Man jumps off natchez trace bridge 2021 full#

However, here’s the thing…the whole parkway has numerous side trails, like the one above, that branch off the parkway from Mississippi to Tennessee. If 90% of the trail is a roadway, then a steady stream of trail maintenance crews isn’t needed.Ĭypress Swamp, Natchez Trace Parkway, at mile 122. In my brief research of other NSTs, usually there are links to various trail maintenance crews for volunteer opportunities, but the Natchez Trace had none (to my knowledge). To my surprise, not only were hikers absent, but trail maintenance associations/volunteer groups were, too. I quickly found that the hiking community around this trail is virtually non-existent, especially in Mississippi. This observation occurred in the beginning stages of my research into the Natchez Trace Trail. I’d stumbled upon an interesting, new-to-me phenomenon: Mississippi has no hikers? Why? Where did they go? Where are they? “Who hikes in Mississippi?” I pondered in a video a few months ago. (photo credit – Apple Pie FB) Who hikes in Mississippi? Where are all the hikers?

Man jumps off natchez trace bridge 2021 full#

However, the NST map at USGS shows the full Natchez Trace Parkway as the official NST for that region.Īpple Pie hiking in Maine. These sections of trail are, technically, the official hiking trail system for the Natchez Trace. On the main landing page for NSTs, though, it states: “65 miles in MS”. The National Park System states: “Today the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail consists of five separate sections–over 60 miles–developed for hiking and horseback riding”. As I delved deeper into the discrepancy, here’s my conclusion they’re both right.

One source claimed the distance was 65 miles, and the other showed the whole 444 mile parkway. How strong is the cycling community on the Natchez? If there aren’t any hikers around, how many cyclists are in the area to connect with/travel along side?Ĥ44 Mile Road Walk or 65 Miles? What’s the official National Scenic Trail Route?Īs an aspiring thru-hiker of this NST, I became immediately confused when I tried to confirm the official route distance.Who hikes in Mississippi? Where are all the hikers?.Has anyone thru-hiked the trail? If so, who? Did they share their journey?.Is the official Natchez Trace trail 444 miles or 65 miles? – confused by the NPS website and conflicting NST maps.Here’s a snapshot of the question storm raging in my brain: Basically, I’m trying to gauge how safe it is to thru-hike, in the future, and what resources are available to me. Because of the seemingly contradicting information, and the lack of resources geared towards hikers, this trail has caught my curiosity. 😉 So why has this trail caught my attention? I have questions. (Photo credit – Natchez Trace Parkway Facebook) Natchez Trace Trail Thru-Hike – 444 Mile Road Walk or 65 Miles?Īlright! Historical lesson complete. There are numerous historical sites, short hiking side trails, and campgrounds dotted along the way.įall colors along the Natchez Trace Parkway. This 444-mile scenic parkway roughly follows or runs parallel to the original Natchez Trace Trail from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. In the 1930s, the federal government began construction of the current paved roadway, the Natchez Trace Parkway. Cherokee removal-Trail of Tears-Water Route Overlook, Natchez Trace. As time passed and steamboats gained popularity for both transporting goods and people, the trail was abandoned to nature in the following decades. After the boatmen floated down the river and deposited their goods, they then would hike back upriver towards home. However, the Natchez Trace gained even more popularity, along with increased use, during the period where flatboats were used to float goods down the river. In the early 1800s the trail use was expanded by early European settlers to include wagon travel. The Natchez Trace Trail was created and traveled by various indigenous tribes, namely the Chickasaw and Choctaw nations, for centuries before early European settlers moved into the area. (Photo credit – National Park Service) Natchez Trace Parkway and Natchez Trace Trail – Historical Origins Hike the original Natchez Trace Trail in the Potkopinu section.