Natchez Trace Parkway Hot Spots

A hot spot is a place of more than usual interest, activity, or popularity. The Natchez Trace Parkway is the 444-mile scenic, and historical national parkway stretching from Nashville, TN, across north AL to Natchez, MS.

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Just in time for viewing autumn foliage. 

This month’s feature is the Old Trace Drive in Tennessee. 

The Old Trace Drive begins at milepost 375.8 along the Parkway in Tennessee.. Autumn is the ideal season to take this scenic, tree-lined drive and view autumn’s fine display of colors. This 2.5-mile drive is a one-way jaunt along the Old Trace pathway.

It’s a leisurely drive our family enjoys annually. 

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This month’s feature is the Rock Spring Trail in Alabama. 

Rock Spring Trail is located at milepost 330.2 along the Trace in Alabama. You can cross Colbert Creek on huge steppingstones that rise out of the water. This site is popular when the hummingbirds migrate south. They feed on the nectar of Jewelweed and other wildflowers. Watch the birds as you walk the serene trail along an old beaver pond and through woodlands.   

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Our August feature is the Elderberry plant, spotted in Tennessee and Alabama.

Elderberry plants grow wild in ditches, along stream banks and rural roadways along the Parkway and surrounding area. The berries are a rich source of antioxidants, vitamin C, and support immune health. They are often made into medicinal tinctures and syrups and taken as natural remedies for colds and flu symptoms. Birds love eating them too. Harvest elderberries once they darken, as shown in the top cluster in the photograph. Do not ingest the leaves or stems.