Audio
Natchez Trace Parkway Overview
Transcript
The Natchez Trace Parkway is one of North America’s most historic transportation corridors. First created by migrating herds of animals, the Old Natchez Trace was a footpath used by American Indians and settlers. Widened as a postal route, pioneers and boatmen traveled the Natchez Trace, and now motorists can experience it by driving the Parkway.
Today’s visitors use milepost numbers to find their way along the Parkway. Starting at milepost zero in Natchez, Mississippi, the Parkway ends near Nashville, Tennessee at milepost 444. Stops along the Parkway are marked with an arrowhead-shaped wood-routed sign. The circular Parkway logo on the sign shows a silhouette of a post rider passing under moss-laden trees along the Old Natchez Trace.
There are sites linked to 10,000 years of history. Grass covered Indian mounds dot the landscape. Only two stands—inns that provided food and shelter to Natchez Trace travelers—survive from the early 1800s. In several places, the Trail of Tears crosses the Natchez Trace, a result of the federal Indian Removal policy, which forced Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Cherokee people from their homelands in the 1830s. Modern travelers pass by farms and fields that continue the agricultural heritage of the region. Short side trips connect with the small towns and cities that preserve the cultural heritage of the three states.
The Parkway also is home to a surprising variety of plants and animals. The southern portion features bayous and swamps in the floodplains of meandering rivers. As the Parkway winds toward the north, the elevation rises, rock outcrops appear, and vast tracts of eastern deciduous forest crowd the roadside.
The Parkway’s scenery also changes with the seasons. In the spring, wildflowers burst into bloom and trees with blossoms of pink and white welcome travelers. The long days of summer provide extra hours for exploring, while crisp fall days highlight changing leaves tinted with vibrant red, yellow, and orange. In the winter, after the trees drop their leaves, open vistas allow visitors to see deep into the forests, and an occasional snowfall quiets the landscape.
For all these reasons, Natchez Trace Parkway is the ideal place to unleash an inner explorer spirit. It welcomes hikers, bicyclists, motorists, horseback riders, and campers. It encourages discovery—whether the mystery of the mounds in Mississippi, the beauty of the waterfalls in Tennessee, a summer rain shower in a cypress swamp, or the muffled quiet as you descend into a leaf-strewn sunken portion of Old Trace—the ancient path that gave the Natchez Trace Parkway its name.
Outdoor exhibits tell some of the stories of these sites along the Natchez Trace. Audio descriptions for over forty outdoor exhibits are organized by milepost number.
Description
The Natchez Trace Parkway is one of North America’s most historic transportation corridors. First created by migrating herds of animals, the Old Natchez Trace was a footpath used by American Indians and settlers. Widened as a postal route, pioneers and boatmen traveled the Natchez Trace, and now motorists can experience it by driving the Parkway.
Duration
3 minutes, 23 seconds
Credit
NPS
Date Created
07/13/2017
Copyright and Usage Info