Natchez Trace Parkway

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a delightful 444-mile long National Park which stretches from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee.

Karen and I took three days to drive the entire length of the Parkway, although we could have easily driven the entire distance in a day. Actually three days was not enough to stop at all the many historic and natural sights along the way. The Parkway is a very well landscaped two-lane highway which is off limits to commercial vehicles. There is not a single billboard along the way, and only one business - a small country store with a gas pump in front, operated as a park concession. The top speed limit is 50 miles per hour.

Along the way there are numerous picnic areas, three campgrounds, hiking trails, and dozens of interpretative exhibits which provide a satisfying smorgasboard for anyone who has the slightest interest in nature and/or history.

The original Natchez Trace had its beginnings in pre-historic times as an animal trail and Indian path. It was later used by early pioneers as a highway. In the early 1800s, thousands of "Kaintucks" from the Ohio River Valley floated their crops down river to markets in New Orleans, sold their wares and their boats for lumber, and walked or rode horses back home along the Trace. Then it was a very difficult and dangerous journey. Today the Natchez Trace Parkway provides a not-to-be-missed excursion through the beauty of nature and the fascination of a bygone era.