The Natchez Trace Parkway runs from Natchez, Mississippi at the south point, runs 444 miles northeast and terminates near Nashville, Tennessee. We recently drove the parkway from Natchez to near the midpoint in Tupelo, Mississippi, and it was an amazing drive. There is so much history along the trail, as well as beautiful scenery and wonderful opportunities to see remarkable wildlife.
If you want to truly experience everything the parkway has to offer, take your time (and several days) to stop at the milepost points below. There are several spots along the parkway to camp (primitive camping and RV), as well as several parkway visitor centers to provide you with ample information.
The following is a list of mileposts along the southern half of the Natchez Trace Parkway (starting in Natchez, Mississippi and running northeast to Tupelo, Mississippi) that offer information, history, scenery and more! (Source: Natchez Trace Parkway, www.nps.gov/natr)
- Mile 5.1: Elizabeth Female Academy Site: Founded in 1818, first school for women chartered by the state of Mississippi.
- Mile 8.7: Old Trace Exhibit Shelter
- Mile 10.3: Emerald Mound: Eight-acre ceremonial mound built between 1200 and 1650; now a national historic landmark.
- Mile 12.1: Turpin Creek: picnic area
- Mile 12.4: Loess Bluff: Windblown soil (loess) was deposited here during the ice ages.
- Mile 15.5: Mount Locust: Restored plantation and historic stand. House tours, exhibits and restrooms. (Note: This stop was closed during our drive in December, 2020)
- Mile 17.0: NST Trailhead: Trailhead off Geohegan Road. (No RVs)
- Mile 18.4: Bullen Creek: Short trail through hardwood-pine forest.
- Mile 20.1: NST Trailhead: Trailhead one mile east off MS Route 553.
- Mile 41.5: Sunken Trace: Short trail through a deeply eroded section of the original Trace.
- Mile 45.7: Grindstone Ford/Mangum Mound: The ford across Bayou Pierre marked the northern edge of “civilization” in the early 1800s. (Vehicle height limit 11’6″)
- Mile 52.4: Owens Creek Waterfall: NST
- Mile 54.8: Rocky Springs: Short trail to historic town site. Camping, picnic area, restrooms, NST.
- Mile 61.0: Lower Choctaw Boundary: Boundary between the Choctaw Nation and the Natchez District.
- Mile 73.5: Dean Stand Site: Dates from 1820-30s. Nearby is the site of Dillon’s Plantation, May 1863 Vicksburg campaign headquarters for US generals Grant and Sherman.
- Mile 78.3: Battle of Raymond: Information on 1863 battle during the Vicksburg campaign.
- Mile 88.1: Cowles Mead Cemetery: Cowles Mead owned a stand along the Old Trace and was acting territorial governor (1806).
- Mile 93.1: Osburn Stand: Site of Noble Osburn’s stand, 1811 to early 1820s.
- Mile 100.7: Choctaw Agency: Site of the liaison office between the US government and the Choctaw Nation, early 1800s.
- Mile 102.4: Parkway Information Cabin: Exhibits, restrooms, access to multi-use trail.
- Mile 104.5: Old Trace and Brashears Stand Site: The stand was advertised in 1806 as “a house of entertainment in the wilderness”.
- Mile 105.6: Reservoir Overlook: Ross R. Barnett Reservoir on the Pearl River.
- Mile 106.9: Boyd Site: Mounds built between 750 and 1250 years ago.
- Mile 107.9: West Florida Boundary: The old boundary ran from the confluence of the Yazoo and Mississippi rivers to the Chattahoochee River. NST.
- Mile 122.0: Cypress Swamp: Half-mile walk through water tupelo and bald cypress swamp. For NST, cross to west side of parkway.
- Mile 122.6: River Bend. Picnic area, restrooms.
- Mile 128.4: Upper Choctaw Boundary: Short trail, NST.
- Mile 130.9: Yockanookany: NST.
- Mile 135.5: Robinson Road: Historic road from Jackson to Columbus, MS. picnic area.
- Mile 140.0: Red Dog Road: Named for a Choctaw chief, the road opened in 1834.
- Mile 145.1: Myrick Creek: Short trail.
- Mile 154.3: Holly Hill: Picnic area, restrooms.
- Mile 160.0: Kosciusko Welcome Center: Trail information for local area. Bike-only campground.
- Mile 164.3: Hurricane Creek: Short walk among plants found in different soil conditions.
- Mile 175.6: Cole Creek: Short walk through a water tupelo and bald cypress swamp.
- Mile 176.3: Bethel Mission: Choctaw mission stood a half mile to the northwest. Picnic area.
- Mile 180.7: French Camp: Louis LeFleur’s stand opened in 1812.
- Mile 193.1: Jeff Busby: Short drive or 20 minute walk to one of Mississippi’s highest points (603 feet). Picnic area, campground, restrooms.
- Mile 198.6: Old Trace: Section of original Trace.
- Mile 201.3: Ballard Creek: Picnic area.
- Mile 203.5: Pigeon Roost: Former roosting area for millions of passenger pigeons, now extinct. Folsom’s stand stood nearby.
- Mile 213.3: Line Creek: Historic boundary between Chickasaw and Choctaw lands.
- Mile 221.4: Old Trace: Section of original Trace.
- Mile 232.4: Bynum Mounds: Built between 2050 and 1800 years ago. Exhibits.
- Mile 233.2: Witch Dance: Horse trail access, bike-only campground, picnic area, restrooms.
- Mile 241.4: Chickasaw Agency: Agency for the Chickasaw was located here 1801-1825.
- Mile 243.1: Davis Lake: Access road to US Forest Service picnic and summer camping area.
- Mile 243.3: Hernando de Soto: The Spanish explorer spent the 1540-41 winter nearby.
- Mile 245.6: Monroe Mission: Chickasaw people learned trades at the mission. Picnic area.
- Mile 249.6: Tockshish: Site of stand and midway point on the early 1800s National Post road, where post riders transferred mailbags.
- Mile 251.1: Chickasaw Council House: Site of Pontatok, Chickasaw Nation capital in the 1820s. Picnic area.
- Mile 251.9: Black Belt Overlook: Named for a once-vast prairie with rich, black soil.
- Mile 259.7: Tupelo National Battlefield: The 1864 battlefield is one mile east on Main Street.
- Mile 261.8: Chickasaw Village Site: Exhibits on Chickasaw village that stood here. NST.
- Mile 263.9: Old Town Overlook: Views of Old Town Creek and its floorplan. NST.
- Mile 266.0: Parkway Visitor Center and Headquarters: Information, exhibits, film, restrooms, bike-only campground, NST.
We’ve drive the parkway many times when driving between Louisiana and Tennessee to visit relatives. The last time we drove it we decided to actually stop and enjoy it. We were surprised at how much time we ended up spending when stopping along the route, so we really didn’t even come close to seeing everything it had to offer (we wanted to do the complete parkway in the video, but had to stop as we just couldn’t do it justice). We’ll be taking another trip down the Trace from Nashville, TN to Tupelo, MS in the next few weeks, then will take another trip and camp along the route later next year. It really is an amazing drive and well worth the time spent (note: you’ll need to follow the speed limit and be patient along the drive – it’s a two lane road and bicyclists are allowed, so please be aware!).
Natchez Trace Parkway is one of over 400 parks in the National Park System. Learn more at www.nps.gov.
For more information on the Natchez Trace Parkway, visit www.nps.gov/natr.
Other Links of interest:
- https://www.natcheztracetravel.com/
- https://www.scenictrace.com/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natchez_Trace_Parkway
- https://www.nationalparks.org/explore-parks/natchez-trace-parkway
- https://natcheztrace.org/
(I am not affiliated with any of these sites and am just providing to make it easier for you to learn more about this amazing parkway.)
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