Natchez Trace Trail

The Natchez Trace Trail extends across 60 miles through Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee, divided into five separate sections. The route runs through swamplands, bottomland forests and hardwood groves with changing elevations.

Native tribes used this connection as a trade route before European settlers and merchants developed it into a main corridor between the Gulf Coast and the Ohio River in the late 18th century. Military use began after 1800 with increased troop movements during the expansion period.

The name comes from the old trading route between Natchez and Nashville. The path today passes through sections with remnants of 19th-century settlements and through wetlands with typical regional flora.

The five sections lie scattered along the parkway corridor and require separate drives to each trailhead. Markings and path conditions vary with terrain, some passages can turn muddy after rain.

Rocky Springs is an abandoned settlement along the route where only the cemetery and church ruins remain visible. This section shows clearly how quickly communities can vanish when trade routes shift.

Location: Alabama

Location: Mississippi

Location: Tennessee

Website: https://nps.gov/natt

GPS coordinates: 34.66772,-88.08831

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:30