Blackland Prairie Section Southern Terminus Trailhead, West Jackson Street, Closed

Closed until 2023.

• This section is closed until 2023. This is a large parking area located off the Natchez Trace Parkway on West Jackson Street in Tupelo, MS. This parking lot is located on the northside of West Jackson Street there is plenty of trailer and car parking. The trailhead at this location is on the east end of the parking spaces.

Blackland Prairie section Northern Terminus Trailhead, Milepost 266

This trailhead is located just across the Parkway from the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center. Hikers can travel six miles along the outskirts of Tupelo (12 miles roundtrip). You can make the walk as long or as short as you would like on this out and back trail. This section of Scenic Trail is open to hikers only and requires walking on the Parkway for road and creek crossings.

• The northern terminus trail head is on the south side of the visitor parking lot. There is an information bulletin board to the left of the trail head. The trail is uneven and not paved and averages four feet wide. The trail meanders through the forest and prairie ecosystems. The hiking trail also parallels the Natchez Trace Parkway motor road. The parking area has room for several cars and a brick sidewalk runs parallel to the parking spaces in a north and south directions. The brick sidewalk leads to the trail head on the south side of the parking area.

Burns Branch, Milepost 425.4

This is a trailhead for the Highland Rim Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. This trailhead has parking for vehicles but not trailer parking and is not a staging area for horses. The site offers a hitching post and a picnic table to take a break if you would like.

• The pull off on the east side of the Natchez Trace Parkway. The parking area forms a cul-de-sac off the main parkway road. The parking is located on the eastern side of the cul-de-sac. From the parking you continue east to the picnic tables and trailhead. The picnic tables and trailhead is not wheelchair accessible and you must travel over uneven ground to reach both locations.

Chickasaw Village Site, Milepost 261.8

The Chickasaw Village Site is nearly 90 acres of Blackland Prairie and forest in the heart of Tupelo, MS. The size and shape of the Chickasaw summer and winter homes are preserved. The Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail goes through the village site. An interpretive shelter offers information about the Chickasaw people.

• The Chickasaw Village Site is nearly 90 acres of Blackland Prairie and forest in the heart of Tupelo, MS. The size and shape of the Chickasaw summer and winter homes are preserved. The Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail goes through the village site. An interpretive shelter offers information about the Chickasaw people.

Cypress Swamp, Milepost 122

Many years ago, the Pearl River flowed here. The river changed course. A shallow area was created by the deposition of sediments as the river retreated. During periodic low water, seedlings of water-tolerant cypress and tupelo trees gained a foothold. The trees you see today are a result. This is also a trailhead for the Yockanookany Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail.

• This paved pull off is on the east side of the Natchez Trace Parkway. It has parking for two to three cars. Just east of the parking area is a large wooden sign with yellow letters explaining the Cypress Swamp area. to the left of the sign are stairs leading down to the boardwalk and short nature trail. This site is not wheelchair accessible.

Fly Trailhead On The Highland Rim Section, Milepost 416

The Fly Trailhead on Highway 7 provides a small parking area for one or two horse trailers. If space is available, this will be a great starting point for just a few people. If there are numerous people riding together, the Highway 50 trailhead may be a better option. There is no water available at this trailhead. One hitching post is available here.

• This is a parking area is located on the west side of Old Natchez Trace Road. This is a gravel parking area that will fit 3 or 4 cars or two vehicles pulling horse trailers. The trailhead and picnic tables are just west of the parking area and just beyond the split rail wooden fencing.

Garrison Creek and Highland Rim Section Northern Terminus, Milepost 427.6

Named for a nearby 1801-02 U.S. Army post, Garrison Creek is a trailhead for horseback riders and hikers on the Highland Rim Trail of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. Plenty of horse trailer parking is available. This part of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail is 20 miles in length. From the Garrison Creek trailhead you can hike or ride your horse south to Tennessee Highway 50, milepost 408, near the Gordon House.

• This is a large site on the east side of the Parkway. When you drive into the site the first parking lot on your right is for cars and SUVs. This is also where the Scenic Trailhead is located as well as the accessible bathrooms. The bathrooms are located in the large brick building on the southside of the parking lot. There is a pavilion overhanging the entrance to the restrooms with picnic tables underneath. The trailhead is behind the building. If you pass by the parking area and continue down the hill you will arrive at the oversized vehicle, RV and Horse Trailer parking area. This parking lot is approximately 200 yards from the trailhead and restrooms.

Highland Rim Section Southern Terminus Trailhead, Milepost 408

This trailhead is a great place for hikers and horseback riders alike to start their journey on the Highland Rim Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. There is ample parking for horse trailers, two hitching posts, and water available for horses. Visitors will need to get drinking water at the Gordon House, milepost 407.7.

• This trailhead is located to the west of the parking and once you pull onto Toddy Lane it is on your right. There is ample parking for all vehicles. The parking area is not paved and can get muddy during excessive rain. The trailhead, hitching post, and picnic table is located on the northside of the parking area.

Highway 43 Trailhead, Milepost 114.9

This is a the only staging area for horses on this section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. There is ample room for parking trailers, and water is available for horses to drink at this trailhead. Riders can travel north 16 miles to the northern terminus at Yockanookany, or south seven miles to the southern terminus at the West Florida Boundary.

• The parking area is on the east side of Yandell Road about 100 feet from the intersection of Yandell Road and Mississippi Highway 43. The parking is large open area that can fix numerous vehicles pulling trailers. The parking area is made of gravel and is uneven to walk on. This trail is not wheelchair accessible.

Old Town Overlook, Milepost 263.9

A short distance from I-22, Old Town Overlook embraces history, nature, recreation, and agriculture.

• The overlook road branches in two directions. From one side, the bottomland of Town Creek and part of the Belt Belt prairie can be seen from this overlook, along with agricultural land and the Parkway road. A trail passes by the site and a DAR marker from 1914 is prominent next to the interpretive sign. On the other branch of the road, there is a picnic table, and a pond situated between the overlook and the Parkway.

Owens Creek and Rocky Springs Section Southern Terminus, Milepost 52.4

The sounds of a busy woodland stream and the quiet murmur of a lazy waterfall have long been stilled here. Only after heavy rainfall does water fill the stream. Over the years the water table has dropped several feet, and the spring which feeds Owens Creek has all but disappeared. Little remains of a scene once familiar to early residents of the Rocky Springs community. This is the southern terminus of the Rocky Springs Section of Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail.

• This parking area is on the west side of the Natchez Trace Parkway. The parking area is paved and have parking for five or six cars and one Bus or RV. The trailhead is to the left or southern end of the parking area. The hiking in this area is not wheelchair accessible.

Potkopinu Section Northern Terminus, Milepost 20

This trailhead is the larger of the two for Potkopinu Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. Vehicles may be parked parallel to the road. If you have an oversized vehicle this is the only place to park to access this trail. To reach this trailhead exit the Parkway at Milepost 20. Turn left (east) on Road #553 known as River Road. Turn right onto a dirt road and travel a short distance and parking is on the right.

• This parking area and trailhead is located in the southside if River Road. You are able to park parallel to the road at this location. Trailhead is separated from the dirt road and parking area by a split rail wooden fence. If hiking this trail be prepared to walk through water at stream crossings. Crossing conditions vary from muddy areas to knee-deep water, depending on rainfall.

Potkopinu Section Southern Terminus, Milepost 17

This trailhead has room for a few cars. There is no overflow parking at this location. This locations is not recommended for oversized or recreational vehicles. Follow the signs on the Parkway to reach this trailhead. You will travel on dirt roads to reach the trailhead. The land surrounding the trail is private property. Please stay on the trail at all times.

• This location is a small dirt pull off on a dirt road off the east side of the Natchez Trace Parkway. There is only parking for two or three cars at this location. To reach the trailhead you will walk down the small staircase near the parking area to reach the trail. The land surrounding the trail is private property. Please stay on the trail at all times. If hiking the trail be prepared to walk through water at stream crossings. Crossing conditions vary from muddy areas to knee-deep water, depending on rainfall.

Rocky Springs Picnic Area And Trailhead, Milepost 54.8

This area had picnic tables and restrooms nearby. This trailhead for the Rocky Springs Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail is accessible to hikers only. Hikers can take the trail from the picnic area, and continue north eight miles to the northern terminus or continue south two and one half miles to the southern terminus at Owens Creek. The southern portion of trail takes you over rocky outcroppings and on steep ridges. This trailhead has the most amenities.

• This parking area is on the southern end of the Rocky Springs site. TO get to the parking area from the Natchez Trace Parkway you will follow the signs to the Picnic area and on this road will lead to a small cul-de-sac. Parking for the trailhead is at this location. There is plenty of parking at this location for numerous vehicles. The trail at this location goes over uneven terrain and is not wheelchair accessible.

Rocky Springs Section Northern Terminus, Milepost 59

This trailhead is an excellent staging area for horseback riders on the Rocky Springs Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. There is ample parking for trailers. This is the only area for horses to stage on this section of trail. There is no water available at this location. Horseback riders will be riding on the road shoulder for part of this trail.

• This parking area and trailhead is on the southside of Fisher Ferry Road on the east side of the Natchez Trace Parkway near Milepost 59. This parking are is a large open dirt and grass parking area. There is plenty of parking for several vehicles pulling trailers at this location. The trailhead is located at the end of the parking area on the southern end.

Rocky Springs Town Site, Milepost 54.8

Called "the Rocky Spring" by early travelers, the town later became Rocky Springs, a rural community covering about 25 square miles. Settlement of the area began in the late 1790's and continued until about 1860, reaching a peak of approximately 2600 people.

• The Rocky Springs Town Site Trail is about a mile past the entrance of the Rocky Springs Campground on that road. The parking lot is small and can only fit six cars and loops around to take you back towards the campground. There is a paved sidewalk in the of a triangle that takes you to an informational bulletin board on the right of the trailhead. After that there is a short trail that leads to the abandoned town that includes an old church, cemetery, two rustling safes and several abandoned cisterns.

Tennessee Valley Divide, Milepost 423.9

The high ground at this site are part of a long ridge that divides central Tennessee. Streams south of the divide flow to the Duck and Tennessee Rivers, while streams to the north empty in the Cumberland River. This is also a trailhead for the Highland Rim Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail.

• This site is located on the east side of the Natchez Trace Parkway. When you pull into this section you will drive around in a circle forming a cul-de-sac. The parking for this on on the west side of the cul-de-sac and there is parking for 5 to 6 cars. The hiking trail is located across the cul-de-sac on the far eastern side of the entrance road to the site. The trailhead is not wheelchair accessible and goes on uneven terrain.

Upper Choctaw Boundary, Milepost 128.4

After 1800, treaties between the Choctaw and the US government whittled away tribal rights and lands. Finally, in 1830, the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek was negotiated at a council house near this spot. All the remaining Choctaw homeland--nearly 10.5 million acres--was taken.

• This pull off is located on the west side of the Natchez Trace Parkway. There is a paved parking lot with space for 4 or 5 cars. Near the parking lot there is two interpretative wayside exhibits. One wayside exhibit is about Choctaw Indian removal and has audio so you can hear from modern Choctaw people. This exhibit, titled “Broken Promises,” features an illustration of a group of Choctaw walking in the snow, away from their Eastern homeland. A map shows the lands ceded by treaties, and a photograph of a commemoration of Choctaw removal. The route the Choctaw took is in the distance, beyond the panel. The landscape is now mixed forest and fields. [Text] After 1800, treaties between the Choctaw and the US government whittled away tribal rights and lands. Finally, in 1830, the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek was negotiated at a council house near this spot. All the remaining Choctaw homeland— nearly 10.5 million acres—was taken. From 1831 through 1834, thousands of Choctaw trekked over 500 miles to “Indian Territory.” The US War Department had promised in 1830 to “be kind and brotherly to them…to furnish them with ample corn and beef, or pork for themselves and their families.” Instead, the Choctaw had inadequate clothing and supplies. Heavy rain, blizzard-like snowfall, and a shortage of wagons turned the forced removal deadly. On the map, Choctaw land is flanked by the Mississippi River on the west and extends into portions of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The Natchez Trace runs northeast to southwest across the Choctaw homeland to the port of Natchez on the Mississippi River. Treaties in 1801, 1802, 1805, 1816, and 1820 took two thirds of the Choctaw homeland. The 1830 Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek took the remainder. You are standing along the Natchez Trace in the Choctaw’s land ceded in 1820. [Text] Choctaw artist Gwen Coleman Lester captures the harsh conditions and tribal determination to survive at the core of Choctaw removal. In her painting, the Choctaw, most staring ahead, walk forward on snow-covered ground. They are wrapped in blankets, and wear moccasins. Leafless trees surround them. A man in front uses a walking stick. To the left of the man, a child carries a bundle on its back. To the right, a woman with down turned eyes holds a baby in a blanket. Two uniformed soldiers on horseback watch the Choctaw pass by. The group stretches across a creek in the distance. At the back, livestock pull wagons. A photo shows a uniformed honor guard leading a crowd down a paved road. The honor guards wear red berets. Two carry flags and two have shouldered rifles. The day is bright and sunny. The trees are in full leaf. [Text] Tribal members from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma walk each year to memorialize their ancestors who survived and perished on the Trail of Tears. The exhibit panel has a black band across the top. The band contains the National Park Service arrowhead on the right and the words National Park Service and U.S. Department of the Interior. On the left, the band contains the words Natchez Trace Parkway. Several yards to your right, there is a group of three, routed wood signs with more information about the Choctaw homeland and treaties.

War of 1812 Memorial on the Natchez Trace, Milepost 426.3

The War of 1812 Memorial, milepost 426.3, honors the service and sacrifice of all brave volunteers who marched on the Natchez Trace during the War of 1812 especially those that are buried in unmarked graves up and down the Old Natchez Trace.

• This location overlooks the Natchez Trace Parkway on a small hill. The drive into this parking way wraps in a circle around the site and the parking is on the western side of the site. There is a short paved path on the eastern side of the parking area that leads to this granite monument. Past the monument through the grass and across the access road is the trail head for Highland Rim Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. This trail averages 4 feet wide and is two miles to the Garrison Creek Trailhead. This trail is suitable for hiking and horseback riding. There is no horse trailing parking at this location.

West Florida Boundary and Yockanookany Section Southern Terminus, Milepost 107.9

The Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War. In the treaty, Great Britain received French territory between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. France also ceded West Louisiana to Spain for western Florida, which Spain yielded to Great Britain. Britain, in turn, created West Florida. In 1764, this spot was the northern boundary of West Florida, marked by a line from the Yazoo and Mississippi Rivers’ confluence east to the Chattahoochee River.

• This site is located on the east side of the Natchez Trace Parkway. When you pull into the site you drive around a large cul-de-sac and the parking lot is located on the far western side of the cul-de-sac. There is parking for six cars at this location. A large wooden sign that is painted brown with yellow letters is at the edge of the parking area and is titled "West Florida Boundary"

Yockanookany Section Northern Terminus, Milepost 130.9

This trailhead is the northern terminus of the Yockanookany Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. This trailhead is open to hikers only. From this trailhead, the southern terminus at West Florida Boundary is about 26 miles away. To access the trailhead from the parking area walk south from the parking area several hundred feet until you see the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail sign on your right.

• This pull off is located on the west side of the Natchez Trace Parkway. There is parking for nine cars. The parking area is paved and is surrounded by grass on three side. To reach the trailhead you must follow the tree line south a few hundred feet and the trail entrance will be on your right.

Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center

• Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center
• The National Park Service administers the scenic trail site through the Natchez Trace Parkway.Visitors are welcome to learn more about the scenic at the Parkway Visitor Center, located at milepost 266 On the Natchez Trace Parkway near Tupelo, Mississippi. The Parkway Visitor Center is open every day of the year except Thanksgiving. December 25, and January 1 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Central Time).

• Trails on the Natchez Trace Parkway
• The Natchez Trace Parkway has trails from 200 feet to 27 miles long. There are many short nature trails, and the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail (www.nps.gov/natt) is totally contained within the Parkway boundaries. 

• Hiking the Yockanookany Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
• North of Jackson, Mississippi the Yockanookany section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail is the longest of the five developed trail sections at 26 miles. Eight miles run alongside the Ross R. Barnett Reservoir, and the other sixteen miles go through dense forests, seasonal streams and open pastureland. 

• Hiking the Highland Rim Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
• 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.

• Hiking the Blackland Prairie Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
• The Blackland Prairie section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail is a popular 6 mile hiking trail in and around Tupelo, Mississippi.

• Hiking the Potkopinu Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
• Potkopinu (Pot-cop-i-new), the southernmost section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, is only three miles long, but it is the longest stretch of "sunken" historic Trace remaining. Named for the Natchez word meaning "little valley." Thus trail cuts deep into the rich, fine-grained soil. It doesn't take much to erode this type of soil, and centuries of human and animal traffic have done an impressive job. This trail has some embankments over twenty feet high!

• Tent Camping on the Natchez Trace
• 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.

• Hiking the Rocky Springs Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
• The Rocky Springs Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail is a six mile section located near Port Gibson, Mississippi. This trail crosses gently rolling forested land. At Rocky Springs, a side trail leads to the remains of the old town, including a church and cemetery. South of Rocky Springs the trail is moderately strenuous in places--up and down through deep ravines. Near the south terminus at Owens Creek is a good spot to sit quietly and listen to the forest.

• Finding Flowers
• This is a guide to help identify what wildflowers might be blooming when in what parts of the Natchez Trace Parkway.