The history of the Natchez Trace Parkway goes back hundreds of years. It started as a pathway that animals followed during the winter migration months, later developed and used by Native Americans, then by travelers that came down the Mississippi river and sold their wares in New Orleans and walked back up the route before the steamships that would carry them back up river were invented. It was the only road home to the North for quite a long time until it faded from use. It is now preserved by the National Park Service, a 444 mile route that runs from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee.
In late November, we headed out from New Orleans and drove up the interstate, cutting across in Manchac, Louisiana to avoid Baton Rouge traffic, arriving 3 hours later to begin our trip at mile marker 8.7, the Old Trace Exhibit Shelter that gives the traveler an introduction to the old Natchez Trace and its vast history.
There are many stops along the Trace that are clearly marked by mile markers and signs denoting; “Old Trace Exhibit.” It’s a mix and match of historical markers, hiking trails, camping and historic sites. Before we set out, we ordered an information packet from the National Park Service (click on: To Receive Information By Mail). The packet includes a map of the Trace, a guide to finding gas, food, supplies and a list of campgrounds on and adjacent to the Parkway. I also printed out the extensive guide to mileposts and sites from Legends of America. This guide was most helpful at guiding us when to stop and when to continue on to stay on time.
The Parkway is a two lane road. When traveling the Parkway the speed limit is 50 miles per hour. It is also a designated biking trail and cars and bicycles share the road, with cars required to leave at least 3 feet between them and bicyclists. There was not a lot of traffic at this time of year and few bicyclists. When we did encounter bicyclists we just passed them from the other lane.
The most important thing about visiting the Natchez Trace is to slow down, have a flexible schedule and take in the history.
Below is the itinerary we used for a 3 day, 2 night trip, part tent camping and part motel with our dog traveling with us:
Day 1
1. Emerald Mound, milepost 10.3 This is old Native American ceremonial mounds that date back to 1200 A.D. These mounds are the most impressive of the Indian mounds on the trace. This is the largest mound located on the trace and the most interesting to walk on and around.
2. Mount Locust, milepost 15.5 This is the only remaining inn on the trace. There is a restored home, and hiking trails around the inn that include the family and slave cemeteries.
3. Sunken Trace, milepost 41.5 This a short trail that shows you the original Trace that has sunken from years of use due to soil erosion.
4. Grindstone Ford, milepost 45.7 This is a short hiking trail that takes you past an old, crumbling cemetery and along the original Trace.
4. Rocky Springs Campground, milepost 54.8 This a free campground and we tent camped here the first night. There are no showers. There are bathrooms with sinks, but there is no hot water. Also, some of the restrooms in the campground are closed in the winter. We used the main facilities at the entrance for our stay. There are many armadillos in the park. We also saw a small, black bear crossing the road before entering the campground. At night you can hear howling wolves and in the early morning hours, gunshots from the hunting stands on private property nearby. Make sure to bring plenty of wood to stay warm, as there are fire pits for every site. We were the only people tent camping at this time of year, and there were only two other groups there in trailers/motorhomes.
Day 2
5.Vicksburg National Military Park, milepost 66.5. View the review of the Vicksburg National Military Park here. View the gallery of photos for Vicksburg here.
6. Parkway Information Cabin, milepost 102.4. There are restrooms here and a short hiking trail that takes you around the surrounding area.
7. Cypress Swamp, milepost 122.0. This is a beautiful trail through a Cypress swamp that meets up with the forest. It is truly beautiful to see in fall.
8. Kosciusko,milepost 160. We spent most of Day 2 at Vicksburg. By the time we made it to milepost 160, daylight was gone. We decided to stay in a motel the second night. We stayed at the Econolodge; they accept pets. It was $66 including tax with our 120 lb. dog. (Note: The Super 8 there no longer accepts dogs.) There is a Walmart down the street to pick up supplies. There is also a Mexican food restaurant next door to the motel where we ate dinner.
Day 3
1. Jeff Busby, milepost 193.1. There is a beautiful view atop the hills here that is a do not miss. There are also restrooms. Once again, some of the restrooms are closed in winter, however the ones at the entrance were open. This is also a campground. Note it is built on a steep hill, with tent sites and fire pits. This campground is better for tent campers as there is not really a lot of room to park a motor home or trailer. I would advise setting up camp here when you have enough daylight. I was relieved that we had stayed in the motel, because of the landscape it would have more difficult to setup camp here in darkness. However, it is a very lovely area.
2. Old Trace, milepost 198.6. This was our favorite small section of the old trace. We were able to walk the trace and cross over to the other side of the road and walk it on both sides and back.
3. Bynum Mounds, milepost 233.2. This is another Native American mound area. Unless you are into the old mounds, I think that you can skip it if you already stopped at the Emerald Mounds at milepost 10.3 which is much larger.
4. Witch Dance, milepost 233.2. This is a fabulous picnic spot. We stopped here to cook lunch. Many people stop here to use the restrooms. We had the entire picnic area to ourselves.
5. Tupelo, the birthplace of Elvis Presely, milepost 259.7. A short 10 minute ride through town brings you to the childhood home of Elvis Presley. See link.
We had planned on camping at one of the state parks located nearby here. However, there was a rain storm on its way in and we decided to head back. It took us about 5 hours to arrive home in New Orleans.
Fees
The Natchez Trace Parkway is free, and also has three free campgrounds. In some areas of the Trace, there are nearby state parks that charge a small fee for entry and/or camping.
Tips
Dog Friendly. The Natchez Trace Parkway is very dog friendly. There are many places to stop and walk with your dog along the old trace. Dogs must be leashed, however when we were there, often we were the only people at stops and allowed our dog to run ahead and explore the trails with his harness on. There are wild deer, so if your dog is a hunter type breed, be aware of this. Carry water for you dog along the trails. In Vicksburg, dogs must be on a leash at all times. There is not a spot for them to run around and dogs are not allowed in the museums. At Elvis’ birthplace, leashed dogs may walk the grounds.
Mileposts. When we first started out we had planned to stop at each and every milepost, but after the first day, we used the guide to mileposts and sites from Legends of America to skip some of the mileposts that are just signs describing what happened there and chose our stops of the more scenic spots.
Picnics. There are many places along the trace that have picnic tables. We had packed a cooler with food and had our propane stove with us. We took leisurely time to make breakfasts and lunches along the trace and take in its beauty.
Weather. We were there in late November, which was chilly but it did not rain. If there has been heavy rain, the trails may be very muddy. In the summer, I would imagine there would be a lot more mosquitoes. We didn’t need any spray while we were out there in November.
Pictures. More pictures of our travels can be seen here.
