Why Bike the Natchez Trace Parkway? Bed and breakfasts along and near the Trace.

The 444 mile long Natchez Trace Parkway stretches from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. Why bike (or drive) the Natchez Trace Parkway?

Reason #10: There are many "cycling friendly" bed and breakfasts located along and near the Trace.

Taking an overnight trip on the Natchez Trace without advance planning can be somewhat difficult, as the Park Service does not permit any advertising, either in the form of signs or in literature at their visitor's centers. Also, through the rural areas where the Trace passes there are very few hotels located within a few miles bike ride of the Trace.

Fortunately, there are bed and breakfasts located up and down the Trace that are a short bike ride away. Some innkeepers, who are further away, will come and pick you up if you don't have a support vehicle.

The bed and breakfasts are very "cyclist friendly". The innkeepers have been known to go out on the Trace during bad weather to pick up cyclists. They will often let cyclists use their laundry facilities. And, they provide a safe place to store your bicycles overnight.

The Natchez Trace Bed and Breakfast Reservation Service can help you locate the perfect spots to make your overnight stays a memorable part of your trip. They can help you plan your itinerary and provide tips passed on from other cyclists as to shuttles, routes, lunch stops, terrain, etc.

This is just one of 10 reasons why the Natchez Trace Parkway is an excellent bike route:

1. National Park Service designates the entire parkway as a bike route. Numerous signs instruct cars to share the road with bicycles.
2. Commercial traffic is prohibited.
3. Maximum speed limit for cars is 50 mph.
4. Motorized traffic is generally very light except around Tupelo and Jackson.
5. No stop signs or stop lights. Access on and off the Trace is via on/off ramps which means no need to worry about cross traffic.
6. Scenery is awesome. Instead of utility poles and buildings, the Trace is lined with forests, farmland, creeks and beautiful vistas.
7. All along the Trace through Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee, historical and nature attractions offer interesting breaks and rest stops.
8. Restroom facilities on the Trace are available about every twenty miles.
9. Numerous side trails take you past antebellum and victorian homes, sunken roads, civil war battlefields and southern towns.
10. There are many "cycling friendly" bed and breakfasts located along and near the Trace.