Skip to content
Parks & Trips
  • Explore the ParksExpand
    • Parks Everywhere!

      In North America alone, there are well over 390 million public acres to explore, comprised of 577 US national parks & forests, 6,600 state parks, and 141 Canadian parks.

      Learn

      Guides & Articles
      US National Parks
      Canadian National Parks

      Visit

      All Road Trip Itineraries
      Road Trips by State
      One-Day Trips

      Recent News

      • Parks with Timed Entries
      • National Park Visits up 75%
      • National Park Alternatives
      • Create More National Parks
      • Your Closest National Park
      • The Seasons of Yosemite
      • Hawaii Volcano NP Tips
  • Ski & SnowExpand
    • Ski North America!

      The over 600 North American ski resorts in total account for over 316,000 skiable acres, 22,000 trails and almost 4,000 lifts.

      Learn

      Guides & Articles
      All Ski Resorts

      Visit

      Winter Ski Trips

      Recent News

      • 2023/24 Epic Passes
      • 2023/24 Ikon Passes
      • Best Ikon Resorts in SLC
      • Best Epic Resorts in Tahoe
      • Epic Buddy Pass Details
      • Cheapest Colorado Resorts
      • The Largest Ski Resorts
Parks & Trips
Midwest

Natchez Trace Parkway Road Trip

Home / National Park Road Trips /
ByChris Cagle Updated onFebruary 4, 2023
Map
Parks: 1 Miles: 600 Days: 6 Hours: 11

The 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway offers a scenic drive through three states and various recreational activities like hiking, biking, horseback riding, and camping. It retraces the path of the historic Old Natchez Trace, which was used by American Indians, settlers, slave traders, soldiers, and even future presidents. Enjoy a scenic drive and outdoor adventures along the Parkway.

Natchez Trace Parkway

Address: 2680 Natchez Trace Parkway, Tupelo, MS 38804   •   Learn More…

Our Natchez Trace road trip takes you through the three states of the parkway (Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi, then into Louisiana for the flight home. We stop at some of the most historic sites as we wind through this historic and mostly rural road.

A vacation using this itinerary will be a fairly easy-going and stress-free road trip. There won’t be giant crowds anywhere along the parkway, and the hotels and food will be relatively cheap when compared to some of the more popular places to visit in the summer.

Where Should I Stay on the Natchez Trace Parkway?

We’ve decided to stay at four (five if you count Baton Rouge) places along the parkway:

FromToMilesDrive Time
HomeNashville, TN
Nashville, TNTupelo, MS211 miles4 hours
Tupelo, MSJackson, MS167 miles3 hours
Jackson, MSNatchez, MS107 miles2 hours
Natchez, MSBaton Rouge, LA85 miles1.5 hours
Baton Rouge, LAHome

Tupelo, Jackson, and Natchez have great accommodation options on AirBNB and VRBO. There are plenty of hotels in each of these cities as well. Most nights are fairly cheap since this trip isn’t passing by any of the major National Parks that tend to get very crowded in the summer.

ArrivalDays 1-2

Nashville, TN

The start of the Natchez Trace Parkway – Flickr.com/@auvet
Nashville International Airport

Location: Nashville, TN (CST)
Size: Large, #38 in North America   •   Code: BNA   •   Visit Website

SCHEDULE YOUR RENTAL CAR:

To begin our road trip down the Natchez Trace Parkway, we fly into beautiful Nashville, Tennessee. I was here once before, and there was so much to do here in the summer. I suggest staying in downtown Nashville on your fly-in day. Try some Nashville hot chicken, and head over to see the Grand Ole Opry.

Drive

Driving

The next location is 211 miles away (~4 hours).

As we drive from Nashville to Natchez, you are following the milepost markers in descending order. The start of the parkway is milepost 444.

Along the longest drive of the road trip here, we pass quite a few important places along the Natchez Trace Parkway. Here are the best places to stop in the order that you’ll pass them:

  • Double Arch Bridge at Birdsong Hollow (milepost 438)
  • Tennessee Valley Divide (milepost 423)
  • Jackson Falls (Milepost 404)
  • Tobacco Barn & Old Trace Walk (milepost 401)
  • Fall Hollow Waterfall (milepost 391)
  • Napier Mine (milepost 381)
  • Old Trace Drive (milepost 375)
  • Rock Spring (milepost 330)
  • Colbert Ferry Stand Site (milepost 327)
  • Dogwood Valley Trail (milepost 275)
  • Old Trace and Confederate Gravesites (milepost 269)

If you only want to stop a couple of times, I have a few favorite spots out of the places above. The first is the famous Double Arch Bridge just as you exit Nashville. More on that below.

The other spots are the Jackson and Fall Hollow waterfalls, and Old Trace Drive, which is a 2.5 mile section of the original trail that the modern parkway did not overtake.

Must See

Birdsong Hollow and Double Arch Bridge

Approximately Milepost 438

Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge – Fickr.com/@zkorb/

The Double Arch Bridge that spans Birdsong Hollow was completed in 1994. It rises 155 feet above the valley and carries Natchez Trace travelers 1,648 feet over the valley and Tennessee Highway 96.

DestinationDays 2-3

Tupelo, MS

Approximately Milepost 233

Tupelo, MS – Flickr.com/@jeremybrooks

Once you reach Tupelo, MS, there are a handful of interesting spots to visit along the parkway. The first is the Parkway Visitor Center at milepost 266. The Chickasaw Village Site at milepost 261 is another great place to visit and explore.

Tupelo is also the birthplace of Elvis Presley, which his childhood home is open for tours.

Drive

Driving

The next location is 166 miles away (~3 hours).

After leaving Tupelo, head south on the parkway towards Jackson, MS. The sightseeing opportunities along this part of the trip are:

  • Davis Lake Recreation Area (milepost 243)
  • Old Trace Trail (mileposts 221 & 198)
  • Jeff Busby Overlook (milepost 193)
  • Cole Creek (milepost 175)
  • Myrick Creek Hiking Trail (milepost 145)
  • Red Dog Road (milepost 140)
  • Cypress Swamp (milepost 122)
  • Choctaw Agency (milepost 100)
Must See

Crypress Swamp

Approximately Milepost 122

Cypress Swamp near Jackson, MS – Flickr.com/@71926212@N00

I highly recommend stopping at the Cypress Swamp on your way from Tupelo to Jackson. It will be just before you reach Jackson.

Situated where the Pearl River once flowed, out of this swamp grew the water-tolerant cypress and tupelo trees. The Cypress Swamp Loop Trail is less than half a mile long that takes you through the swamp, over a bridge to a pond, and back. The entire walk should only take about 20-30 minutes.

Dogs are allowed on this trail, but be careful! Alligators live in the swamp.

This small park is open year-round, but November is the best time to visit when the trees are in full autumn colors. The swamp may be virtually dry in the summer.

DestinationDays 3-4

Jackson, MS

Approximately Milepost 92

Mississippi History and Civil Rights Museums – Flickr.com/@pasa

Jackson is the ideal location for the next stop thanks to its attractions, award-winning restaurants, three historic cultural districts, plenty of visual and performing arts.

When in Jackson, don’t skip out on the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, which offers a sobering look into our nation’s history on slavery and human rights. Admission is free on Sundays, and $15 per adult or $8 per child on all other days. A ticket for here also gets you access to the Mississippi History Museum.

Drive

Driving

The next location is 105 miles away (~2 hours).

After leaving Jackson, head south on the parkway towards Natchez, MS. The sightseeing opportunities along this part of the trip are:

  • Rocky Springs Town Site & Trail (milepost 54)
  • Owens Creek Waterfall (milepost 52)
  • Grindstone Ford Hiking Trail (milepost 45)
  • Sunken Trace (milepost 41)
  • Windsor Plantation Ruins (milepost 30)
  • Potkopinu Trail (milepost 20 to 17)
  • Bullen Creek (milepost 18)
  • Mount Locust Historic House (milepost 15)
  • Emerald Mound (milepost 10)

My favorites of the spots above are Rocky Springs, the Grindstone Ford Hiking Trail and Bullen Creek.

DestinationDays 4-5

Natchez, MS

Approximately Milepost 1

Natchez Trace Trail – Flickr.com/@79666107@N00

The trail begins (or ends for us) in the small town of Natchez, MS. Located on the banks of the Mississippi River, Natchez is steeped in cultural history.

The Mississippi Freedom Trail and Civil Rights Trail have stops in Natchez, so there is a lot of history to be learned along these two historic trails.

Drive

Driving

The next location is 85 miles away (~1.5 hours).

The quick drive down to Baton Rouge, LA should only take around an hour and a half. Once you get into Baton Rouge, the first thing you need to do is find some Cajun food.

DepartureDays 5-6

Baton Rouge, LA

Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport

Location: Baton Rouge, LA (CST)
Size: Medium   •   Code: BTR

I chose Baton Rouge Metropolitain Airport (BTR) to fly home from because it allowed us to see a bit more on the way down into Louisiana, and it was the closest major airport to Natchez. It has major airlines American, Delta, and United flying in and out of it, so it seemed like the perfect choice.

However, there are a few options we could have decided to fly home from. Jackson, MS (airport code: JAN) or Lafayette, LA (airport code: LFT) are all around an hour and a half away from Natchez as well.

 

  • Travel Articles
  • National Park Road Trips
  • Winter Ski Trips
  • Find a Ski Resort
  • Our National Parks
EPIC Ski Pass

EPIC Ski Pass Resorts: 2023-24 (Updated)

Updated on March 21, 2023

Vail Resorts created the EPIC ski pass in 2008. Back then, passholders only had access to 7 partner resorts, and…

IKON Ski Pass

IKON Pass Ski Resorts for the 2023-24 Season (Updated)

Updated on March 21, 2023

The IKON ski lift ticket was created by the Alterra Mountain Company in 2018. What is the IKON Ski Season…

Canyonlands National Park

The National Parks of Utah: The Mighty 5

Updated on February 10, 2023

Utah is well known as one of the “must visit” states that national park enthusiasts need to travel to. Utah…

Finding All The National Parks Near San Diego

Finding All The National Parks Near San Diego

Updated on March 25, 2023

If you are searching for national parks close by in San Diego, CA, you’ll likely be a little disappointed. Of…

Parks & Trips was created to help guide those that want to travel the National Parks and ski resorts of the US and Canada. All of our travel itineraries have the exact details you'll need to create your next memorable family road trip.

About     Contact     Privacy Policy

Road Trips

  • Travel Articles
  • US National Parks
  • Canadian National Parks
  • National Park Road Trips
  • Road Trips by Region

Snow

  • Ski Articles
  • All Ski Resorts
  • Winter Ski Trips

National Parks

  • Acadia National Park
  • Arches National Park
  • Death Valley NP
  • Glacier National Park
  • Grand Canyon NP
  • Mount Rainier NP
  • Olympic National Park
  • Rocky Mountain NP
  • Yoho National Park
  • Zion National Park

Ski Resorts

  • Alta Ski Area
  • Aspen Snowmass
  • Banff Sunshine
  • Big Sky Ski Resort
  • Breckenridge
  • Heavenly Ski Resort
  • Keystone Resort
  • Mammoth Mountain
  • Palisades Tahoe
  • Vail Ski Resort

Parks & Trips makes money through affiliate partner links: If you click on a link, we may earn a commission. Our writers create all reviews, patterns, and other content to inform readers, with no influence from our advertisers. Learn more about our policies and disclosures.

© 2023 Parks & Trips, a Cagle Online Enterprises, Inc. Company

Scroll to top
  • Travel Articles
  • National Park Road Trips
  • Winter Ski Trips
  • Find a Ski Resort
  • Our National Parks
Search