Days 8-11: Lake Bisteneau, Louisiana, 2233 miles, 12 states

Even more so because it the Choctaw way of thinking, west is the direction of death. That’s the direction that people travel after they have died and left this world, so having to move towards the west in particular made it even more traumatic for Choctaws because it was moving toward the land of the dead. 

Ian Thompson, “The Choctaw Spirit”, speaking of the forced removal of Choctaw people through the Trail of Tears

The Natchez Trace is a National treasure. I hesitate to say much about it for fear that hordes of people will come and overwhelm its natural beauty.

Rather than embarking on a lengthy book project, which the Trace deserves, let me just list some things it does not have and some things it does.

The Natchez Trace does not have:

• Large trucks
• Buses
• Heavy traffic of any kind
• Billboards
• Trash

Only a few of the many things the Natchez Trace does have:

• At least three crossings of branches of the Trail of Tears, including the water trail on the Tennessee River
• Two thousand year old burial mounds from the Hopewell culture
• Jackson Falls, a stunning waterfall descending in several cascades over limestone shelves covered with moss and lichen
• Rock Spring, a short walk along Colbert Creek with beaver dams, secluded pools, wildflowers, birds, amphibians, and carved stone steps across the Creek
• The award-winning Double Arch Bridge over Birdsong Hollow
• Trails of all kinds–wheelchair accessible, challenging climbs, horse trails
• 444 miles of a winding, two-lane highway lined with trees and occasional meadows, marshes, and ponds
• Stopping points every two or three miles with nature walks, historical sites, and attractive picnic spots
• Free camping in wooded sites