Natchez Trace Parkway - Hohenwald | Summertown, Tennessee

This 21 mile section of the Natchez Trace Parkway  in the Hohenwald | Summertown, Tennessee area goes from milepost 391 (intersection with US 421) to milepost 370 (intersection with US 64).

Traveling south to north you will encounter several sites that are part of the Natchez Trace Parkway and are overseen by the National Park Service:

• Old Trace Drive
  A 2.5 mile of the original Old Natchez Trace has been graded into a one-way road that parallels the modern parkway.
• Jacks Branch
  From the parking area, a stone walkway takes you down into the valley next to Jacks Branch. Several picnic tables and grills await under the shade of tall trees.
• Napier Mine
  Napier Mine was an open pit mine in the 1820s and 1830s. The mine provided most of the ore for the nearby iron making operations.
• Metal Ford and Buffalo River
  At this location travelers on the Old Natchez Trace crossed the Buffalo River which was fordable except after heavy rains. The ford takes its name from its stone bottom, which reminded frontier travelers of stone-surfaced or “metaled” roads of the day.
• Meriwether Lewis
  Meriwether Lewis (1774 to 1809), captain in The United States Army, Private Secretary to President Jefferson, senior Commander of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and Governor of the Territory of Louisiana, tragically and mysteriously died on October 11, 1809 at the Grinder House here on the Old Natchez Trace. His body is buried under a monument erected in 1848 by the State of Tennessee.

For additional pictures, information and interactive maps of the Hohenwald | Summertown, Tennessee section of the Trace please see NatchezTraceTravel.com.

Also, just off the Trace you will find:

• Hohenwald, Tennessee
  Hohenwald, the county seat of Lewis County, is located in Middle Tennessee about 8 miles west of the Natchez Trace Parkway.

There are several bed and breakfast and cabin opportunities in the Hohenwald / Linden / Hampshire area.

Next section north on the Trace: Centerville | Columbia
Next section south on the Trace: Waynesboro | Collinwood

Natchez Trace Parkway - Waynesboro | Collinwood, Tennessee

This 28 mile section of the Natchez Trace Parkway spans the area north of Waynesboro, Tennessee at milepost 370 (intersection with US 64) to south of Collinwood, Tennessee at the Tennessee-Alabama state line at milepost 341.8.

Traveling south to north you will encounter several sites that are part of the Natchez Trace Parkway and are overseen by the National Park Service:

• Cypress Creek
  This stop, along Cypress Creek, features a large shady area with several picnic tables and grills.
• Holly
  Named for the many holly trees in the area, this picnic area is covered with shade and sits next to a flowing stream.
• Sunken Trace
  During wet weather the Old Natchez Trace would turn into a muddy, sinking path. When the trail became so water logged that wagons could not be pulled through, travelers cut new paths through the nearby woods. At this stop you can see three paths.
• McGlamery Stand
  One of the many inns or "stands" along the Old Natchez Trace was located here. The nearby village is known as McGlamery Stand.
• Sweetwater Branch
  A 20-minute trail takes you along this fast-flowing stream.
• Glenrock Branch
  In my humble opinion this is the most beautiful picnic area along the entire length of the Natchez Trace Parkway. From the parking area it is a short walk down a trail to a natural ampitheater. The creek and limestone bluff bend around the shaded picnic area.
• Dogwood Mudhole
  About a mile from the current parkway the Old Natchez Trace crossed a low area in the flat, dogwood covered ridge. After heavy rains it became almost impassable for wagons.

For additional pictures, information and interactive maps of the Waynesboro | Collinwood, Tennessee section of the Trace please see NatchezTraceTravel.com.

Also, just off the Trace you will find:

• Shiloh National Military Park
  Besides preserving the site of the bloody April 1862 battle in Tennessee, the park commemorates the subsequent siege, battle, and occupation of the key railroad junction at nearby Corinth, Mississippi. From the Natchez Trace Parkway, exit onto US 64 at milepost 370 and go west through Waynesboro and Savannah to the park area.
• Collinwood, Tennessee
  The close location to the Trace (150 yards) and the town's markets, grocery stores and a couple of restaurants make Collinwood a popular stop for anybody traveling the Trace, especially cyclists.

Travelers will enjoy Miss Monetta's Country Cottage in Collinwood.

Next section north on the Trace: Hohenwald | Summertown
Next section south on the Trace:  Florence | Tuscumbia