Community Forums

ctpres · 04-24-2011, 07:36 AM

Early May we are headed N. thru MS on way to Birmingham.
Is two days enough to see and do the Trace between Natchez and Tupelo?
Currently planning two nights Natchez and one night each Canton and Tueplo.
Anything special, must see or must do in this section?

powerboatr · 04-24-2011, 03:39 PM

we did the trace in 07, started in alabama and jumped off near canton.
stayed at davis lake corps park off the trace, WOW what a nice place
its just south of tupelo
we want to go back and start at the end in Mississippi and head back north

national park website has ooodles of info

at the time we had a 40 foot fiver and the crew cab. it was LONG but we negotiated the trace and its side roads well
davis lake is about 5 miles off the trace, and if you blink you will miss the campground entrance, then its a two lane road forever, we did a BIG uey in the middle of the road

skigramp · 04-24-2011, 10:03 PM

There are fantastic mansions in the Natchez area.

There is a very interesting nature park in Jackson just off the trace ... and a very nice campground at both La Fluers Bluff State Park as well as Timberlake RV Park on Ross Barnett Lake (former COE campground now run by local government).

There is a very large Nissan plant just north of Jackson about 20 miles. You will need to call ahead to make an appointment for a tour.

We had a very interesting dinner at "The Cock's Walk" ... you will need to get directions from a local.

Bob and Inga · 04-25-2011, 05:37 AM

We did it last year and took our time. As mentioned, get the info from the NPS. They have a guide that highlights the various stops and pull outs along the Trace, it is listed by mile marker. Also, there are 3 free campgrounds along the Trace, all are first come first served and have no hookups.

MS state parks are also great, but they do fill on weekends so time it accordingly. Natchez SP and Trace SP (Tupelo - Elvis' birthplace) both have sections that have been updated. Natchez SP was $13 senior and we had a 50 amp, water, backin site on a concrete slab. Trace SP was $14 for E, W and S on a paved backin. Note some guides will tell you that the SP's have a 32' limit which is pure BS. Tishomingo SP in the NE corner has not been updated and could use it, but for $13 a night I not going to complain about it.

One thing worth noting, have backup plans if your planning on using the free campgrounds. A lot of the Trace has no cell reception. We spent 3 nights in Natchez SP and then took 3 weeks getting to the Nashville area. We started up the Trace on April 1st, that is in the middle of the French Canadian migration back north. The first NPS CG, Rocky Springs, has 22 sites. I counted 36 RV's almost all with Quebec plates. We only got a spot because a BC Canadian flagged us down and told us the people across from him were leaving. He did not want another Quebec RV there, so were pulled in as the other RV pulled out. They were double and triple parked in a lot of the sites, even took over the car lot at the trail head. Needless to say there was no host on duty. But they even moved the cones blocking the host site and doubled up in that site as well. Never seen anything like it.

Bob

Roger G · 04-25-2011, 08:26 PM

I live near the trace in north ms and have ridden every mile a few times on a bike. Natchez is cool if you like antebellum homes, also visit Old South Winery for a tour and muscadine wine. The trace is fine for big MHs just watch where you pull off as some stops do not have circle drives but they are marked as such, you won't meet yourself in a curve until you get close to Nashville. Just north of Jackson and south of Ross Barnett Resevoiur , try Shuckers oyster bar and restaurant just about a mile off the trace. When you get close to Tupelo, consider the campgrounds along the Tenn Tom waterway, these are all COE managed and fairly new compared to the state parks. Two days is plenty of time, Natchez to Tupelo is only 250 miles. Be off the trace by sunset, there are 2.5 million people in Ms but 3 million deer and most of them meet every night on the trace!!!!