Last updated: March 18, 2022
Thing to Do
Earn a BARK Ranger Dog Tag
NPS Photo J Farmer
HEY DOGS!!! Do you want to proudly wear the Natchez Trace Parkway BARK Ranger dog tag? We made it easy for a human to help you get one, and you both can have fun while earning it.
What does the human need to do for you?
1) Learn and follow the rules
B is for bag your poop (we hand out poop bags at visitor centers)
A is for always keep you on a leash (6' or shorter, please)
R is to help you respect wildlife (no barking, digging, sniffing, or chasing)
K is to know where you can go (except for buildings, on a leash, you can go anywhere your human can, including trails.)
2) Pick up a BARK Ranger booklet at a visitor center (or e-mail us for a digital copy) and do the activities in the booklet and sign it for you. We will give you a couple of poop bags if you need them. Request Natchez Trace Parkway BARK Ranger booklet through email
3) Show the ranger at the visitor center that you have completed your booklet, and receive your official BARK Ranger dog tag!
If you have a cat who thinks he is a dog and walks the trail with you, we don't want him feline sad. We pawsitively will let your trail-hiking kitty earn a BARK Ranger tag.
What does the human need to do for you?
1) Learn and follow the rules
B is for bag your poop (we hand out poop bags at visitor centers)
A is for always keep you on a leash (6' or shorter, please)
R is to help you respect wildlife (no barking, digging, sniffing, or chasing)
K is to know where you can go (except for buildings, on a leash, you can go anywhere your human can, including trails.)
2) Pick up a BARK Ranger booklet at a visitor center (or e-mail us for a digital copy) and do the activities in the booklet and sign it for you. We will give you a couple of poop bags if you need them. Request Natchez Trace Parkway BARK Ranger booklet through email
3) Show the ranger at the visitor center that you have completed your booklet, and receive your official BARK Ranger dog tag!
If you have a cat who thinks he is a dog and walks the trail with you, we don't want him feline sad. We pawsitively will let your trail-hiking kitty earn a BARK Ranger tag.
Details
Duration
10-60 Minutes
Depending on which trail chosen by the dog or human, the walk can be short or long.
Activity
Hands-On
Dogs can earn a BARK Ranger tag if their human will help. Humans finish a few activities in a booklet that can be picked up at a visitor center. The dog must be taken for a short walk on a trail to earn the tag. All dog poop MUST be bagged! You can pick up a couple of poop bags at the visitor centers.
Age(s)
0-99
Anyone who can handle a dog on a leash, or accompanies someone who handles the dog is welcome on our trails. We have trails that are suitable for a wide variety of people and dogs. Dogs who earn badges are usually between 14 weeks and 18 years, but if puppies are carried, they can earn one too! Note: Dogs should be vaccinated prior to walking the trails.
Pets Allowed
Yes
The program is all about pets. And to meet diversity and inclusion mandates, we will also allow cats to earn BARK Ranger tags, but they MUST be on a leash.
Activity Fee
No
Entrance fees may apply, see Fees & Passes information.
Location
The entire Natchez Trace Parkway
Dogs and people can do this activity together at many locations along the parkway.
Reservations
No
Season
Year Round
If you are going on a longer trail, always carry water for your dog.
Summer: Take water even on short trails and never leave your dog in a closed vehicle. Use pet-safe insect repellent on your dog (get some for the humans, too)
Spring and Fall: Warm days will require water. Insect repellent will be needed on warm days.
Winter: Cool winter days are cool days to do hikes and walks!
Summer: Take water even on short trails and never leave your dog in a closed vehicle. Use pet-safe insect repellent on your dog (get some for the humans, too)
Spring and Fall: Warm days will require water. Insect repellent will be needed on warm days.
Winter: Cool winter days are cool days to do hikes and walks!
Time of Day
Day, Dawn, Dusk
If you go on a walk at dusk, make sure you can be back to your car by dark!
Accessibility Information
Service dogs can be BARK Rangers, too. Of course service dogs are so special, they are welcome in buildings. If they are with a human with limited mobility, we will be glad to recommend a good trail.
Everyone with a dog is welcome to help their dog earn a badge and if assistance is needed, we will be glad to help in any way we can. (If you have a cat, you may be on your own.)
Everyone with a dog is welcome to help their dog earn a badge and if assistance is needed, we will be glad to help in any way we can. (If you have a cat, you may be on your own.)
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- Type: Article
- Sites: Office of Relevancy, Diversity and Inclusion, Partnerships, Interpretation, and Visitor Education, more ยป
Long ago Ofi' Tohbi', a great white dog, led Chicsha and Chatah and their people to settle in the southeast.
- Natchez Trace Parkway
Walking Trails Near Tupelo, MS
- Type: Things To Do
- Subtype: Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Duration: 5-30 Minutes
- Reservations: No
- Age: 0-99 years old
- Pets: Yes
- Location: Tupelo, Mississippi vicinity
- Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
- Time Of Day: Day, Dawn
These short hikes are within a 30 minute drive from Tupelo, Mississippi. They range from a 5-minute paved accessible walk to a six-mile one-way hike through the forest. Dogs on leash are allowed on trails.
- Type: Place
- Sites: Natchez Trace Parkway, Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
This trailhead is located just across the Parkway from the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center. Hikers can travel six miles along the outskirts of Tupelo (12 miles roundtrip). You can make the walk as long or as short as you would like on this out and back trail. This section of Scenic Trail is open to hikers only and requires walking on the Parkway for road and creek crossings.
- Type: Place
- Sites: Natchez Trace Parkway, Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
This trailhead is the northern terminus of the Yockanookany Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. This trailhead is open to hikers only. From this trailhead, the southern terminus at West Florida Boundary is about 26 miles away. To access the trailhead from the parking area walk south from the parking area several hundred feet until you see the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail sign on your right.
- Type: Place
- Sites: Natchez Trace Parkway, Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
This trailhead is an excellent staging area for horseback riders on the Rocky Springs Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. There is ample parking for trailers. This is the only area for horses to stage on this section of trail. There is no water available at this location. Horseback riders will be riding on the road shoulder for part of this trail.
- Type: Place
- Sites: Natchez Trace Parkway, Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
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.
- Type: Place
- Sites: Natchez Trace Parkway, Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
Closed until 2023.
- Type: Place
- Sites: Natchez Trace Parkway, Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
This trailhead is a great place for hikers and horseback riders alike to start their journey on the Highland Rim Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. There is ample parking for horse trailers, two hitching posts, and water available for horses. Visitors will need to get drinking water at the Gordon House, milepost 407.7.
- Type: Place
- Sites: Natchez Trace Parkway, Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
This is a the only staging area for horses on this section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. There is ample room for parking trailers, and water is available for horses to drink at this trailhead. Riders can travel north 16 miles to the northern terminus at Yockanookany, or south seven miles to the southern terminus at the West Florida Boundary.
- Type: Place
- Sites: Natchez Trace Parkway, Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
This trailhead has room for a few cars. There is no overflow parking at this location. This locations is not recommended for oversized or recreational vehicles. Follow the signs on the Parkway to reach this trailhead. You will travel on dirt roads to reach the trailhead. The land surrounding the trail is private property. Please stay on the trail at all times.