Predating our great nation, some argue that the Natchez Trace Parkway is the “oldest road in America”. Indeed its origins can be traced back to large herd animals like the American bison, which forged paths from the watering and grazing grounds near the mighty Mississippi River, to the salt licks in the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee! Native Americans following the “traces” of bison and other game, further improved this walking trail for foot-borne commerce between major villages. By the time of European exploration and settlement, the route had become well known and established as the fastest means of communication between the Cumberland Plateau, the Mississippi River, and the Gulf of Mexico. During America’s westward expansion after the Revolutionary War, the Trace was the return route for American flat-boat commerce between the territories of the upper and lower Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland River valleys. Ferrying their goods down the Mississippi, they would walk home after selling everything, including their boats. Famous names associated with exploring and traveling up The Trace include Daniel Boone, Meriwether Lewis, Andrew Jackson, James Audubon, and Ulysses S. Grant.
The development of the modern roadway that later became known as the Natchez Trace Parkway was one of the many projects of the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. The idea came from Congressman T. Jeff Busby of Mississippi, who proposed it as a way to give tribute to the original Natchez Trace. Inspired by the proposal, the Daughters of the American Revolution began planting markers and monuments along the Trace. In 1934, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt administration ordered a survey. President Roosevelt signed the legislation to create the parkway on May 18, 1938. And construction began in 1939. Finally completed and opened on May 21, 2005, this scenic parkway, which is maintained by the National Park Service, is full of historical stops, rich culture, and beautiful vistas!
In 2021, Jason, Steve, and Chris decided they HAD to explore this legendary parkway for themselves! With 444 miles without a single stop sign, silky smooth pavement, no commercial traffic allowed, no billboards or utility poles to clutter up the view, plenty of free campsites, and nothing but forests and farmland as far as the eye could see…the Natchez Trace Parkway did not disappoint! Join us as we take you on an amazing journey, and share with you all the “MUST SEE” stops along the way…