The Natchez Trace Parkway is 444-mile road trippers dream. With sites to suit all taste the Natchez Trace is the perfect for sampling in stretches, as and when time allows, or starting at one end and completing the whole thing in one go.

This Parkway commemorates the original trail and has preserved some of the Old Trace.

It runs from Natchez to Nashville passing through Jackson and Tupelo along the way.

From Tupelo to The Tennessee Line

Natchez Trace Parkway Visitors Centre

This is the best place to stop for information about the Trace. The Centre also has numerous displays on site and is the starting point to the Chickasaw Village site.

Other facilities include a bookstore and nature centre, and the knowledgeable park rangers are on hand to answer your questions.

Confederate Grave Sites

From the visitor’s centre you can stroll along the Old Trace to see 13 Confederate soldier’s graves.

It is still unknown who these graves belong to or how they died.

Pharr Mounds

Pharr mounds are a group of 2000 year old Indian burial mounds.

Some of these mounds were excavated, and items uncovered included ceremonial artefacts, pipes and unburnt human remains.

Rocky Spring Nature Trail

The Rocky Spring Nature Trail is a scenic amble to the abandoned town Rocky Spring. A once thriving community, Rocky Springs developed as a watering town along the Old Trace.

Eventually turning into a cotton town, at its peak it had over 2000 residents. War and yellow fever eventually spelled the end for this small community.

Today you can enjoy a picnic, camping, the chance to relax in nature and still have fun with online blackjack on your mobile, and any of the surrounding walks.

From the Tennessee Line to Nashville

Meriwether Lewis Monument

The site of the monument includes a wooden cabin in the style of the time.

Here you can gain insight into the life of this explorer, best known for teaming up with William Clark and his part in the Lewis and Clark Expeditions.

Fall Hollow

A scenic walk along the path and over some bridges will lead you to the observation deck. The first of three and the largest and most beautiful of the falls can be seen from this point.

The path starts to get quite steep after this, so hikers are warned to be careful.

Tobacco Farm and Old Trace Drive

This tobacco farm is typical of an old 1900s tobacco farm. Here you can walk through the fields and see how tobacco was dried in the barn.

From here you can drive south 2 miles on a stretch of the original trace. The ‘Old Trace’ is an incredibly scenic drive.

Jackson Falls

A short but steep walk will get you to the base of Jackson Falls. The Falls spill over the edge of a small amphitheatre, surrounded by lush green forest.

If you are feeling more energetic you can continue to Bakers Bluff, which has a beautiful view of the surroundings.

The End of The Trace

Nashville

At the end of the trail head into Lower Broadway, Nashville. This historic district is home to numerous restaurants and music venues. So, grab a bite to eat and relax after exploring the Old Trace.

The Natchez Trace Parkway has so many sites, ranging for the historical to the supernatural and naturally beautiful.

One trip will never be enough to see them all and travellers will never tire of finding novel places to stop at along the way.