Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail

3-21 – After stopping off in Slidell, LA to visit with my Grandson we made our way up to the Trace.  There are 67 miles of Scenic Trail which follows the parkway.   The original foot path was 450+ miles and connected Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee.  The Natchez Trace was used for thousands of years by Native Americans; Choctaw, Chickasaw, Natchez and others, who followed a network of north/south trails, but in the late 1700s, it gained new importance to settlers of the Ohio River Valley.   The farmers would transport their goods down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers on wooden flatboats to the ports in Natchez and New Orleans where they sold the farm goods, then by foot and horseback they made their way home on the trails made by the Native Americans.  In 1801 Pres Thomas Jefferson designated the Trace a national post road for mail delivery.  The Natchez Trace was established as a unit of the National Park System in 1938 and in 1983 the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail was established.  There are 5 sections of hiking trail designated as National Scenic Trail, along with many miles of other trails, including some areas where the original Old Trace can be walked.   The NST may also be used by horses, and is never far from the Parkway highway.  The average width of the Parkway corridor is 800’.  The NST often comes up onto the Parkway and it is necessary to walk along the road although there is not heavy traffic it does take away from the experience.  The trail is also open for equestrian use so it can be very chewed up at places.

Before we got to the camping area we stopped at Emerald Mound, an 8 acre ceremonial mound built between 1200 and 1650.  When I got out of my car who should be there but Ron Burger, my fellow ALDHI hiker.  He had just completed riding his bike the full 444 miles of the Trace and was on his way home.  Ron said he rode into a head wind almost every day.

There are three camping areas on the Trace operated by the National Park Service.  They are free on a first come basis.  We set up camp at Rocky Springs Campground and set out to hike the 3 ½ miles to Owens Creek Waterfall.  The beginning of the hike is on the old Trace which is very deep at places, over 6 feet.  That part of the trail was easy to follow, but then the trail leaves the old trace and wanders through the woods.  It was not maintained or blazed except by some orange streamers someone had hung on the trees.  So we were able to make it to the falls and back following the orange streamers with not much of a path to follow.  The next day I hiked the 4 miles going from the north into Rocky Springs camping area.

There were many snowbirds camped around us, most from Canada.  The ones we talked to said they drive the Trace every year going south to winter in Texas and then north home, camping at the three free campgrounds.

3-23 – Pete dropped me somewhere around milepost 120 along Ross R Barnett Reservoir.  I planned to hike 10 miles south to West Florida Boundary, which used to run from the confluence of the Yazoo and Mississippi rivers to the Chattahoochee River.  The trail was horrible with many downed trees to climb over and large areas of muck to wade through.  Sometimes I would lose the trail completely and have to come out and walk along the road for a while then go back looking for the trail.  When I came out at Rt 43 I saw a sign that said “trail unmaintained proceed at your own risk”.  Dah!  After Rt 43 it was maintained and a very pleasant hike although I did not make it to my goal.  By then I was too tired and hungry so I walked out to the parkway and called Pete to come pick me up.  After a shower, beef fajitas, and a margarita I was feeling much better.

3-24 – Tried to hike the rest of the West Fl Boundary to Yockanookany, but had to do a lot of road walking due to swampy unmaintained trail.  Camped at Jeff Busby camping area another of the NPS free campgrounds.  From the campground there is a hiking trail up to one of Mississippi’s highest points, 603'.

3-25 – Hiked the Blackland Prairie section of the trail.  This is a 6 mile section close to Tupelo and is a popular trail for residents and visitors alike.  It had many braided trails and several marked NST.  I tried to follow the one with the most hoof prints, but was never sure if I was on the trail or on the way to someone’s barn.

3-26 – Camping at Meriwether Lewis campground.  Number 3 of the free NP campgrounds.  We have been seeing several of the same people on their way back to Canada at all 3 camp areas.  I  hiked 8 miles today on the Highland Rim section.  The trail was well blazed and pretty easy to follow.  Pretty rough at spots from the horse traffic.  Tomorrow heavy rain is predicted.  Hope to get in a few more miles before it starts raining and before heading to Michigan and the North Country Trail.

3-27 – I was able to finish the Highland Rim section of the NST hiking in a fine mist off and on most of the day.  This section is well maintained and blazed with a lot of ups and downs and several stream crossings.  The ups and downs reminded me of the “roller coaster” on the AT in VA.  The last 2+ miles of the trail are on the old trace which makes it a great way to finish.  I could think about the early travelers getting home after their long trip down the river and the long walk home.  Since the Natchez Trace was not conceived as a recreational trail but a true trail for travel it made it a more meaningful experience for me to hike.  Two down and nine to go.