Trip Idea
Exploring the Natchez Trace in Tennessee
Duration | Multiple Days |
Topic(s) | African American Heritage, Animals, Archeology, Arts, Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite, Commerce, Trade, Engineering, Enslavement, Explorers and Expeditions, Plantations, Grasslands, Hispanic American Heritage, Immigration, Landscape Design, Migrations, Military, Indigenous and Native Warrior, Infantry and Militia, US Army, Monuments and Memorials, Music, Native American Heritage, Natural Sounds, Night Sky, Scenic Views, Schools and Education, Conservation Movement, Trails, Transportation, Roads, Routes and Highways, Unique Species, Rare, Wars and Conflicts, Civil War, Colonial/European Contact Conflicts, Tribal Conflicts, War of 1812, Westward Expansion, Wetlands, Marshes, Swamps, Colonization and Settlement, Tragic Events, Forced Marches, Photography, Watersheds, Waterfalls, Painting, Forests and Woodlands more » |
Activities | Junior Ranger Program, Self-Guided Tours - Auto, Hiking, Front-Country Hiking, Car or Front Country Camping |
Type | Kid Friendly, Active, Relaxed, Educational, Inspirational, Outdoors, Road Trip, Group Friendly more » |
Parks | Natchez Trace Parkway, Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail, Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail |
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Natchez Trace Parkway
Become a Natchez Trace Junior Ranger
- Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
- Reservations: No
- Activity: Junior Ranger Program
- Age: 0 and Older
- Pets: Yes with Restrictions
- Location: Natchez Trace Parkway
- Duration: 20–120 Minutes
- Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
- Time of Day: Day
Do you care about exploring, learning about, and protecting the Natchez Trace? If yes, become a Junior Ranger! There are many ways to be a Junior Ranger badge at Natchez Trace Parkway, and this fun activity book is a great place to start.
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Natchez Trace Parkway
Exploring the Meriwether Lewis Death and Burial Site
- Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
- Reservations: No
- Activity: Self-Guided Tours - Auto
- Pets: Yes
- Location: Meriwether Lewis Death and Burial Site, milepost 385.9
- Duration: 15–120 Minutes
- Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
- Time of Day: Any Time
The Meriwether Lewis monument marks the final resting place of famed American explorer Meriwether Lewis who died by suicide near by at Grinder's Stand on October 11, 1809.
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Multiple Parks
Discovering the Trail of Tears on the Natchez Trace
- Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
- Reservations: No
- Activity: Self-Guided Tours - Auto
- Pets: Yes
- Location: Natchez Trace Parkway in Alabama and Tennessee
- Duration: 0–3 Hours
- Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
- Time of Day: Day, Dawn, Dusk
The Trail of Tears began in May 1838 when Federal troops and state militias began to round up the Cherokee into stockades. In spite of warnings to troops to treat the Cherokee kindly, the round up proved harrowing. Families were separated and people were given only moments to collect cherished possessions. White looters followed, ransacking homesteads as Cherokee were led away. The Trail of Tears crosses the Natchez Trace Parkway in several locations in Alabama and Tennessee.
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- Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
- Reservations: No
- Activity: Hiking
- Pets: Yes
- Location: Natchez Trace Parkway in Tennessee
- Duration: 1–10 Hours
- Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
- Time of Day: Day, Dawn, Dusk
The Highland Rim section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail is a popular twenty mile hiking and equestrian corridor south of Nashville Tennessee along the Natchez Trace Parkway from Milepost 427.4 to 407.9.
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Natchez Trace Parkway
Hiking to Waterfalls on the Natchez Trace
- Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
- Reservations: No
- Activity: Front-Country Hiking
- Pets: Yes
- Location: Natchez Trace Parkway in Tennessee
- Duration: 15–120 Minutes
- Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
- Time of Day: Day
Perhaps two of the most awe-inspiring sites along the Natchez Trace Parkway are Jackson Falls (milepost 404.7) and Fall Hollow (milepost 391.9) located in Tennessee. Though both falls are equally picturesque, each fall offers a unique experience. Both provide beautiful scenery, but also offer opportunities to see wildflowers, birds, and other wildlife.
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Natchez Trace Parkway
RVing the Natchez Trace Parkway
- Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
- Reservations: No
- Activity: Car or Front Country Camping
- Pets: Yes
- Location: Natchez Trace Parkway
- Duration: 2–14 Days
- Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
- Time of Day: Any Time
Recreational vehicles are a popular way to see the parkway. The length restriction for RVs is 55 feet, including a tow vehicle, and the height restriction is 14 feet. Be on the lookout for cyclists! The Natchez Trace Parkway is a designated bicycling route. With a lane width of 11 feet and little to no shoulder, it is important to slow down, pass with care, and avoid distracted driving.
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Multiple Parks
Tent Camping on the Natchez Trace
- Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
- Reservations: No
- Activity: Car or Front Country Camping
- Pets: Yes
- Location: Natchez Trace Parkway
- Duration: 2–14 Days
- Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
- Time of Day: Any Time
The Natchez Trace Parkway manages three campgrounds along the Parkway. Those campgrounds are Meriwether Lewis at Milepost 385.9, Jeff Busby at Milepost 193.1 and Rocky Springs at Milepost 54. The campgrounds are free, primitive, and available on a first come, first serve basis. The maximum stay at our campgrounds is 14 days combined throughout the year. All camping must take place within designated campgrounds. The Natchez Trace Parkway does not allow dispersed camping.
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Natchez Trace Parkway
Leaf Peeping Along the Natchez Trace
- Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
- Reservations: No
- Activity: Self-Guided Tours - Auto
- Pets: Yes
- Location: Along the Natchez Trace Parkway
- Duration: 1–6 Hours
- Season: Fall
- Time of Day: Day
In middle to late October, the maple, hickory, oak and other hardwood trees begin to change colors and visitors have the opportunity to view the brilliant fall foliage along the Natchez Trace Parkway.
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Last updated: January 29, 2021