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Sequestration Effects on the Parkway
On March 1, 2013, the Parkway was required to reduce its annual budget by five percent, in accordance with the sequestration provision of the Budget Control Act of 2011. Click the link to learn about visitor center, restroom, and services impacts. More »
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Portion of National Scenic Trail Near Tupelo Closed to Hikers
Part of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail (NOT the Parkway) near Tupelo, MS, has been closed until 2015 due to construction under Tupelo's Major Thoroughfare Construction Project. Parkway travelers may expect delays, but no detours are expected. More »
Ranger-Led Activities and Events in the Tupelo Area
A visitor learns to make a basket with a demonstrator from the Tombigbee Pioneer Group. NPS Photo There are numerous special events that take place in the Tupelo area throughout the year. Have you ever wanted to practice playing a dulcimer or learn how early pioneers survived in the wilderness surrounding the early Natchez Trace? Come during one of the park’s Dulcimer Days or Pioneer Days and practice your skills! You may also choose to join a park ranger and explore parts of the original Trace, or learn more about the many American Indian mounds found along route of the modern Parkway. Discover the world of boatmen and bandits, Chickasaw and Choctaw, and forest and wildlife. Ranger programs are always free; schedules and topics vary by season. Please call 1-800-305-7417 for more information on ranger-led activities. May 2013 May 4, 2013 Dulcimer Day A special program of dulcimer music will be provided by the North Mississippi Dulcimer Association from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, 2013, at the Parkway Visitor Center located at milepost 266 near Tupelo, Mississippi. The North Mississippi Dulcimer Association teaches dulcimer history, tradition, craftsmanship, and music by sharing its knowledge and talents. The Appalachian mountain dulcimer is the first instrument developed in the United States. Dating back to the early 1800s, the dulcimer is an instrument whose very name means "sweet sound." The National Park Service and the North Mississippi Dulcimer Association invite everyone to listen to the soft sweet sounds of the dulcimer and learn of its extensive history. May 4, 2013 Wildflower Walk Join a Park Ranger for a Wildflower Walk on Saturday, April 6, 2013, at 10:00 am at the Chickasaw Village Site (milepost 261.8 on the Natchez Trace Parkway near Tupelo, Mississippi). This one hour program will take participants on an easy walk through both prairie and forest ecosystems, and will include wildflower identification and ecology. Visitors are encouraged to bring insect repellent, sunscreen, and wear comfortable walking shoes. May 18, 2013 Parkway 75th Anniversary Celebration The Natchez Trace Parkway will be celebrating its 75th anniversary on Saturday, May 18, 2013. The free, family-oriented event, to be held from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Parkway Visitor Center near Tupelo, MS, will include live music, children's activities, classic cars, and much more. The day will kick off at 10:00 a.m. with opening remarks from Senator Thad Cochran, Senator Rodger Wicker, Representative Alan Nunnelee, the Natchez Trace Parkway superintendent and other officials. Individuals representing the historical people of the Old Trace will be on hand to welcome visitors, including people portraying a "Kaintuck," Civil War soldiers, and Meriwether Lewis. Children will have the opportunity to earn a special Natchez Trace Parkway 75th Anniversary patch by participating in different activities, including a discovery walk, a mock archeological dig, and more. Other activities include the music of the North Mississippi Dulcimer Association, classic cars from the years 1938-2013, and a booth where people with special memories of the Parkway may record those stories. Food will be available to the public at 1938 prices, thanks to the support of the Natchez Trace Parkway Association. June 2013 June 1, 2013 Dulcimer Day A special program of dulcimer music will be provided by the North Mississippi Dulcimer Association from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, 2013, at the Parkway Visitor Center located at milepost 266 near Tupelo, Mississippi. The North Mississippi Dulcimer Association teaches dulcimer history, tradition, craftsmanship, and music by sharing its knowledge and talents. The Appalachian mountain dulcimer is the first instrument developed in the June 1, 2013 Junior Ranger Program "Nature Trail Detectives" Explore a nature trail and practice the skills necessary to become a Nature Trail Detective. The program will be at 10:00 a.m. at the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center, located along the Parkway at milepost 266, just north of Tupelo, Mississippi. Parkway programs are free to the public and are most appropriate for children ages 7-12. June 8, 2013 Wildflower Walk Join a Park Ranger for a Wildflower Walk on Saturday,June 8, 2013, at 9:00 am at the Chickasaw Village Site (milepost 261.8 on the Natchez Trace Parkway near Tupelo, Mississippi). This one hour program will take participants on an easy walk through a prairie ecosystem, and will include wildflower identification and ecology. Visitors are encouraged to bring insect repellent, sunscreen, and wear comfortable walking shoes. June 8, 2013 Junior Ranger Program "Sensory Overload" Use all of your senses to learn about the animals of the Natchez Trace Parkway. The program will be at 10:00 a.m. at the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center, located along the Parkway at milepost 266, just north of Tupelo, Mississippi. Parkway programs are free to the public and are most appropriate for children ages 7-12. June 15, 2013 Junior Ranger Program"Awesome Outdoor Adventure" Have you ever camped in the great outdoors? Help a Park Ranger set up a tent, roll out a sleeping bag and learn to start a campfire. The program will be at 10:00 a.m. at the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center, located along the Parkway at milepost 266, just north of Tupelo, Mississippi. Parkway programs are free to the public and are most appropriate for children ages 7-12. June 22, 2013 Junior Ranger Program "History's Mysteries" Use your detective skills to uncover the stories behind artifacts of the Natchez Trace. The program will be at 10:00 a.m. at the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center, located along the Parkway at milepost 266, just north of Tupelo, Mississippi. Parkway programs are free to the public and are most appropriate for children ages 7-12. June 22, 2013 Pioneer Day The Tombigbee Pioneer Group will perform living history demonstrations that show the challenges faced and creative solutions developed by those Americans who lived in the area from the 1700s to 1840. The demonstrations will take place at the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center (located at milepost 266 near Tupelo, Mississippi) from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 22, 2013. The public is invited to watch pioneer lifestyle activities that often include basket weaving, beading, and quill pen demonstrations. Leatherworking and mountain dulcimer demonstrations will also be offered throughout the day. Children are invited to participate by dressing up in pioneer clothes and trying these activities firsthand. June 29, 2013 Junior Ranger Program "Muskets and Marching" Practice a drill and learn all about 18th century military life. The program will be at 10:00 a.m. at the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center, located along the Parkway at milepost 266, just north of Tupelo, Mississippi. Parkway programs are free to the public and are most appropriate for children ages 7-12. |
Did You Know?
Meriwether Lewis, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, was governor of the Upper Louisiana Territory when he died on the Natchez Trace in 1809, at Grinder's Stand in Tennessee. A monument was erected in his honor in 1848 and can be seen along the Natchez Trace Parkway today.