Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour in Natchez Trace Parkway

A drive along the Natchez Trace Parkway is a journey through time, history, and the natural beauty of the American South.
Natchez Trace is unique in that it is a national park, that is basically a ribbon of parkway enveloped by the tranquility of the countryside and sometimes urban areas. The route essentially follows the historical route of the original Trace that was a network of trails used by Native Americans and later by European explorers and traders, maintaining the legacy of these early travelers.

The entire Parkway stretches over 444 miles from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee - but please note, this tour currently covers the Tennessee and Alabama portions of the drive and you can drive this tour in either direction.

As the audio guides play commentary based on your GPS location, you can create your own itinerary along the tour route to match your interests and schedule.

Even Nashvillians who aren’t specifically on a Natchez Trace road trip love to visit Jackson Falls. It is one of the closest waterfalls to the city and the biggest waterfall payoff for the least amount of effort. These falls were named for President Andrew Jackson.

Taking in the view from the top of the falls is satisfying, but walking at least halfway down the path is even better. Continuing to the bottom reveals a clear pool and the beauty of the water stepping down a limestone outcropping.

A 5 minute side trip off the Parkway takes us to a small but stylish community and Leiper's Fork. While exploring the small selection of stores, restaurants and galleries, you might even spot some of country music's biggest names. The community is the home for some true headliners!

Meriwether Lewis was of course the leader of the famed Lewis and Clark expedition who were tasked with finding out what lay west of the Mississippi River - at the time a wholly unknown place to the young United States. The 8,000 mile journey changed the USA forever.

The location contains the Monument to Lewis, as well as a reproduction of Grinder's Stand, the lodging where Lewis' life came to an end. It's not a sad place to visit - it's very interesting! It's also the site of a major campground, and there some pleasant short trails available to hike.

This fascinating region is just too close to the Natchez Trace Parkway to not include a sidetrip to visit the major highlights of the Quad City area. There are five places of interest and you can choose to visit one, all, or just a few. It would be easy to fill a day to see everything if we have the time. It takes approximately 20 minutes to drive off the Trace to visit the closest site.

These interesting places are: Ivy Green - The Helen Keller childhood home, The Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Muscle Shoals' 2 iconic recording studios, The Florence Mound and Museum, The Rosenbaum House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

The last major addition that completed the Parkway's uninterrupted path - and perhaps the most visually stunning! Uniquely constructed with two concrete arches that span over the valley, this is a photo you will want to stop and take on your Natchez Trace journey.

One of the few places on the Parkway where we can drive (rather than walk) on the true, original Trace route. This section is a narrow, one-way journey of 2.5 miles that enjoys some excellent views, as well as following the historic path. A very worthwhile short detour!

A simple and quick location to visit, with idyllic scenery punctuated by the square stepping stones that cross Colbert Creek on the trail to the natural spring.

One of the original motivations for preserving the historic Natchez Trace route originated from the inspiration of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Mississippi in 1909. They wanted to save the storied path as it appeared the railroad, and then automobiles, might make it irrelevant. One of the great experiences is to walk on sections of the original tracks, which have become sunken into the earth after centuries of use - truly following the footsteps of those who traveled the route before us.

The Trace was an effective route to move troops and cavalry, and that's what Andrew Jackson did in 1813. The Memorial stands to honor those who marched the route and particularly those lost their lives, and were buried in unmarked graves.