The current Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail is four separate trails in both Mississippi and Tennessee that totals about 65 miles. The current trails include portions of the original Old Natchez Trace, a traditional Native American footpath also used by European explorers for both transit and trade.

The Old Natchez Trace was about 500 miles long and connected Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. Along with the Native Americans and European explorers, the trail also supported missionaries and the occasional team of bandits who robbed trade cargo. The current 65 mile trail is all that remains of this original trail.

As you hike the current trails, especially the portions of the original trail that are still accessible to the public, you can imagine the bustle and traffic of this artery of early American trade and travel.

—Caroline Griffith

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