Travel Writers

Bicycling

Taking the Natchez Trace on two wheels—whether on bicycle or motorcycle—is a popular activity. Bicycling and motorcycling are great ways to get an up-close experience of nature. Moreover, commercial traffic is prohibited, the speed limit is 50 mph and the parkway is in great shape, making it an easy ride with lots to see and do along the way. The National Park Service (NPS) provides three general and five bicycle campgrounds along the Natchez Trace Parkway to help make cycling visits more enjoyable, and there are many “cyclist friendly” accommodations along the way.

Motorcycling

The Natchez Trace Parkway is the ultimate motorcycle route. This 444-mile historic route from Natchez to Nashville, TN winds its curvy roads through beautiful scenery, historic sites, unique attractions, with places to stay and delicious restaurants. What more could you ask for in a motorcycle ride? Motorcycle riders from all walks of life enjoy cruising the Natchez Trace Parkway and appreciate the incredible journey. Because riders can choose to travel across three states or go a shorter distance with stops along the way, it makes for a unique experience. Plus, commercial traffic is prohibited, the speed limit is 50 mph and the parkway is in great shape, making it an easy ride with lots to see and do along the way.

Hiking

Magical, mysterious, majestic. - however you envision the outdoor beauty of the Natchez Trace Parkway, be sure you picture a spectacular view around every bend and a place so unspoiled you can easily feel the centuries slip away, along with every day cares and troubles. The natural world of the Natchez Trace is truly picture perfect. To get the most out of your Parkway explorations, we suggest you bring binoculars and hiking boots and hit one of 28 different hiking and self-guided trails, totaling 100 miles, including 64 miles of national scenic trails, which make up this hiking heaven.

RV’ing

RVs are a popular way to see the Parkway for many reasons. Frequent pullouts provided at historic and scenic points of interest will accommodate even the largest RV. There are free campgrounds along the Trace on a first come basis, with commercial campgrounds found just off the Parkway all along its route. Plus, commercial traffic is prohibited, the speed limit is 50 mph and the parkway is in great shape, making it an easy ride with lots to see and do along the way.

Foliage, Blooms and Wildlife

If its petals, feathers and canopies of trees that interest you, considering choosing this itinerary based on these numbers:

• 157 types of birds (and still counting), from jewel-toned hummingbirds to lumbering flocks of wild turkey to graceful, long-limbed blue heron live on the Natchez Trace Parkway
• 2,202 types of plant species, including hardwoods, conifers, old growth and new, from lacy spring dogwood blooms to knobby cypress knees breaking black swamp water to the blaze of fall colors on towering maples and oaks thrive on the Trace
• 205 mammals, herptiles and fish species, including deer, fox, armadillo, coyote and eight species federally listed as threatened or endangered 15 nature trails exist on the Trace free from commercial encroachment

Music

From the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee to the studios of Muscle Shoals, AL to the Birthplace of the King of Rock and Roll in Tupelo, Mississippi, the Natchez Trace Parkway winds through some of the most historic music sites in America. If it is rhythm that pulses through your veins, you can follow the beat from Nashville to Natchez – where the music history goes almost as deep as the Mississippi River.

History

When you take the Natchez Trace Parkway, you are following in some pretty big footsteps. The Trace doesn’t just take you back in history, it takes you all the way back to pre-history when mastodons and giant bison carved the original path. On their heels came the first hunters, who in turn gave rise to the Chickasaw, the Natchez, the Choctaw and numerous other tribes. Then the conquistadors arrived, and following them came the trappers and the “Kaintuck” boatmen, who floated their goods down the Mississippi to sell all - lock, stock and flatboat in New Orleans, before tramping home on the Trace. Mail carriers and highwaymen also galloped the road. Andrew Jackson sent his militia down it to the Battle of New Orleans. Thomas Jefferson designated the Natchez Trace as a postal road in 1801. With the coming of the steamboat in 1820, the Natchez Trace was suddenly quiet. Time, however, marched on. The Civil War was fought, some of its bloodiest and most decisive battles waged along the Trace. A kingdom of cotton rose and fell in Natchez and Vicksburg, and “Athens of the South” took root in Nashville. Later some of the most influential icons of American culture were born and lived here: from W. C. Handy to Elvis Presley, and Helen Keller to Eudora Welty.

Lifestyle

Sometimes it’s nothing more than the urge to get away and enjoy life that sets you on a journey to find quaint shopping, good eats and fun things to do. For all of its abundance in natural beauty, outdoor recreation and history, the Natchez Trace Parkway may be more suited to satisfy this craving than any other. All along the 444-mile road, unique, Southern treasures are waiting to be sought, savored and blogged about. So, if living life is high on your list, this is the itinerary to choose.

In a commercialized, homogenized world, it isn’t only the Parkway’s beautiful billboard free vistas that come as a welcome relief—the charming, friendly communities along the Parkway are also a real breath of fresh air. These small communities greet you with the kind of hospitality you dream of, in settings that offer a range of delightful attractions and activities both entertaining and enlightening. The Parkway’s communities are the soul of hospitality, in the heart of America’s history, where national leaders and icons got their start and made their mark. Today, you can experience a slice of life as delectable as the jellies and jams of small vineyards, as inspiring as the pump where Annie Sullivan helped Helen Keller escape her prison and as unforgettable as the Windsor Ruins. Best of all, these treasures are scattered all along the Parkway, ready for you to dive in and come up richer for the experience.

Choose a region:

• Natchez, MS to Ridgeland, MS
• Ridgeland, MS to Tupelo, MS
• Tupelo, MS to Nashville, TN