Milepost 249.6 to 341.7

More Information

• Physical / Mobility
• Deaf / Hearing Loss
• Blind / Low Vision
• Service Animals

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile recreational road and scenic drive through three states. It roughly follows the "Old Natchez Trace," a historic travel corridor used by Native Americans, "Kaintucks," European settlers, slave traders, soldiers, and future presidents. Today, people can enjoy a scenic drive as well as hiking, biking, horseback riding, and camping along the Parkway.

Learn more about the physical access of the stops along the parkway between Milepost 249.6 and Milepost 341.7. Or, check out our other accessibility pages.

 

Chickasaw Village Site - Milepost 261.8

This was once the location of a large Chickasaw Village. The sizes and shapes of their homes are marked on the ground. Interpretive signs share the site history which is located on a portion of Black Belt Prairie.

Parking

• 1 accessible space
• 5 other spaces

Paths

• Surface types: paved, mowed grass
• Slope: minimal and gentle
• There are changes in level between the paved areas and the grass.

Interpretive Shelter

There are multiple panels where you can learn about the history of this area.

 

Parkway Visitor Center - Milepost 266.0

2680 Natchez Trace Parkway
Tupelo, MS 38804

Parking

• 2 accessible spaces
• 35 standard parking spaces
• 15 bus/RV parking spaces

Restrooms and Drinking Fountains

Restrooms can be accessed after hours from exterior doors. When inside the visitor center, the restrooms are past the information desk on the left.

Women's

• 1 accessible stall
• 2 standard stalls
• running water
• changing table

Men's

• 1 accessible stall
• 2 urinals
• running water
• changing table

Drinking Fountain

• A seated-height drinking fountain and water bottle filling station located between the entrances to the restrooms. (interior or exterior?)

Exterior Area

• There are two benches just outside the entrance to the visitor center.
• There are a few picnic tables in the grass.
• Some of the pavement is cracked, unstable, or has steep changes in height.
• There is a bicycle maintenance station at the left end of the sidewalk in front of the visitor center.

Information Desk

Located to the left upon entering the building. Staff are available to help answer questions and provide information.

Bookstore

Items for sale include t-shirts, hoodies, books, pins, and other collectibles. Staff at the information desk can assist with reaching items on higher shelves.

Theater

The park film plays in a theater just to the right of the bookstore. There is room for wheelchairs. Some of the seats in the theater have armrests.

Exhibits

There are exhibits on the natural and cultural history of the Natchez Trace.

 

Bike Camp

To reach the campground, go to milepost 266 and follow signs for the Blackland Prairie section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. You will come to a small parking area. To the left is the trailhead, and to your right is the campground entrance.

The bike camp has:

• 2 picnic tables
• 2 trash receptacles
• Compacted gravel, turf, and dense leaf litter
• A standard-sized port-a-potty

Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail

There is an information board at the start of the trail. The grass is maintained but has leaves and tree roots.

 

Pharr Mounds - Milepost 286.7

Around 2,000 to 1,800 years ago native people built Pharr Mounds, a complex of eight dome-shaped mounds, spread over 90 acres. Skillfully designed and built, these mounds are a source of wonder and pride. Spiritually enduring, they become the cornerstones of civic and religious ceremonies and rituals. Modern Chickasaw feel a strong bond with Pharr Mounds and consider them sacred. Many return here as part of a pilgrimage to their ancestral homeland.

Parking

• 1 accessible space
• a curb ramp is located on the rear driver-side of the accessible parking space
• 10 other parking spaces (no striping)

Restrooms

Women's

• 1 accessible stall
• 2 standard stalls
• running water

Men's

• 1 accessible stall
• 2 urinals
• running water

Paths

• The path is paved and relatively flat and level.

 

Tenn-Tom Waterway - Milepost 293.2

Land and water meet here. The Jamie L. Whitten bridge on the Natchez Trace Parkway crosses over a section of the 234-mile long Tennessee-Tombigbee (Tenn-Tom) Waterway, the largest land moving project in the United States.

Parking

• 1 accessible space with a steep curb ramp
• 15 other parking spaces (no striping)

Paths

• paved
• some ramps with handrails

Picnic Area

• mowed grass with leaves and tree routes,
• 1 picnic table with an extended top,
• 4 standard picnic tables,
• 1 pedestal grill

 

Cave Spring - Milepost 308.4

Paleo hunters who used the Bear Creek Mound site probably used Cave Spring as a water source. A collapsed underground limestone cavern formed this cave. A short, steep, paved trail takes you to its mouth. Although this was an important water source for thousands of years, for safety reasons the NPS guards against drinking this water or entering the cave.

Parking

• 1 accessible space
• 7 other spaces (no striping)

Paths

• Surface: Paved
• Width: 24 inches
• Very steep with stairs
• Changes in level up to 1 inch

 

Bear Creek Mound - Milepost 308.8

About 900 years ago, mound building began along Bear Creek. Before the mounds, the site was used by semi-sedentary groups for thousands of years. Typical of a Mississippian period village, a ceremonial building sat on Bear Creek’s flat top, providing a focus for spiritual life.

Parking

• 1 accessible space
• 6 spaces (no striping)

Paths

• The path to the wayside is paved.
• The path to view the mound is mowed grass with gentle slopes.

 

Colbert Ferry - Milepost 327.3

This area has:

• boat dock
• picnic area
• old ferry area
• Colbert's Ferry Stand

Picnic Area and Boat Dock

Parking

There are two parking lots in the area. The upper lot serves the picnic area and the lower lot serves the boat dock.

The upper parking lot has:

• 1 accessible space by the restroom
• 3 van-accessible spaces by the picnic area
• 69 other spaces

The lower parking lot has:

• 2 accessible spaces; the access aisle does not have a curb ramp to the sidewalk
• 36 other spaces

Restrooms

The restrooms are located between the upper and lower parking areas. Access from the lower parking lot by the boat dock requires climbing several steep stairs. There is an accessible space in front of the restroom.

Women's

• 1 accessible stall
• 2 standard stalls
• running water

Men's

• 1 accessible stall
• 2 urinals
• running water

Picnic Area

• 1 accessible picnic table on a paved area with trash and a pedestal grill
• 21 picnic tables with pedestal grills and trash receptacles
• The ground is mowed grass with leaves, tree roots, and some slopes closer to the water

Boat Dock

To get to the boat dock, take the sidewalk to the boardwalk, and finally down the steep gangway to the floating dock. The dock has 4 boat hitches.

Old Colbert Ferry Area

Parking

• 1 van-accessible space, the curb ramp projects into the access aisle

Paths

• A concrete sidewalk connects the accessible parking to an interpretive panel.

Colbert’s Stand

George Colbert lived atop this ridge overlooking the Tennessee River. As one of the many inns that dotted the Trace between Nashville and Natchez, it provided travelers with food and lodging.

Parking

• 1 accessible space; the access aisle is XX inches wide

Colbert Ferry Trail Area

Located just after turning off Natchez Trace Parkway, this small parking area has access to picnic tables and the trailhead. There is a bike maintenance station here.

Parking

• 1 accessible space; the curb ramp projects into the access aisle
• 18 other spaces

Restrooms

Women's

• 1 accessible stall
• 2 standard stalls
• running water

Men's

• 1 accessible stall
• 2 urinals
• running water

Paths

• Paved
• Gentle slope up to the restroom

Picnic Area

• Three picnic tables are dispersed across the grass. The ground is uneven and sloped.

Colbert Ferry Bicycle Camp

At milepost 327, the Colbert Ferry site provides a bicycle-only campground with picnic tables, grills, and fire rings.

 

Trail of Tears Water Route Overlook - Milepost 328.7

Three detachments of Cherokee, totaling about 2,800 people, traveled by river past this location.

Parking

The parking lot loop is paved but does not have lines designating spaces.

Picnic Area

In the center of the parking lot there is a grassy area with picnic tables. There are no defined paths to the tables.

 

Rock Spring - Milepost 330.2

Rock Spring Nature Trail offers you an opportunity to explore a small natural spring as it bubbles forth from the ground. There are a series of rock steps across the water with large gaps in between them. This section is likely impassible for those using mobility devices or for those will balance concerns.

Trail Specs

• Length: 0.6 miles
• Surface: Compacted soil, rock steps across the water
• The trail is relatively flat with a slight uphill in a few places.
• Barriers: There are a series of rock steps across the water with large gaps in between them. This section is likely impassible for those using mobility devices or for those will balance concerns.

Parking

• 1 accessible space
• 8 spaces (no striping)