Outdoor lovers must experience the scenic 444 mile Natchez Trace Parkway that stretches across Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee.

Great Outdoors

Camping, hiking, biking and horse back riding are among the exciting recreations offered here.

Natchez Trace was made a unit of the National Park Service in 1938 and restoration was completed in 2005.

The parkway still contains parts of the “Old Trace” that Native Americans used to track bison.

Camping in Natchez Trace is very abundant. There are three sites inside the park and 25 in surrounding areas.

The climate during the summer is hot and humid, and during the winter it can vary from mild around Tupelo, Miss., to below freezing with ice and snow in Tennessee.

Historic Sites

There are several historic and natural sites along the parkway to explore. Attractions include Indian mounds, the gravesite of 13 unknown Confederate soldiers, a cypress swamp, waterfalls, the Tennessee River, and miles of wildflowers, flowering shrubs and trees.

On milepost 15.5 is the restored Mount Locust Inn. It was the location traders, “Kaintucks,” used when traveling from New Orleans.

The only visitors center on the long and winding road is in Tupelo at milepost 266, and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Travelers can watch an orientation video, see artifacts displayed, and visit the Eastern National Bookstore here.

Off the beaten path around milepost 330 is the Rock Spring Nature Trail. In the summertime this is the perfect spot to admire hummingbirds as they feed on the blooming jewelweed.

The Parkway sees more than 14 million travelers each year and was designated an All-American Road in 1995.

Find out more about the great outdoors in Tupelo, MS.