Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
The Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail is five sections of hiking trail running roughly parallel to the 444-mile long Natchez Trace Parkway scenic motor road. The foot trails total more than 60 miles and offer opportunities to explore wetlands, swamps, hardwood forest, and the history of the area.
About 2 hours from Memphis by car.
Alerts
- ClosureBlackland Prairie Section Closed South of the Chickasaw Village Site
The Blackland Prairie section of the Scenic Trail south of the Chickasaw Village Site (milepost 261.8) is temporarily closed due to construction of the new access road to the Chickasaw Heritage Center. Construction activities and heavy equipment are operating within the trail corridor. There is no access through the construction area.
- ClosurePartial Closure of Rocky Springs Trail
The Rocky Springs section is closed from the Rocky Springs campground at milepost 55 to the northern terminus at milepost 59 until further notice. Visitors should observe posted closures. The trail is unsafe due to trail erosion and deteriorated bridges.
- ClosureNPS ↗Yockanookany Trail Section Closed to Equestrians
The Yockanookany section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail is closed to equestrian use effective immediately, due to safety concerns with trail bridges and boardwalks. The trail will remain open to pedestrians.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
There are no fees associated with the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail.
Hours
| Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail | Daily · Sunrise to Sunset |
Visitor centers
- Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
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.
No campgrounds, no webcams or events in Park Service data. What is here comes from the official page. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the Park Service publishes the data.
Explore
Things to do
- 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 - 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 - 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 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
Show all 8Hide
- Hiking the Rocky Springs Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail1-12 Hours
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.
Opens on the Park Service site - Finding Flowers5-160 Minutes
This is a guide to help identify what wildflowers might be blooming when in what parts of the Natchez Trace Parkway.
Opens on the Park Service site
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Guidebooks for the South
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Activities
Activity guides for this park Hiking in the national parks · Horseback riding 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
What are the hours at Natchez Trace?
Standard hours are Sunrise to Sunset, every day.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Natchez Trace right now?
3 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Blackland Prairie Section Closed South of the Chickasaw Village Site; Partial Closure of Rocky Springs Trail; and more.
Source: Alerts
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.
More in Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee
