Natchez Trace Parkway
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 American Indians, "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.
Alerts
- ClosureNPS ↗Current Park Closures
Closures may occur due to inclement weather, construction projects, or other emergency conditions. Please visit the linked page for information about current closures.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
There are no entrance fees to the Natchez Trace Parkway or any of its facilities.
Hours
| Natchez Trace | Daily · All Day |
When to go
June draws the most visits here and February the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Jeff Busby Campground, Milepost 193.1 | 18 sites | |
| The campground is open year-round, first-come, first-served. · 18 first-come | ||
| Rocky Springs Campground, Milepost 54.8 | 22 sites | |
| The campground is open year-round, first-come, first-served. · 22 first-come | ||
| Meriwether Lewis Campground, Milepost 385.9 | 32 sites | |
| The campground is open year-round, first-come, first-served. · 32 first-come | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Parkway Visitor Center Milepost 266 ↗Passport stamp
The Parkway Visitor Center is just north of Tupelo, Mississippi. A ranger is on duty to answer questions and provide information and brochures. Ask and we will be glad to show you our movie. Other videos are available at https://www.nps.gov/natr/learn/photosmultimedia/videos.htm.
- Mount Locust Information Center Milepost 15.5 ↗Passport stamp
Located at milepost 15.5, the Mount Locust Information Center is at the site of the only remaining inn, or "stand" on the Parkway. During open hours, rangers are available to hand out maps, brochures, and answer questions about the historic house, just a short walk up the hill from the information…
- Meriwether Lewis Visitor Information Center Milepost 385.9 ↗Passport stamp
The Meriwether Lewis Visitor Information Center is open seasonally. It is located at milepost 385.9. At this visitor center you can browse exhibits on the last days of Meriwether Lewis.
- Parkway Information Cabin Milepost 102.4 ↗
The Parkway Information Cabin is closed indefinitely. The Chisha Foka trail parking area is open.
Explore
Things to do
- Become a Natchez Trace Junior Ranger20-120 Minutes
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.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hiking the Blackland Prairie Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail1-6 Hours
The Blackland Prairie section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail is a popular 6 mile hiking trail in and around Tupelo, Mississippi.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hiking the Yockanookany Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail1-15 Hours
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.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hiking the Highland Rim Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail1-10 Hours
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.
Opens on the Park Service site - Birding on the Natchez Trace Parkway
Birding on the Natchez Trace Parkway
Opens on the Park Service site - Campgrounds on the Natchez Trace Parkway1-14 Days
The Natchez Trace Parkway manages three campgrounds along the length of the 444-mile Parkway. The three Parkway campgrounds are free, primitive, and available on a first come, first serve basis.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 12Hide
- Tent Camping on the Natchez Trace2-14 Days
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.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hiking to Waterfalls on the Natchez Trace15-120 Minutes
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.
Opens on the Park Service site - Earn a BARK Ranger Dog Tag10-60 Minutes
HEY DOGS!!! Do you want to proudly wear the BARK Ranger dog tag? We made it easy for a human to help you get one, and you both can have fun while earning it.
Opens on the Park Service site - Trails on the Natchez Trace Parkway15-460 Minutes
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.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hiking the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail5-14 Hours
The Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail consists of five sections running roughly parallel to the Natchez Trace Parkway motor road. The five sections of hiking trail, total more than 60 miles in southern forests.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hiking the Potkopinu Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail1-6 Hours
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.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Movies on the Trace: Land Before Time | Parkway Visitor Center (MP 266)10/1706:30 PM · freeThe movie will be on the lawn to the right of the main Visitor Center entrance.
- Hands-on-History: Skills of Yesterday with the Tombigbee Pioneers | Parkway Visitor Center (MP 266)10/2410:00 AM · freeThis event will take place at the Parkway Visitor Center at 2680 Natchez Trace Parkway, Tupelo, MS 38804.
- North Mississippi Dulcimers Performance | Parkway Visitor Center (MP 266)11/0710:00 AM · freeThis event will take place in the Parkway Visitor Center auditorium at 2680 Natchez Trace Parkway, Tupelo, MS 38804.
- Welcome the Holiday Season with the North Mississippi Dulcimers! | Parkway Visitor Center (MP 266)12/0510:00 AM · freeThis event will take place in the Parkway Visitor Center auditorium at 2680 Natchez Trace Parkway, Tupelo, MS 38804.
- North Mississippi Dulcimers Performance03/0610:00 AM · freeThis event will take place in the Parkway Visitor Center auditorium at 2680 Natchez Trace Parkway, Tupelo, MS 38804.
News
- 15-mile Section Reopens as Road Rehabilitation Advances on Natchez Trace Parkway ↗2026-07-31
The National Park Service will reopen a 15-mile section of the Natchez Trace Parkway on August 3 and begin the next phase of a major road rehabilitation project, requiring a detour around a 24-mile section between state…
- Speeding Catches Up With You: Follow the Speed Limit on Natchez Trace Parkway to Save Lives ↗2026-07-06
As a part of the Speeding Catches Up With You campaign, Natchez Trace Parkway Rangers and Mississippi Highway Patrol Troopers will be present along the Natchez Trace to protect the public from aggressive speeding…
- Natchez Trace Parkway to Close 15-Mile Section for Major Road Rehabilitation Project ↗2026-06-18
Beginning June 22, the Natchez Trace Parkway will detour motorists around a 15-mile section of parkway between state Route 12 (milepost 165) and state Route 413 (milepost 180) in Attala and Choctaw counties as…
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Forest Service trails nearby
These trails are outside the park on National Forest land, within 15 miles of Natchez Trace. Each one opens on Trailhead Atlas.
Distance is measured from the park's reference point to the nearer end of the trail.
Guidebooks for Natchez Trace Parkway and the South
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Local history books for Natchez Trace Parkway
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Full checklist: 121 birds, 31 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAMERICAN KESTREL · BALD EAGLE · BLACK VULTURE · Barred Owl · Broad-winged Hawk · COOPER'S HAWK · Eastern Screech-Owl · Great Horned Owl · Mississippi Kite · RED-SHOULDERED HAWK · Red-tailed Hawk · SHARP-SHINNED HAWK · TURKEY VULTURE
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican White Pelican · CATTLE EGRET · Canada Goose · Double-crested Cormorant · Fulvous Whistling Duck · Great Blue Heron · Great Egret · Green Heron · Little Blue Heron · Snowy Egret · Wood Duck · Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Woodcock · European Herring Gull · Killdeer · Royal Tern
Gamebirds & dovesMourning Dove · Northern Bobwhite · ROCK DOVE · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Pileated Woodpecker · Red-bellied Woodpecker · Red-headed Woodpecker · Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsChimney Swift · Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Also on the checklistAcadian Flycatcher · American Crow · American Goldfinch · American Redstart · American Robin · BACHMAN'S SPARROW · BEWICK'S WREN · Baltimore Oriole · Barn Swallow · Belted Kingfisher · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-billed Cuckoo · Blue Grosbeak · Blue Jay · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Bobolink · Brown Creeper · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Brown-headed Nuthatch · Carolina Wren · Cedar Waxwing · Chipping Sparrow · Chuck-will's-widow · Common Grackle · Common Nighthawk · Common Yellowthroat · Dark-eyed Junco · Dickcissel · EUROPEAN STARLING · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Meadowlark · Eastern Phoebe · Eastern Towhee · Eastern Wood Pewee · Field Sparrow · Fish Crow · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Grasshopper Sparrow · Gray Catbird · Great Crested Flycatcher · HOUSE SPARROW · Hermit Thrush · House Finch · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE · Mallard · Northern Cardinal · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Orchard Oriole · Painted Bunting · Pine Siskin · Prothonotary Warbler · Purple Martin · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Rusty Blackbird · Savannah Sparrow · Scarlet Tanager · Song Sparrow · Summer Tanager · Swainson's Warbler · Warbling Vireo · Whip-poor-will · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · White-eyed Vireo · White-throated Sparrow · Winter Wren · Wood Thrush · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-throated Vireo
Small mammalsAmerican Beaver · Common Muskrat · Eastern Fox Squirrel · Eastern Gray Squirrel · Eastern Mole · HOUSE MOUSE · Hispid Cotton Rat
PredatorsAlleghanian Spotted Skunk · American Mink · Bobcat · Common Gray Fox · Coyote · Cross Fox · River Otter · Striped Skunk · common raccoon
Hoofed mammalsWhite-tailed Deer
BatsBig Brown Bat · Eastern Pipistrelle · Eastern Red Bat · Evening Bat · GRAY MYOTIS · Hoary Bat · Little Brown Bat · Northern Yellow Bat
Also on the checklistCane Cutter · FERAL HOG · Groundhog · NINE-BANDED ARMADILLO · NUTRIA · Virginia Opossum
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Camping in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Horseback riding in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Questions people ask
Does Natchez Trace charge an entrance fee?
No. Natchez Trace is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
Is Natchez Trace open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Natchez Trace?
Yes. The Park Service lists 3 campgrounds in Natchez Trace: Jeff Busby Campground, Milepost 193.1, Rocky Springs Campground, Milepost 54.8, and Meriwether Lewis Campground, Milepost 385.9. 3 are first-come, first-served.
Do any Natchez Trace campgrounds have hookups or showers?
No. None of the 3 listed campgrounds report showers, electric hookups, or a dump station.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Natchez Trace right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Current Park Closures.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Natchez Trace?
7,994,783 recreation visits in 2025, number 4 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
When was Natchez Trace established?
1938.
Source: Wikipedia
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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