How long is the natchez trace trail

Even the unruly sections may well be cleared by the time you do your hiking. Thus, take any negative reviews with a grain of salt, but do realize that I have accurately portrayed the trail segments that I did hike.

It is up to you to explore the rest of the trail. I have provided parking information plus trail reviews and a few photographs from my hikes of the five trail segments. Mile posts numbers are in reference to Natchez Trace Parkway mile posts. Potkopinu Segment Mile Posts Rocky Springs Segment Mile Posts Yockanookany Segment Mile Posts Blackland Prairie Segment Mile Posts Dismiss View all alerts. Hike a Section of the Scenic Trail.

Places To Go. Highland Rim Section. Blackland Prairie Section. Yockanookany Section. As you travel the parkway, there are a number of exits off the highway that lead to small or large towns as well as state parks, hiking trails and other points of interest. Here are a few towns you might want to explore. Tuscumbia, Ala. Tupelo, Mississippi Visit the birthplace of Elvis, tour the Tupelo Automobile museum more than , square feet and plus antique and classic cars, including one owned by Elvis , and visit Civil War sites like the Tupelo National Battlefield.

Jackson, Miss. Vicksburg, Miss. In addition to being the site of the Civil War Battle of Vicksburg, this town also has the auspicious honor of having bottled the very first bottle of Coke back in Milepost 59 and Milepost The Natchez Trace parkway winds past a number of towns, parks and campgrounds.

The parkway is a favorite with motorcyclists and bicyclists due to the low speed limit, low volume of traffic and a prohibition on tractor trailers. One great thing about the parkway — aside from the sheer beauty of the drive — is the flexibility of making it a long or short excursion. And if you missed something on the drive in, just catch it on the way back. Facebook Twitter Email.

For example, at the Chickasaw Village site, homeland to the tribe, we looked at artist renderings and walked a short interpretive trail. Plans to reconstruct a fort and village have not reached fruition. The tribe was one of many forced to relocate to Oklahoma in the s.

At another marker, we walked five minutes to reach old Confederate graves with stone markers. A group of motorcyclists were putting flags on the gravesites. Jackson lies just 10 miles off the Trace, an ideal place to spend a night. Good thing we allotted the entire afternoon. The two attractions jointly cover , square feet and include 22, artifacts. As recommended, we started on the history side and found the s the most interesting.

The state-of-the-art Mississippi Civil Rights Museum presents powerful stories. You move from the darkened galleries into the light as you work your way around the museum. The sculpture becomes brightest when the music of the Movement swells, about every 15 minutes. I found myself pulled in by the clapping, swaying and singing. The museum tells poignant, often tearful tales. A lynching tree inscribed with names bears witness to the Mississippians hung in the state.

Other displays include Ku Klux Klan robes, the rifle that killed Medgar Evers, plus many informative videos set within small spaces—for example, the back of a police wagon or a jail cell. For dinner, we headed to Babalu , a restaurant named after the signature song of the television character Ricky Ricardo, played by Desi Arnez, on I Love Lucy. The Latin-inspired menu features tapas and tacos instead of typical southern fare.

Try their signature fresh guacamole made tableside along with the house margarita: The Baba Rita. The place opened in and feels like a time capsule with real soda jerks. No surprise, many scenes in the movie The Help did you read the book? In my opinion, state capitols are always worth a visit. They burst with grandeur and symbolic art. Judy and I quickly popped in to the Mississippi State Capitol building for a self- tour using the visitor brochure as our guide.

Vicksburg also lies about off the Trace but should be included on the road trip. Hire a guide at the visitor center to join you in your car. Ours was a walking encyclopedia with knowledge about the battles, the importance of topography, and what happened to those in the town. Stop for lunch at Walnut Hills Restaurant for a fabulous family-style meal. Then, comes the fried chicken, honestly the best I have ever tasted anywhere—almost enough to make you drool. We indulged in the gracious charm of the Antebellum estate, honestly an attraction on its own.

Judy slept in the General Grant room, including many original furnishings while I enjoyed the General Sherman room. Casinos do big business in Vicksburg. Instead, we headed toward the Windsor Ruins near Port Gibson, getting a bit lost in kudzu covered territory. The ruins are all that remain of what was once a palatial mansion, but they make a haunting sight and favorite of photographers.