Old Natchez Trace
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 604
Likes: 64
From:
Do it, Do it, do it.
Set the cruse to 50 mph and relax. I did it in 09 and never had to get out of cruse except to stop for gas, sitesee and eat. Plan your gas stops as sometimes they are over 100 miles (per the Traces maps).
Have Fun.
Set the cruse to 50 mph and relax. I did it in 09 and never had to get out of cruse except to stop for gas, sitesee and eat. Plan your gas stops as sometimes they are over 100 miles (per the Traces maps).
Have Fun.
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
+1 on what Kenney said about the gas stops. The Trace is limited access and you can get in a bind if you're not careful. This also limits food/munchie availability. I've ridden it end to end several times, very nice, relaxing, gentle curves. You're not going to zoom thru it like some people do on BRP or Cherohala Skyway in Tenn.
Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 714
Likes: 0
From: Western,NC
You will enjoy it. I did a solo trip a couple of years ago pulling my little camper on a trip from NC to the Texas Hill Country. Got on at Nashville and road to the end. This was April and the campgrounds were nearly empty and camping is FREE. Very relaxing ride, not much traffic. One historical stop is the cabin where Lewis of Lewis and Clark died. I did it in two days but I did not take time to check out all that was available. As others have said plan your fuel stops and have snacks packed. Below is a pic from one of the CGs.
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Supporter
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 4,133
Likes: 147
From: Grays Creek, NC
You will enjoy it. I did a solo trip a couple of years ago pulling my little camper on a trip from NC to the Texas Hill Country. Got on at Nashville and road to the end. This was April and the campgrounds were nearly empty and camping is FREE. Very relaxing ride, not much traffic. One historical stop is the cabin where Lewis of Lewis and Clark died. I did it in two days but I did not take time to check out all that was available. As others have said plan your fuel stops and have snacks packed. Below is a pic from one of the CGs.
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,456
Likes: 132
From: Deep South, Louisiana
A few years ago I had to go do a job near St. Francisville, La. I was escorted in to where I needed to do my job, this was through a bunch of back roads to my location. Well I finished the job around 5:00 am and tried to find my way out. I began following my GPS along the "Old Natchez Trace". I was in a F250, 4X4, Crew Cab Diesel loaded with gear which made it extra heavy. Did I mention it had been raining and raining so hard I did not notice when I left the gravel road onto the two track mud road. I found no turn arounds as I crept forward sliding around sideways, down slopes, etc. The "Old Natchez Trace" in some areas are still dirt paths and intended for mules and carts not a 6000 lb truck. I must have traveled 10 miles on a two track mud road through these hills before I came to a paved road. I had another co-worker who was following in a car. Thought we were going to have to walk out.
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Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 514
Likes: 17
From: SW Mississippi
A few years ago I had to go do a job near St. Francisville, La. I was escorted in to where I needed to do my job, this was through a bunch of back roads to my location. Well I finished the job around 5:00 am and tried to find my way out. I began following my GPS along the "Old Natchez Trace". I was in a F250, 4X4, Crew Cab Diesel loaded with gear which made it extra heavy. Did I mention it had been raining and raining so hard I did not notice when I left the gravel road onto the two track mud road. I found no turn arounds as I crept forward sliding around sideways, down slopes, etc. The "Old Natchez Trace" in some areas are still dirt paths and intended for mules and carts not a 6000 lb truck. I must have traveled 10 miles on a two track mud road through these hills before I came to a paved road. I had another co-worker who was following in a car. Thought we were going to have to walk out.
The Trace is great though, and many other roads near the Mississippi river, from Vicksburg all the way down to St. Francisville, LA. If you like to hike, in a rugged, pristine backwoods area, south of Natchez we have a state natural area, almost completely undeveloped, called Clark Creek. Believe it or not, it contains 50 or so waterfalls, some as high as 30 feet. No camping, but there is a place to plop down for the night very near. Ask at the old country store near the entrance. To me, the southern end of the trace has more historic sites and markers, with the northern end being "prettier". If you stopped at each site along the trace, there's no telling how long it would take to reach the end! Emerald mound, near Natchez, is a site to see, one of the largest Indian mounds in the country. Also, a great detour, just north of Jackson, is the Petrified Forest near Flora. To the North, it really gets scenic. In TN, you'll pass a small mock-up tobacco farm on your right; stop and visit. But then, just north on the left, there's a little pullover and nature trail to access a stretch of the old trace. This is not on the trail guides, but if you take a short walk into the woods, the trail will lead you around the side of a hill. Keep looking to your left, and you will find several small entrances to some caves buried in the hill. Not big enough to crawl into or nothing, but it makes you wonder how much cave is in there. And I don't know if it does it in April, but in the heat of the summer, cold air is constantly blowing out of those caves. It's an amazing and refreshing experienced! There's also a pretty good swim hole at the next stop on the right. Thanks for your service, and enjoy your retirement!
Last edited by tryus; Mar 24, 2013 at 02:26 PM.
