Natchez Trace
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 9,984
Likes: 5,222
From: Michigan
It's "doable" but personally I'd prefer to do it in 4 days.
Definately doable in three days, but as others have said it wont give you time for stops. You have to figure its 444 miles from end to end with a speed limit of 50mph. I live near Madison MS and ride on the Trace a lot expecially when its hot as hell in MS in the Summer, because of all the tree cover it feels cooler on the trace, you can get away with setting a cruise around 53-55 but more than that the Rangers are not shy about writting tickets. I am not saying they wont write a ticket for less than 55 but in my experience with tons on miles on the Trace I have never been stopped by Ranger that I pass with the cruise between 53-55.
If you try it in three days riding the Trace in both directions its not going to give you any time to make stops along the Trace, four days would be plenty of time. If three days are all the time you are alloted I would think about Day 1 ATL to Nashville by quickest route possible then take the trace to Tupelo MS. Day 2 Tupelo to Natchez, Then day three hit go east from Natchez on 84 to 55N then hit 20 in Jackson to ATL
If you try it in three days riding the Trace in both directions its not going to give you any time to make stops along the Trace, four days would be plenty of time. If three days are all the time you are alloted I would think about Day 1 ATL to Nashville by quickest route possible then take the trace to Tupelo MS. Day 2 Tupelo to Natchez, Then day three hit go east from Natchez on 84 to 55N then hit 20 in Jackson to ATL
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Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 573
Likes: 217
From: Georgia
Definately doable in three days, but as others have said it wont give you time for stops. You have to figure its 444 miles from end to end with a speed limit of 50mph. I live near Madison MS and ride on the Trace a lot expecially when its hot as hell in MS in the Summer, because of all the tree cover it feels cooler on the trace, you can get away with setting a cruise around 53-55 but more than that the Rangers are not shy about writting tickets. I am not saying they wont write a ticket for less than 55 but in my experience with tons on miles on the Trace I have never been stopped by Ranger that I pass with the cruise between 53-55.
If you try it in three days riding the Trace in both directions its not going to give you any time to make stops along the Trace, four days would be plenty of time. If three days are all the time you are alloted I would think about Day 1 ATL to Nashville by quickest route possible then take the trace to Tupelo MS. Day 2 Tupelo to Natchez, Then day three hit go east from Natchez on 84 to 55N then hit 20 in Jackson to ATL
If you try it in three days riding the Trace in both directions its not going to give you any time to make stops along the Trace, four days would be plenty of time. If three days are all the time you are alloted I would think about Day 1 ATL to Nashville by quickest route possible then take the trace to Tupelo MS. Day 2 Tupelo to Natchez, Then day three hit go east from Natchez on 84 to 55N then hit 20 in Jackson to ATL
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 9,577
Likes: 7,955
From: Long Island, New York
Rain on the Trace!!!!
Wife and I are tooling north, coming from Memphis heading back to Nashville for a drink. About 30 miles till the end, black clouds and thunder. Then the lightning starts. One bolt hits to my right about 20 yards away in an opening on the road, right on the grass. Now my wife is sitting on the front seat with me!!!! She is yelling at me to pull over, there was absolutely nothing. Then I see the sign for a rest area ahead, hammer down we pull into the little rest area, I ride the bike right under the roof next to picnic tables. Had not even started raining yet, but my wife was having no part of the lightning. As I was pulling in I noticed the lightning rods on the roof of the rest area, clearly not the first time.
5 minutes later here comes the rain, she had grabbed chocolate chip cookies and bottles of water from the hotel that morning, I had given her a hard time in the morning. Now we were best friends again, I got her out of the lightning, she gave me cookies. Must have been there for an hour waiting for the storm to pass, at one point I fell asleep on the picnic table. We were dry and had a bathroom. Finally it passes but we had to put the rain gear on to get to Nashville, very wet roads. An hour or so later we were in Tootsies and all well was well again.
She still talks about the lightning.
Wife and I are tooling north, coming from Memphis heading back to Nashville for a drink. About 30 miles till the end, black clouds and thunder. Then the lightning starts. One bolt hits to my right about 20 yards away in an opening on the road, right on the grass. Now my wife is sitting on the front seat with me!!!! She is yelling at me to pull over, there was absolutely nothing. Then I see the sign for a rest area ahead, hammer down we pull into the little rest area, I ride the bike right under the roof next to picnic tables. Had not even started raining yet, but my wife was having no part of the lightning. As I was pulling in I noticed the lightning rods on the roof of the rest area, clearly not the first time.
5 minutes later here comes the rain, she had grabbed chocolate chip cookies and bottles of water from the hotel that morning, I had given her a hard time in the morning. Now we were best friends again, I got her out of the lightning, she gave me cookies. Must have been there for an hour waiting for the storm to pass, at one point I fell asleep on the picnic table. We were dry and had a bathroom. Finally it passes but we had to put the rain gear on to get to Nashville, very wet roads. An hour or so later we were in Tootsies and all well was well again.
She still talks about the lightning.
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Joe Kucinski
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 9,984
Likes: 5,222
From: Michigan
Weekdays on the Trace (from my experience) the traffic moves fairly well and you don't seem to have as many gawkers holding up traffic as you have on both the BRP and the SLD.
It's been several years since I've been on these roads so I suppose due to being "locked up" for a couple of years there may more tourists out there these days.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 9,984
Likes: 5,222
From: Michigan
Rain on the Trace!!!!
Wife and I are tooling north, coming from Memphis heading back to Nashville for a drink. About 30 miles till the end, black clouds and thunder. Then the lightning starts. One bolt hits to my right about 20 yards away in an opening on the road, right on the grass. Now my wife is sitting on the front seat with me!!!! She is yelling at me to pull over, there was absolutely nothing. Then I see the sign for a rest area ahead, hammer down we pull into the little rest area, I ride the bike right under the roof next to picnic tables. Had not even started raining yet, but my wife was having no part of the lightning. As I was pulling in I noticed the lightning rods on the roof of the rest area, clearly not the first time.
5 minutes later here comes the rain, she had grabbed chocolate chip cookies and bottles of water from the hotel that morning, I had given her a hard time in the morning. Now we were best friends again, I got her out of the lightning, she gave me cookies. Must have been there for an hour waiting for the storm to pass, at one point I fell asleep on the picnic table. We were dry and had a bathroom. Finally it passes but we had to put the rain gear on to get to Nashville, very wet roads. An hour or so later we were in Tootsies and all well was well again.
She still talks about the lightning.
Wife and I are tooling north, coming from Memphis heading back to Nashville for a drink. About 30 miles till the end, black clouds and thunder. Then the lightning starts. One bolt hits to my right about 20 yards away in an opening on the road, right on the grass. Now my wife is sitting on the front seat with me!!!! She is yelling at me to pull over, there was absolutely nothing. Then I see the sign for a rest area ahead, hammer down we pull into the little rest area, I ride the bike right under the roof next to picnic tables. Had not even started raining yet, but my wife was having no part of the lightning. As I was pulling in I noticed the lightning rods on the roof of the rest area, clearly not the first time.
5 minutes later here comes the rain, she had grabbed chocolate chip cookies and bottles of water from the hotel that morning, I had given her a hard time in the morning. Now we were best friends again, I got her out of the lightning, she gave me cookies. Must have been there for an hour waiting for the storm to pass, at one point I fell asleep on the picnic table. We were dry and had a bathroom. Finally it passes but we had to put the rain gear on to get to Nashville, very wet roads. An hour or so later we were in Tootsies and all well was well again.
She still talks about the lightning.
Our problem(s) was rain, wind, loose gravel, deer but mostly fog being the biggest threat.
I was leading and I actually found myself i one of the "pull-offs" before I realized where I was and when my wife pulled in behind me she was complaining about completely losing my taillight a couple of times!
We had two "time-outs" waiting for the fog to lift before we finally made it to Waynesboro, VA where the SLD ends and the BRP begins in 5-1/2 hours!!
By then i was raining again so we hopped on I-64 W to I-81 S and we were the ONLY motorcycles on the road that were not in or on trailers!
When considering these mountain roadways always check the weather forecasts and plan your schedule accordingly.
I'd rather hold up for a day or take the freeway as opposed to trying to ride in hazardous conditions.
Light rain isn't bad but the downpours (and fog) can quickly make a normally scenic ride a nightmare.
