Natchez Trace Parkway

The Natchez Trace Parkway, a 444-mile National Park Service parkway, follows the route of the ancient Natchez Trace — a trail used by Native Americans for thousands of years, then by Spanish, French and American settlers, soldiers, traders and flatboat men returning north after floating goods down the Mississippi. The parkway winds through Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee from the city of Natchez (MS) to Nashville (TN).

Maintained as a two-lane scenic drive with no commercial vehicles, billboards or development along its corridor, the parkway offers one of America’s most serene long-distance drives through forested hills, open meadows, cypress swamps (in Mississippi) and rolling Tennessee hills. Overlooks, historic sites, trails, campgrounds and the preserved portions of the original trail trace the 444-mile route. The Natchez Trace Parkway is a treasured natural and historical icon.

The Natchez Trace Parkway offers scenic driving its full 444-mile length (a two-lane parkway with no trucks, no billboards — tranquil and beautiful), hiking on the many trails and preserved sections of the original trace (the path is often visible as a sunken trace through the forest), cycling the entire parkway or segments (a top long-distance cycling route), horseback riding on designated sections, camping at developed campgrounds and primitive sites along the route, birding and wildlife watching (wild turkey, deer, and a rich forest birdlife), and visiting the many historic sites (pre-Columbian Emerald Mound, Civil War sites, Colbert Ferry, the stands and inns of the Trace). The scenic drive, the cycling route and the historic trace sections are the signature draws.

Spring (March through May) is the most beautiful time on the parkway — the dogwoods and redbuds bloom along the trace, the forest greens up brilliantly, and the temperatures are mild. Fall brings the hardwood color (especially in the Alabama and Tennessee portions). Summer is hot and humid in Mississippi but the shade of the forest canopy makes hiking and cycling bearable in the morning hours. Any season is rewarding on the Natchez Trace. Spring for the bloom and fall for the color are the highlights — drive the Mississippi section in April for the dogwood bloom and the cypress swamps.

The Natchez Trace is one of the oldest roads in North America — in use by Indigenous peoples (Natchez, Chickasaw, Choctaw and others) for at least 3,000 years as a trail connecting the lower Mississippi River with the Tennessee River. European traders, missionaries and soldiers widened it in the 18th century; after 1800, flatboat men from Ohio and Kentucky floated goods down the Mississippi to Natchez and New Orleans, sold their boats for lumber, and walked the Trace north home. Andrew Jackson marched his army down the Trace in 1815. The Old Trace was largely superseded by steamboats by the 1830s. The Parkway was established in 1938 to preserve the historic route.

The Natchez Trace Parkway traverses a diverse geological landscape — in Mississippi, the loess bluffs of the southern Trace (deep, windblown silt deposits from the last Ice Age that create a distinctive topography of steep bluffs, ravines and rich soils along the Mississippi River corridor), the gently rolling hills of central Mississippi (underlain by Cretaceous and Eocene-age sedimentary rocks), and the Tennessee Hills in the north. The cypress swamps, the loess bluffs and the river crossings create distinct landscape character along the parkway route. The loess bluffs near Natchez are especially dramatic — up to 90 feet of loess.

The Natchez Trace Parkway corridor protects a long strip of forest and open meadow habitat through Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee, supporting wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, fox squirrels, and a rich forest birdlife including red-headed woodpeckers, Bachman’s sparrows, wood thrushes, and the neotropical migrants that travel the Mississippi Flyway. The cypress swamps of the southern Mississippi portion support wading birds, wood ducks and water moccasins. The parkway’s protected forest corridor is valuable wildlife habitat in a largely agricultural landscape.

The Natchez Trace Parkway corridor protects a long strip of mixed forest, meadow and wetland habitat through the rural South, much of it recovering from historical agriculture and timber harvesting. The loess bluffs of southwest Mississippi are a distinctive and botanically significant habitat. The cypress swamps and bottomland hardwood forests of the Mississippi Delta margin support rich aquatic and wetland biodiversity. Protecting the parkway corridor, the loess bluffs, the cypress swamps and the forest habitat sustains the ecological and scenic character of the parkway.

The Natchez Trace Parkway holds a treasured place among the icons of American history and scenery — one of the oldest roads in North America, a 3,000-year-old Indigenous trail turned American highway, traversed by Andrew Jackson, Meriwether Lewis (who died on the Trace) and thousands of flatboat men returning north, now preserved as one of America’s most serene national parkways. The combination of deep history, scenic beauty and serene driving make the Natchez Trace exceptional. It is a cherished natural and cultural icon of the American South.

The Natchez Trace Parkway runs from Natchez, Mississippi (southern terminus, milepost 0) to Nashville, Tennessee (northern terminus, milepost 444). The NPS maintains multiple access points, overlooks, campgrounds and historic sites along the full 444-mile route. The main visitor center is at milepost 266 near Tupelo, Mississippi (NPS Headquarters). Natchez (southern terminus) is the logical starting point for a full-drive itinerary. The parkway speed limit is 50 mph with no commercial vehicles; allow 2 days for the full drive. Check the NPS Natchez Trace Parkway website for current conditions, campground availability and closures before visiting.

The National Park Service manages the Natchez Trace Parkway and its corridor. Visitors help by obeying the 50 mph speed limit (wildlife crossings are common — deer, turkey and other animals cross regularly), staying on designated trails and overlooks, not removing natural materials, packing out all trash, and respecting the historic trace sections (do not dig or disturb archaeological sites). Protecting the corridor, the historic trace, the loess bluffs and the wildlife sustains both the ecology and the historical character of the parkway.

The parkway speed limit is 50 mph with no passing on curves — obey it (deer and turkey cross frequently, especially at dawn and dusk; collisions are common). The parkway passes through remote areas; cell service is unreliable along many sections. Hiking trails in the Mississippi section may have water moccasins (copperheads also present) — watch where you step. Check weather forecasts (afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer). Respect the wildlife crossings, the remote sections, the venomous snakes and the summer heat.

Speed limit is 50 mph; no commercial vehicles, trucks or motorcycles above a certain noise threshold. Camping is at designated campgrounds (fees apply for developed sites; primitive camping at some areas is free); no camping outside designated areas. Hunting is not permitted in the parkway corridor. Fishing in the parkway’s waters requires state licenses. Stay on designated trails; do not disturb the historic trace sections. Pack out all trash. Check the NPS for current campground availability, closures and rules before visiting.

The historic city of Natchez (southern terminus, with antebellum mansions, the Bluffs and Natchez Under-the-Hill), the city of Tupelo, Mississippi (near the NPS headquarters, birthplace of Elvis Presley and site of the Battle of Tupelo), Emerald Mound (second-largest pre-Columbian earthwork in North America, near the southern terminus), and the Tennessee cities of Nashville and Franklin (northern terminus region) lie along the parkway. The parkway traverses the heart of the American South. The Natchez Trace anchors the scenic and historical experience of rural Mississippi and the South.

Start your Natchez Trace drive at the Natchez terminus and drive north for the most dramatic beginning — the magnificent antebellum city of Natchez and the Mississippi River bluffs set the tone for the historic journey north. Stop at Emerald Mound (a massive pre-Columbian ceremonial mound, easy to find and extraordinary) near the southern terminus, the cypress swamp overlook near milepost 122, and the original sunken trace sections (visible as a worn path through the forest at several overlooks). The parkway is one of the finest cycling roads in the eastern United States — the flat Mississippi section and limited vehicle traffic make it ideal. Carry water (facilities are widely spaced) and watch for deer.