I am in the planning stages of a 7 day trip in the middle of May. I am considering riding part of the Nachez Trace Parkway from the Tupelo, MS area back to Nashville, TN.

Can anyone give me any insight on the parkway?

 

Oh yeah! The Natchez Trace is a terrific, relaxed ride with lots of great scenery. I am planning a trip from south to north for February and have created a blog with maps, history, links, and other information that you might find useful. You can see find it here: Tranquil Trace Blog

 

I have ridden it from Natchez to Tupelo. 50 MPH speed limit "enforced", no stores, no gas, great scenery. We enjoyed stopping at some of the historic sites, we even stopped to tour a historic plantation. Great ride, we're going to do it again in the spring.

 

Have made this trip a few times, October 2008 was the last. There was some road construction on the parkway, but was not bad, in fact this project may be complete by now. The best ride (in my opinion) is the stretch between Tupelo and Nashville, so you will be on the best riding part of the parkway. The store/gas station at Bugsby campground was closed in October (I don't know if this was a seasonal closing or closed for good). In May you may encounter a lot of motor homes and campers, October there were very few, but more in the summer months.

Great ride no lights, stop signs, just a 50 mph limit. The only suggestion is gas, don't go to low because you may have to go a little way off of the parkway to get gas, although I found Tupelo to Nashville easier to find gas than the south half.

Take it I don't think you will regret.

 

I've been on the Trace twice, and can't wait to get back on it again. It is very relaxing to just sit back and cruise without worrying about traffic.

One thing no one else has mentioned, be careful of the deer around dusk. The last time I rode it was in the fall, and they were everywhere.

 

The Trace is a great place and we ride it often.It is a National Park and the speed limit is 50mhp and they do check with radar.If you carry pack it away in your bags and not on you.If you get cought it's hell to get out of.Follow the rules and it's a great ride.

 

Thanks for all the replies. I was hoping it would be recommended. I have ridden the Blue Ridge Parkway from north to south before so I know how quick a low fuel situation can come up, but thanks for the warnings. I am hoping that traffic wont be quite as bad in the middle of may before prime vacation season starts, but if all goes as planned, I will be riding it on a Sunday. Who knows, but I'm betting I'm gonna enjoy it.

 

I used to live near the Trace in the Hohenwald, Tn area. I have ridden the trace from Nashville to Waynesboro, TN. It is a great ride. Very peaceful with good scenery.

If you have time, you might want to stop and the Lewis and Clark park. The trace runs right by it near Hohenwald, Tn. The actual cabin is still standing that used to be the Grinder's Motel where Lewis died from a gunshot wound to the head. If you look north from the cabin, you will see a large monument that marks Lewis's grave.

Dennis

 

Great ride but after awhile I just wanted to jump on it a couple of times. "hurt my motor to go so slow"

Seriously you will like it, wasn't much traffic when I was there. Did get caught in the worse lightening and rain storm I have ever seen. It was night and we finally found a place to pull over. Tarp between two bikes with the motor running to keep warm, crash, flash, boom.

When we got off the Trace we had the best hot shower you can imagine in some little hotel.

Would I do it again?? In a heartbeat. Like the others said, gas up, snack up, smoke em if you got em.

 

The wife and i will also be on the trace in May. Leaving Il. to nashville and taking the trace to tupelo, then back into Tn. and down into Arkansas, then across into Missouri, and down into Kansas then back to Illinois. About 2500 miles, been on the trace before and it is a nice relaxing ride. May can't get here soon enough.