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Stretching from the Mississippi River in Natchez through the Shoals
area in Alabama and across the Tennessee Valley to Nashville, the Old
Trace was first trod by buffalo. In the early
1800s it was the main return route for Ohio Valley traders who,
rather than fight the Mississippi currents, sold their flatboats for
the value of their timber in Natchez and walked home via the Old Trace.
By the mid-1820s, steamboats made the dangerous trek unnecessary, and
the Old Trace disappeared into the trees.
Today, the 444-mile National Scenic Byway and All-American Road has emerged as one of America's most important
examples of our nation's natural and cultural heritage. Administered by
the National Park Service,
the road's noncommercial environment coupled with a wide variety of
historic sites, wayside exhibits and beautiful venues, make it a
memorable destination for an unhurried trip that both reveals and
explains a unique time in our country's history.
Visitors
today will discover richly scenic areas, numerous hiking trails, picnic
sites, campgrounds and water recreation areas. Hiking on the parkway
presents both challenges and rewards. More than 60 miles of National Scenic
Trail and 28 different hiking and self-guided trails are open
year-round. RVing on the parkway offers a great ride, and motorcycling
and biking are popular with hundreds of miles of scenic, winding road between Natchez and Nashville.
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