Natchez Trace Trail
The Natchez Trace Trail is a designated National Scenic Trail in the United States whose route generally follows sections of the 444-mile (715 km) Natchez Trace Parkway through the states of Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. Unlike other national scenic trails, however, the trail is not envisioned as a long, continuous footpath, as is the case with other national scenic trails including, notably, the Appalachian Trail. Rather, only a limited number of trail segments along the route, currently totaling 62 miles (100 km), have been developed for use, primarily hiking, in four areas along the Natchez Trace Parkway. These segments of trail are managed by the National Park Service, unlike many other trails that rely heavily on volunteers for trail construction and maintenance. Sections of the trail follow along the Parkway road shoulder and cross county and state roads.
Along the trace, hikers can expect to see the occasional ghost town (e.g., Rocky Springs, Mississippi).
The Parkway commemorates the historic Natchez Trace, an ancient path that began as a Native American trail and has a rich history of use by explorers, "Kaintuck" boatmen, post riders, and military men.
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