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Parkway Detour in effect near Ridgeland
An 8-mile section of the Parkway will be closed to vehicular traffic beginning March 14, 2012, due to a major safety hazard that has developed near milepost 94.8 between Ridgeland, MS, and Clinton, MS. More »
Frequently Asked Questions
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1. I haven't heard much or anything about the Natchez Trace Parkway, how long has it been around? Construction of the 444-mile Parkway was just completed in May, 2005. But construction began in 1937 and the Parkway became a unit of the National Park Service in 1938. 2. How old is the Natchez Trace? It's difficult to pinpoint, but research suggest that large animals (bison, giant sloths, etc.) may have beat out the path more than 10,000 years ago, before human occupation. There is also evidence that mound builders traveled along this corridor 2,000 years ago. But it is more certain that the heaviest use of the Old Trace occurred from 1785 to 1825, when "boatmen" returned north from markets in Natchez and New Orleans. 3. What is the speed limit on the Parkway? Almost all of the Parkway has a posted speed limit of 50 m.p.h., but there are small sections that are posted lower. 4. Is the Parkway RV friendly? Yes it is. Almost all of the pull-offs offer either pull through or circular drive access. If an area does not then it is posted that there is no circular drive. Also there are numerous campgrounds along the Parkway. The Parkway campgrounds are free and primitive, while most non-Parkway campgrounds charge a fee, but offer electricity, dump stations, etc.
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Did You Know?
Meriwether Lewis, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, was governor of the Upper Louisiana Territory when he died on the Natchez Trace in 1809, at Grinder's Stand in Tennessee. A monument was erected in his honor in 1848 and can be seen along the Natchez Trace Parkway today.