Picnicking along the Natchez Trace Parkway

Named for a nearby 1801-02 U.S. Army post, Garrison Creek is a trailhead for horseback riders and hikers on the Highland Rim Trail of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. Plenty of horse trailer parking is available. This part of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail is 20 miles in length. From the Garrison Creek trailhead you can hike or ride your horse south to Tennessee Highway 50, milepost 408, near the Gordon House.

A secluded and wooded picnic area at the Meriwether Lewis Site, milepost 385.9, near Hohenwald, TN. To find the picnic area, drive down the road past the campground. There is plenty of parking for all sizes of vehicles. . Drive down the road past the campground. There are three sections for picnicking. You can choose from secluded, wooded, or by the stream. There is access to a trail.

Jacks Branch is a comfort stop, with restroom and picnic area.

A beautiful place to stop for a picnic.

A shady picnic area next to a stream.

A small picnic area next to the Cypress Creek.

Rock Spring - a nature trail offers you an opportunity to explore a small natural spring as it bubbles forth from the ground. Small fish dart about in the deep pools created as the stream wanders through the rich bottomland soil and limestone rock. Vegetation and trees change as you move through an abandoned field past the stream into a rocky hillside. After completing the 20 minute walk you may decide to pull off your shoes and dangle your feet in the swift cool water.

Three detachments of Cherokee, totaling about 2,800 people, traveled by river past this location to Indian Territory. The first of these groups led by Lieutenant Edward Deas left on June 6, 1838 by steamboat and barge from Ross Landing, present-day Chattanooga, Tennessee. They followed the Tennessee River, Ohio River, Mississippi River and the Arkansas River and arrived near Fort Coffee on June 19, 1838.

Colbert Ferry picnic area is on banks of the Tennessee River, north of HWY 72 in Alabama. It is on the end of the road to the boat dock, so it's off the beaten path. There is plenty of room to stretch your legs and toss a ball. It's a great place to birdwatch and fish. 

A quiet picnic area along a large creek in the Chickasaw homeland.

This location on the Natchez Trace Parkway is adjacent to US Army Corps of Engineer waterway.

Around 2,000 to 1,800 years ago native people built Pharr Mounds, a complex of eight dome-shaped mounds, spread over 90 acres (100 football fields). One of the largest Middle Woodland era mound sites in the region, Pharr Mounds was near a sizable village.

The Parkway Visitor Center is a great place to stop and stretch your legs. A short paved nature trail, restrooms, and a short movie will provide a break. A staff member will be available to answer your questions.

A short distance from I-22, Old Town Overlook embraces history, nature, recreation, and agriculture.

Witch Dance is a stop along the Parkway steeped in local folklore and many opportunities to enjoy outdoor activities. The site features amenities such as bathrooms, picnic tables, and access to miles and miles of hiking and horseback riding trails through the Tombigbee National Forest. 

Ballard Creek is a quiet picnic area located about eight miles north of Jeff Busby Campground along the Parkway. Ballard Creek has a small parking lot with a very short looping trail that leads to a single picnic table. The picnic area is near a flowing creek and surrounded by forests, providing a peaceful place to rest, eat, and enjoy nature.

Jeff Busby Picnic Area is a great place to grill grub, eat and take a stroll through the woods. You can walk or choose to drive all the way up to the top on one of Mississippi's highest point, 584 feet above sea level, and about 200 feet higher than the picnic area.

River Bend is a popular spot for picnics where you can enjoy scenic views of the Ross Barnett reservoir. Alligators can sometimes be seen in the water. It's also a great spot for fishing.

This area had picnic tables and restrooms nearby. This trailhead for the Rocky Springs Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail is accessible to hikers only. Hikers can take the trail from the picnic area, and continue north eight miles to the northern terminus or continue south two and one half miles to the southern terminus at Owens Creek. The southern portion of trail takes you over rocky outcroppings and on steep ridges. This trailhead has the most amenities.

This is a portion of the deeply eroded or "sunken" Old Trace. The natural corridor that became the Natchez Trace dates back many centuries. As the United States expanded westward in the late 1700's and early 1800's, growing numbers of travelers tramped the rough trail into a clearly marked path. Where the ground was relatively soft with loess soil, thousands of walkers, riders, and wagons wore down these paths into "sunken" sections, such as this one you see before you.

Stop for a picnic and restroom break, at Coles Creek. The southern terminus of the Potkopinu Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail is a half-mile to the south. 

A picnic area with well spaced tables next to a creek.