Traveling the Trace

Only three national parks have more visitors each year than the Natchez Trace Parkway, a national park of great natural beauty and historical significance that follows a 450-mile course from Nashville, Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi. First used as a vital transportation link by Native Americans and later by “kaintucks” and frontiersmen, today the Trace is experienced by more than 13 million visitors a  year.

Traveling the Trace explores the parkway and sights within 30 miles of either side of the Natchez Trace. In addition to the well-known stops, the authors visit side roads most tourists ignore or don’t know exist. It is a guide to:

• 25 Civil War sites


• 73 antebellum homes


• 65 museums and art galleries


• 78 antique shops and malls


• 72 bed and breakfasts


• 56 campgrounds


• 175 restaurants


• 49 spots for water sports and a whole lot more

“One of the ten most outstanding scenic byways in America.” _Scenic Byways Bulletin

“Distances on the Natchez Trace are measured as much in places, people, and history as in miles.” _Southern Living