Natchez Trace State Park

Natchez Trace State Park is located on an alternate route of the old Natchez Trace. This route of the old trace is on the opposite side of the Tennessee River from the Natchez Trace Parkway. The name originally applied to a series of trails and paths that originated with animal migration routes and American Indian trade and travel routes. These were later used by returning boatmen that had floated goods to markets in Natchez and New Orleans from the Nashville area.

Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal Program approximately 48,000 acres of land were purchased in the area of the park. This purchase provided jobs for many people. Programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration established many of the buildings still being used today and laid the foundation for what is now Natchez Trace State Park at the core of the large tract of public lands.

To interpret the history of Natchez Trace as a western spur of an historic trail and a CCC site. Purchased as eroded farmland, the park was and will always be designated for the recreational and educational benefit of our park visitor.