Managed by the National Park provider, this two-lane road winds through almost 450 kilometers of protected land, from Nashville, Tennessee, through Alabama as well as on to Natchez, Mississippi. Some dating back thousands of years along the way, you’ll find a rich array of wildlife, gorgeous waterfalls, memorable hikes and historic Kink dating sites sites. The Trace is particularly gorgeous in fall, when the hardwoods lining the roadway explode in color.
The Natchez Trace Parkway follows the path for the Natchez that is original Trace, first cleared by prehistoric pets making their method between prairie lands plus the Mississippi River. Indigenous Americans eventually followed within their footsteps, and also by the 1500s, explorers like Hernando de Soto and their males had been traveling the Old Trace searching for brand new discoveries. By 1809, The Trace was indeed widened to allow for wagons, rendering it a crucial trade path between Nashville and also the Mississippi River. It continued to grow before the rise for the steamboat, then gradually dropped into disuse until the nationwide Park Service took over in 1938. The Parkway was finally finished in 2005.
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You definitely won’t want to miss whether you drive the entire stretch and stop at cottages and B&Bs along the way, or just take a day to explore what a portion of the parkway has to offer, here are 15 stops on and off the Natchez Trace Parkway.
Nashville Northern Terminus
Milepost 442.1
Your Natchez Trace Parkway journey either ends or starts in Nashville — Celebrate the event by having a meal during the Loveless Cafe, a Nashville basic in what may just function as the scratch-made biscuits that are best anywhere. Found simply 150 yards far from the Parkway’s Northern Terminus on Highway 100, the cafe’s do-it-yourself jams are scrumptious therefore the chicken that is fried to perish for.
The Loveless Cafe is well known because of their popular biscuits and chicken that is fried.
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Leiper’s Fork
Milepost 438
There’s a reason Justin Timberlake recently relocated right here — With quaint traditional shops, present stores and galleries, this folksy small town just a short while from the Parkway’s Highway 96 exit is a favorite location for Nashville locals and tourists alike. You can’t fail having a meal at either the original Puckett’s Grocery or The Country Boy and you also might also think about investing the night time in another of the village’s rental cottages or B&Bs.
Find shopping that is quaint dining locations in Leiper’s Fork. Image: Visit Franklin
Baker Bluff/Jackson Falls
Milepost 405.1
This popular stop on the Trace includes both an Instagram-worthy scenic overlook and a brief (but steep) .2-mile paved hike in to a small gorge to see Jackson Falls, named for Tennessee President Andrew Jackson. They’re quite a sight to see at times, the falls are only a trickle, but after a rain.
The Baker Bluff overlook is breathtaking!
A hike that is small a paved path leads one to Jackson Falls, where following a good rain, you are able to enjoy quite the splash!
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Fall Hollow
Milepost 391.9
The payoff here is definitely worth it if you can handle a somewhat steep (though not dangerous) descent. Fall Hollow starts with an easy, paved stroll to an observation deck that overlooks a waterfall cascading down a sheer stone face. Maintain through the deck and on down the dust path, and you’ll soon come across much more waterfalls, including one having a pool that is crystal-clear of that’s perfect for young ones (and grownups) to relax and play in under the falls.
Enjoy another opportunity getting damp at Fall Hollow.
Wichahpi Commemorative Stone Wall
Milepost 338
About 10 kilometers beyond the Tennessee-Alabama border (just past milepost 338), exit onto Lauderdale County Road 8 to see the Wichahpi Commemorative Stone Wall, just from the Trace. Tom Hendrix has spent a lot more than 30 years building this wall surface in honor of their great-great-grandmother, who was area of the United states Indian reduction to Oklahoma. This is actually the largest stone that is un-mortared within the nation and contains been showcased into the nyc circumstances and lots of other magazines.
Wichahpi Commemorative Rock Wall | Image: Tom Hendrix
Tuscumbia, Alabama
Milepost 320
Exit at milepost 320 onto U.S. Highway 72 and drive 19 miles to Tuscumbia, a city that goes to 1819 and is home to both Helen Keller’s birthplace therefore the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. The top jewel with this town is Spring Park (pictured below), which has trips for kids, elaborate fountains synchronized to lights and music, a spring-fed pond as well as the world’s largest man-made normal rock waterfall.
Tuscumbia Spring Park | Image: Scenic Trace
Natchez Trace Parkway Headquarters Visitors Center
Milepost 266
This Visitors Center could be the quintessential place to stop for many things associated with the Trace. Right Here, you’ll find everything you ever desired to know about the Parkway, including a bookstore, nature center, informational movie, knowledgeable park rangers and a climbing path that will simply take you to definitely a nearby Chickasaw Village web site in the Trace.
Tupelo, Mississippi
Milepost 259.7
Exit the Parkway at milepost 259.7 onto Mississippi Highway 6, and you’ll soon get on Tupelo’s Main Street. Once you cross US 45, turn left onto Elvis Presley Drive. Here is the road where The King himself came to be in 1935, and right here you’ll tour their two-room birthplace and museum.
When you accomplish in Tupelo, consider where Elvis was born.
Afterwards, check the Tupelo Automobile Museum out on nearby Franklin Street, where an extraordinary collection of automobiles tracks the real history of vehicle design. Finish up with a little window shopping downtown and a meal at The Neon Pig (its burger ended up being ranked No. 1 in the country last year), or the very regarded Kermit’s Outlaw Kitchen, where the meat and produce result from area farms.
Witch Dance
Milepost 233.2
Ghosthunters, rejoice! The Witch Dance stop on the Natchez Trace Parkway is popular because of its paranormal task. Legend has it that the bare, scorched spots within the grasses right here had been brought on by the dances of witches. Scary stories about that site abound. Be sure and read many of them aloud in the event that you stop right here during your travels.
Bring your big girl jeans you stop off at this scary exit with you if. Image: Scenic Trace