Family biking the Natchez Trace in late December to raise money.

From December 24 to December 31, Miranda Muir (age 10), Marybeth Hamilton, and Stuart Muir, are riding their three-person bike down the Natchez Trace 444 miles from Nashville, Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi.

Their goal is to raise $5000 for Bikes Not Bombs. This grassroots organization takes in more than 5,000 bikes each year and re-uses them in innovative youth programs, international development projects, and its vocational training/retail shop. Its international program has shipped more than 40,000 bikes since 1984 to Nicaragua, South Africa, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Tanzania, Ghana and other countries to establish micro-enterprises in bicycle sales and appropriate technology.

For information and photos of their trip, please follow their blog at:  noelonthenatchez.blogspot.com

What do you need to take on a Natchez Trace Parkway biking trip?

For this topic I sought an expert's opinion. Jerry Dusterhoff, an avid cyclist who has written books and blog articles about his numerous bicycle trips, was more than willing to offer his expertise on this topic.

In April of 2010 Jerry and several of his cycling friends biked the Trace (Follow this link to view pictures of their trip.).

90% of the information is based on his recommendations. For more information about Jerry and his cycling books, please see: Acyclist Publishing

The article covers the following areas:

• Your Bicycle's Needs
• Food and Water
• Clothing and Personal Items
• Maps, Phone Numbers and Important Information

The amount of information is fairly extensive. To view the complete article please go to Biking the Trace Tips @ NatchezTraceTravel.com.

Which Direction to Bike the Natchez Trace Parkway?

Which direction should you bike the Natchez Trace: North to South or South to North?

Some cyclists start in Natchez and bike north to Nashville while others start in Nashville and bike south to Natchez. What are some of the factors to consider when making the decision about which direction to bike?

Uphill or Downhill - the northern half of the Trace is hillier and has a higher elevation. Elevation at the northern terminus is 710 feet and the elevation at the southern terminus is 160 feet. So, there is approximately 550 feet more descent than ascent going North to South - an average of only 15 inches a mile! The more important question is: if you are biking the entire Trace, do you want to bike the hilliest section at the beginning or end of the trip.

Prevailing Wind - generally the wind flows west to east. The Trace actually goes southwest to northeast so biking South to North will put the wind at your back more often than in your face.

RV Traffic - the only large vehicles that you will encounter on the parkway are recreational vehicles. Commercial traffic is prohibited so you won't see semi-trucks. Most of the time RV traffic is light. But, in the fall there are a fair number of RVs heading south for the winter. And, in the spring the same RVs are heading back north for the summer. Ideally, you would like to bike on the opposite side of the road. So, a fall bike trip would be best going South to North and a spring bike trip would be best going North to South.

Logistics - this can be a determining factor for those biking without a support vehicle. How will you arrive at your starting point and how will you get from the end of your trip back to your vehicle or back home? This is something we can help you think through the possibilities.
 
We can help you talk through these factors and decide which direction is best for your cycling group. Call us at 800.377.2770.
 
Click here for more Biking the Natchez Trace Parkway Tips.

Windsor Ruins - Port Gibson / Alcorn, Mississippi

Photo by Janie Fortenberry
Photography with a Southern Accent
Vicksburg, Mississippi

People from all over the world travel to see the ruins of Windsor Plantation. Built just before the Civil War, Windsor was one of the largest plantations in the area. Windsor Ruins is located west of Port Gibson, Mississippi along ancient Rodney Road and north of Alcorn State University on Mississippi Highway 552.

Legend says that from a roof observatory, Mark Twain watched the Mississippi River in the distance. Leading up to the Battle of Port Gibson in the spring of 1863, confederate troops used the roof observatory as a lookout as Grant's army crossed the Mississippi River. After the battle the mansion was used as a Union hospital and observation post, thus sparing it from being burned by Union troops. Unfortunately, in 1890 a house guest left a lighted cigar on the upper balcony and Windsor burned to the ground. Everything was destroyed except 23 of the columns, balustrades and iron stairs.

A 32 mile "loop route" along Mississippi Highway 552/Rodney Road and the Natchez Trace Parkway will take you past Windsor Ruins, Canemount Plantation, Bethel Church and Port Gibson the town that U.S. Grant called "too pretty to burn".

For additional pictures and information about Windsor Ruins, the town of Port Gibson and biking the Windsor Ruins Loop please see NatchezTraceTravel.com.

Church Hill, Mississippi

The rural community of Church Hill, Mississippi is located at the intersection of Mississippi Highway 553 and Church Hill Road just a few miles from the Natchez Trace Parkway and about 15 miles north of Natchez. The area is named after Christ Church, circa 1790, which sits atop a terraced hill. Across the intersection is a wooden country store built around 1837. The store was closed in the late 1990s. It also functioned as the Church Hill, MS post office.

The Church Hill Loop is 22 miles long - 12 miles along Mississippi Highway 553 and 10 miles along the Natchez Trace Parkway from milepost 10.3 to milepost 20.

Antebellum plantations line both sides of Highway 553, including Springfield Plantation where Andrew Jackson and Rachel Robards were married in 1791. All of the properties are privately owned and not open to the public. Christ Church and the plantations are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Church Hill Loop is popular with bicyclists. Highway 553 and the Natchez Trace Parkway are lightly traveled. Best place to park is at Mount Locust on the Trace at milepost 15.5.

For additional pictures, information and maps please see NatchezTraceTravel.com.

10 reasons why the Natchez Trace Parkway is an excellent bike route.

The 444 mile long Natchez Trace Parkway stretches from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. Why should cyclists consider biking the Natchez Trace Parkway?

Listed below are what we think are the top 10 reasons why the Natchez Trace Parkway is an excellent bike route. After you read these articles you will understand why hundreds of people bike the entire length of the Trace and why thousands bike a section or enjoy a day bike on the Trace each year.

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. 

Now that you are interested in biking the Natchez Trace Parkway go to NatchezTraceTravel.com's Biking the Natchez Trace Parkway  for information about:

• Bikes Routes and Elevation Maps
• Bike shops near the Natchez Trace Parkway
• Books about Biking the Natchez Trace Parkway
• Drinking Water and Markets
• Safety Rules and Recommendations
• Weather on the Natchez Trace Parkway
• Shuttle Services for the Natchez Trace Parkway
• Public Transportation near the Natchez Trace Parkway

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. 

Why Bike the Natchez Trace Parkway? Side trails: antebellum and victorian homes, sunken roads, civil war battlefields and southern towns

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

Reason #9: Numerous side trails take you past antebellum and victorian homes, sunken roads, civil war battlefields and southern towns.

Cyclists can bike off the Natchez Trace onto numerous country back roads where you will see a slice of  the modern day south and remnants of what the south looked like before the Civil War when the area was known as the "Old Southwest".

As we have pointed out in a couple of our other "Ten reasons why the Natchez Trace Parkway is an excellent bike route" the Trace for the most part travels through rural areas of Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi. It is easy to bike off the Trace onto lightly traveled back roads.

There are several "loop routes" where you can start your ride on the Trace, bike on the Trace, exit the Trace onto a back road, bike past interesting sites and attractions, re-enter the Trace, and bike back to where you started.

For example, 15 miles north of Natchez you can start your bike route at Mount Locust on the Trace, bike south on the Trace for about 5 miles, exit onto Mississippi Highway 553, bike over to Emerald Mound, continue north on 553 past several antebellum homes, the historic town of Church Hill and Springfield Plantation (where Andrew and Rachel Jackson were married), back to the Trace and bike five miles south back to Mount Locust.

Glen Wanner's book Bicycling the Natchez Trace describes in detail several loop routes and other cycling routes located close to the Trace.

Many of the major "off the Trace" attractions, like Windsor Ruins (pictured above), Shiloh National Military Park, Elvis Presley's Birthplace and Vicksburg National Military Park are mentioned on NatchezTraceTravel.com with a description, pictures, directions from the Trace and a locator map.

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. 

Why Bike the Natchez Trace Parkway? Restroom facilities on the Trace are available about every 20 miles.

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

Reason #8: Restroom facilities on the Trace are available about every twenty miles.

The national park service maintains restroom facilities at 16 of their 95 attractions along the Trace. When you are biking on the Trace there will usually be a park service restroom within twenty miles or less. There are a few stretches where they are spaced further apart.  

Most of the stops on the Trace that have restroom facilities also have a picnic area located in a nearby, shaded area. For cyclists packing a lunch or snack these are great places to stop.

Just off the Trace cyclists can find markets where they can purchase beverages, snack foods and in some cases sandwiches and other cooked foods. Go to NatchezTraceTravel.com to view a list of Gas, Water and Markets near the Natchez Trace Parkway.

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. 

Why Bike the Natchez Trace Parkway? Scenery is awesome.

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

Reason #6: Scenery is awesome. Instead of utility poles and buildings, the Trace is lined with forests, farmland, creeks and beautiful vistas.

The parkway is a long and narrow national park all the way from Natchez to Nashville. The width of the parkway land varies but is usually around 3-400 yards. For the most part (95+%) the parkway goes through rural areas passing through forests, farmland and state parks.

The park service prohibits advertising on the Trace. Even the on/off ramps are void of advertising.

No utility poles lining the road, no billboards or adverting signs - just beautiful scenery to enjoy as you bike along.

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. 

Why Bike the Natchez Trace Parkway? No stop signs or stop lights.

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

Reason #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.

You could bike the entire length of the Trace without ever stopping! What is most important about the absence of stop signs and stop lights is there is no cross traffic. Cyclists don't have to watch for cars driving across the Trace at high speeds. The picture above shows a typical off ramp.

Access to the Trace from highways and major roads is provided by an on ramp that intersects with the Trace at a 90 degree angle. Cars entering the Trace must stop before turning onto the Trace (i.e. no merging ramps where the car enters the Trace at a high rate of speed).

There are some very lightly traveled back roads that don't have on/off ramps onto the Trace. The back road has a stop sign at the Trace intersection.

If you are looking for a highway or road that accesses the Natchez Trace Parkway go to NatchezTraceTravel.com at the following links:

• Tennessee Natchez Trace Parkway Access / Exit Highways 
• Alabama Natchez Trace Parkway Access / Exit Highways 
• Mississippi Natchez Trace Parkway Access / Exit Highways 

There you will find, for each highway, the parkway's milepost number, nearby towns and cities and a map of the highway/Trace intersection and nearby attractions, towns and bed and breakfasts.

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. 

Why Bike the Natchez Trace Parkway? Motorized traffic is generally very light.

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

Reason #4: Motorized traffic is generally very light except around Tupelo and Jackson.

Most of the parkway passes through sparsely and lightly populated areas. Because of this, combined with the 50 mph speed limit and the prohibition of commercial traffic, most of the motorized traffic is done by people enjoying the Trace. The Natchez Trace Parkway is meant for recreational traffic - enjoyed and shared by drivers and cyclists.

However, people do use the parkway to "commute" to work. Commute traffic is minimal through rural areas and very light near small towns located along the Trace. But, commute traffic is very heavy in the Tupelo and Jackson areas:

"To ensure a safe and enjoyable trip, bicyclists are encouraged NOT to use the following areas during heavy traffic periods: Jackson (Clinton to Ridgeland), Mississippi, milepost 87-103, from 7:00-9:00 a.m.and from 4:00-6:00 p.m.and Tupelo, Mississippi, mileposts 258-268, from 7:00-8:30 a.m. and 3:00-5:00 p.m. on weekdays."
www.nps.gov/natr/bicyclinghome.htm

Our experience is that traffic through the Jackson and Tupelo areas is always fairly heavy during daylight hours and very heavy during "rush" hours as described above. Fortunately, these areas seem to be patrolled more by park rangers.

If you are biking the entire Trace please be careful when you cycle through the Jackson and Tupelo areas. If you are biking only part of the Trace we recommend that you steer clear of the sections mentioned above. On the outskirts of each city where the auto traffic begins to lessen but is still somewhat heavy try to avoid "rush" hours (i.e. in the morning bike away from town and in the afternoon bike towards town).

Update about biking the Trace in the Jackson/Ridgeland/Madison area. There is now a Multi-Use Path through the area that parallels the Trace that you can use to avoid the heaviest traffic. For more information follow this link.

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. 

Why Bike the Natchez Trace Parkway? Maximum speed limit for motorists is 50 mph.

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

Reason #3: Maximum speed limit for motorists is 50 mph.

All car travelers should be aware of the following precautions when traveling:

• Speed limit is 50 mph, unless otherwise posted. 
• The Parkway is a designated bike route. Motorists are reminded to watch for bicyclists on the Parkway.

www.nps.gov/natr/planyourvisit/gettingaround.htm

The northernmost 15 miles of the Trace from milepost 428 (intersection with TN Hwy 46) to the northern terminus at milepost 433 (intersection with TN Hwy 100) vehicle speed is limited to 40 mph due to the abundant curves. The remaining 428 miles have a speed limit of 50 mph. Vehicles traveling faster than the posted speed limit risk being issued a heavy fine if caught by a park ranger.

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. 

Why Bike the Natchez Trace Parkway? Commercial traffic is prohibited.

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

Reason #2: Commercial traffic is prohibited.

The National Park Service prohibits commercial traffic on the Natchez Trace Parkway. This means cyclists don't have to worry about semi-trucks, dump trucks, delivery trucks, buses, etc.

For the most part the vast majority of motorized vehicles on the Trace are cars, pickup trucks and motorcycles.

At each highway access point to the Trace there are "No Commercial Vehicle" signs posted on the on-ramps and on the Trace itself going both north and south. Any commercial vehicle that disregards these signs takes a huge risk of a heavy federal fine if a park ranger spots them.

The absence of large trucks makes the Natchez Trace Parkway an enjoyable bike route. Cyclists should always bike in single file on the right side of the road. The safest and smoothest ride is where the right wheels of cars typically roll. This spot gives cars plenty of room to pass around you with a lot of clearance.

The only "large" vehicles that bicyclists will encounter on the Trace are RVs and park service mowing and maintenance equipment. RVs are allowed on the Trace because they are "recreational" vehicles.

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. 

Why Bike the Natchez Trace Parkway? National Park Service designates NTP as a bike route.

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

Reason #1: The National Park Service designates the entire parkway as a bike route. Numerous signs instruct cars to share the road with bicycles.

"visitors can experience this National Scenic Byway and All-American Road through driving and biking"
www.nps.gov/natr/

The U.S. Secretary of Transportation recognizes certain roads as All-American Roads or National Scenic Byways based on one or more archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic qualities. The Natchez Trace Parkway is one of only 151 designated roads.

The park service has "bike route" signs posted at regular intervals along the entire length of the parkway.  These signs encourage motorists to "share the road" with cyclists.

Park service rangers patrol the parkway to provide safety for cyclists. Rangers can also assist cyclists when problems occur (accidents, bike damage, severe weather, etc.). Emergency call number signs are also posted periodically on the Trace: 1-800-300-PARK (7275).

The park service also provides five "bicycle only" campgrounds along the parkway for cyclists who want to camp. If you don't want to camp you can find a nearby, comfortable bed and breakfast through the Natchez Trace Bed and Breakfast Reservation Service.

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.