February 18-22, 2025.
At some point in our travels, we learned about the Natchez Trace Parkway, a 444-mile, 2-lane road that goes from Nashville, Tennessee to Natchez, Mississippi. It’s a scenic drive presently managed by the National Park Service. According to their website, it’s a “historic travel corridor used by American Indians, “Kaintucks,” European settlers, slave traders, soldiers, and future presidents.” There are interpretive sites all along the drive, as well as places to camp, picnic and hike. But it’s also interesting what is NOT on the drive: no billboards, no motels, no restaurants and no commercial truck traffic. We planned to do the drive at a casual pace, taking several days to make the journey. Since the speed limit for the duration of “the Trace” (as the locals call it) is only 50 mph, it’s the perfect leisurely road trip.
In the middle of the day on February 18, we pulled off the highway and onto the start of the Natchez Trace. There was a truck parked in the pullout at the entrance, so we pulled in and chatted with the driver, who was waiting to meet a friend. It turned out he recently sold his place in Sunriver, just a half hour from our home in Bend, and shared some local knowledge about the area. Small world.
There are so many stops on this route that it would have taken us at least twice as long to do them all. I used the maps and handouts I found along the way to prioritize where we’d get out of the van and explore. What I share below is an even smaller sample of the stops we made.
Birdsong Hollow Double Arch Bridge (MP 438)
Since we did the drive from north to south, the mileposts began at 444 and made their way down to 0. That means it didn’t take us long to make our first stop!
We pulled into the viewing area just off the highway and walked the very short path to the overlook. We admired the pretty bridge and took a deep breath as we began the scenic drive. The air was cold in Nashville in February. I had to put on my puffy coat, gloves and hat before getting out of the van at each stop.
Detour: Timberland Park
Knowing how much sitting we had ahead of us, I lobbied for a very quick detour to a county park located just off the Trace. Timberland Park has a few miles of wooded hiking trails, an interpretive center and restrooms. But since they close at 4pm in the winter, I had to hustle. Aaron wasn’t feeling great so he rested in the van while I got my wiggles out on the trail.
I chose a quick 1 mile loop. Although I’m usually uninspired by the sight of daffodils, they were the first flowers I’d seen in a while so they made my day. It was fun to crunch on the dry leaves, observe the diversity of trees that grow in this part of the country and get grounded in nature.
Fall Hollow Falls (MP 392)
For our last stop on day one, we paused at the short trail leading to a view of Fall Hollow Falls. We both walked to the top of the falls, then I continued down the trail for another view at the bottom. The ground was pretty saturated so it took some careful walking in mud and across wet boards to get there, but it was worth the small effort. Each different view of the falls offered something new. I also saw some little plants along the way, which made my wildflower-heart happy.
Merriweather Lewis Campground (MP 386)
For our first night of camping on the Trace, we stayed at Merriweather Lewis Campground. It’s tucked behind an interpretive site celebrating the explorer’s legacy and untimely death. On this cold, winter night, we were the only campers here. However it is first, come, first serve so it might fill up during more popular times of year. That night, temperatures dropped into the teens. We woke up to snow on the ground the next morning. Before leaving camp, we visited Lewis’ burial site and identified the animal tracks in the snow. Then we continued our drive.
Rock Springs Nature Trail (MP 330)
We crossed into Alabama and made our first leg-stretcher stop at this short nature trail. Contrary to the idyllic spring conditions shown on the website, I stepped into a sort of winter wonderland. It was absolutely beautiful but somewhat treacherous to walk around. The ground near the trailhead was muddy and flooded. The cute stone steps that cross the creek are probably very fun and interesting any other time of year but on this day they were slippery, with water flowing over the tops of some of the stones. I did not want to step foot into the icy water or loose my footing and go in the creek.
Nonetheless, I braved the crossing and got to the other side. There, I put fresh tracks in the light snow covering up the trail. I enjoyed reading the interpretive signs about nature and why it matters as I pondered these things along my walk. A few birds hung around in the small wetland area and the forest was beautifully quiet. I once again had to cross the dreaded creek, but soon I was in the van where a fresh pair of warm socks and a heater awaited me.
Detour: Trowbridge’s Ice Cream and Sandwich Shop
I’d heard about this old-fashioned diner on a travel podcast at some point, since I noticed a pin on my map as we drove through the area. We planned a lunch stop at Trowbridge’s in Florence, Alabama based on some fuzzy prior research. I have found it so useful to use pins on the map to mark places when I hear about them. Then if I happen to be close to a pin at a later date, I can visit a place I previously vetted even if I can’t remember why I wanted to go there!
When we passed through the doorway, it felt like we’d stepped back in time. I looked around the classic diner with its classic counter and stool, padded booths and old-timey menu with prices from a time long past.
But then I looked at the menu and those prices were today’s prices. I couldn’t believe it. We proceeded to order one of almost everything on the menu, including the special of the day: a bowl of beans for $2.99. The food was tasty and delivered quickly. The warm food went down quickly and we still had room for ice cream sundaes (how could we NOT). This charming cafe is absolutely worth a stop when you’re traveling in the area!
Pharr Mounds (MP 287)
Our route continued into Mississippi. Here, there are several preserved Indian mounds that you can visit. We stopped at Pharr Mounds, a collection of eight earthen mounds spaced out in a large grassland. Mounds were created for a variety of reasons and required a ton of manual labor (there were no backhoes and bulldozers thousands of years ago). They are still important cultural sites today, and I wasn’t sure if it was disrespectful to walk *on* the mounds, so I just walked to the base of a few of them. They were especially obvious today as each snowy mound stood out from the reddish-brown grass all around them.
Detour: Davis Lake Campground
Since dispersed camping along the Natchez Trace is not permitted, we decided to take a detour to Davis Lake Campground for our second night. Half the sites here are first come, first served and we had no trouble finding a nice spot on the lake. All of these sites have water and electricity for a reasonable $20/night. Our site had nice lake views and it was located near a restroom. It was another cold night, so we bundled up tight in our blankets and watched some movies in the van.
Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center (MP 266)
Due to funding cuts to the National Park Service, the only visitor center that was open on the entire 444-mile drive was in Tupelo, Mississippi. We stopped in to talk to the ranger and explore the exhibits. It’s a nice facility and definitely worth a stop.
Jeff Busby Campground (MP 193)
The Jeff Busby Campground is the other free, first come, first served camping area on the Trace. We pulled in early on a bright, sunny day and hung out in the day use area for most of the afternoon. I walked some laps up the trail and down the closed campground loop, looking for plants and burning some energy. Aaron continued to enjoy some down time in the van. We spent the night there in preparation for a big detour to Jackson and Vicksburg the next day.
Cypress Swamp (MP 122)
Before veering off the Natchez Trace for a day, we explored the boardwalks at the Cypress Swamp. Although we’d seen our fair share of cypress swamps at this point of the drive, I still loved each one. The colors and textures and reflections are always so interesting to see. I was extra happy the sun was out and the water glimmered in response.
Owen’s Creek Waterfall (MP 52)
After a night off the Trace, we returned to finish the last section. We were so close! Although the waterfalls of the southeast are trickles in comparison to the ones we have back home, we enjoyed their gentle presence. At Owen’s Creek waterfall, we found a rough old path down to the sandy flat beneath the official viewing area. We found some interesting rocks and tracks in the sand, which made the stop worthwhile. I’m sure the waterfall is more interesting when there’s more…water.
Mount Locust Historic House (MP 15)
The Mount Locust Historic site had recently suffered some storm damage, but we explored the outdoor exhibits as best we could. There was a volunteer posted up in the parking lot who would sit in his car between visitors because it was so cold outside! But he gave us a bunch of information and local tips and he signed off on our Junior Ranger booklet after we completed it. There was much to learn at this site. It preserves a historic homestead and offers a look at how different life was for the white folks who moved here and the enslaved people they had working for them. We took our time walking around the site and imagining life here through different periods of time, from the Natchez Indians to early settlers to our grandparents to us here today. I walked around with the weight of history on my shoulders and the lightness of spring wildflowers in my soul.
If history makes you feel bad, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t learn it! In fact, the opposite is true. As a people, we have a violent, messed up, triumphant, wonderful, frustrating, joyful and complicated past. In order to move forward as a country we need to understand, acknowledge and process what happened in the past. I am grateful that the National Park Service uses its platform to share all sides of our history (even though it’s far from perfect) and I’m fearful that our current administration will undo what work has been done to try to represent all voices. What can we do as individuals? Seek out learning opportunities and be open to learning the hard stuff as well as the easy stuff. Talk with the rangers and volunteers and ask thoughtful questions. They are, more often than not, able to have difficult and nuanced conversations about the past.
Detour: Grand Village of the Natchez Indians
At last, we arrived in Natchez, Mississippi. We celebrated the completion of this drive with some delicious BBQ and made a stop at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians. This is absolutely worth budgeting some time for. We started with the indoor exhibits, which shared some of the Natchez Indians’ stories and lifeways. There were several baskets on display that demonstrated the various techniques for creating functional and creative containers and ceremonial objects. We also watched a movie about the history here. In the movie room, several more items hung on the wall, including masks made of woven vegetation. In all our travels and stops at native sites, I’d never seen any woven masks!
The woman working in the gift shop offered up a wealth of information and told us more about the items up for sale. Although we were not in the market to buy anything, she was generous with her time. She even let us try some of the games that were on display.
Overall, we had a 10/10 experience on the Natchez Trace. There’s something for everyone on this drive, and I’m guessing every visitor chooses a different slate of stops. It’s infinitely customizable, educational, beautiful and peaceful. If you’ve driven this route, I’d love to hear what made the cut and what you’d visit again. I’d be interested to come in the spring for the wildflowers and to see some of the stops we didn’t get to. I’d also love to visit the park when it’s fully funded and staffed. The forests and history of the southeast are best explored on foot and I felt grateful to have the opportunity to do both. Preserving a historic road is a really interesting concept and I’m curious if there are similar roads in other places in the US.