn, nashville, tn, plan your next trip now along the natchez trace parkway.

The Natchez Trace Parkway leads you 444 miles through three states and 10,000 years of North American history . This scenic parkway links Natchez with Nashville and crosses some of the most beautiful terrain in the states of Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. The Parkway has been declared a National Scenic Byway and an All-American Road, and has been chosen as one of America’s 10 best biking roads . Open year-round for motorists, hikers and bikers, it provides visitors the opportunity for an unhurried trip through time.

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April 18, 2024, join our e-newsletter.

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2680 Natchez Trace Parkway Tupelo, MS 38804

800 305-7417 The Parkway Visitor Center near Tupelo, MS, is open 9am-4:30pm seven days a week. The visitor center is closed Thanksgiving, December 25th and January 1st.

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