April 21st to May 7th
707 miles
Natchez Trace Parkway
The Natchez Trace Parkway would be my first choice of cycling venues for the purpose of introducing someone to the glorious sport of bicycle touring. The Natchez Trace Parkway has gentle hills and does not allow commercial traffic. This makes it ideal for bicycle touring newcomers. The Natchez Trace Parkway is lined with a mix of beautiful hardwood and pine forests and has gorgeous meadows sprinkled with wild flowers. Free, bicycle only, primitive camping is provided along the parkway. In short, the Natchez Trace Parkway is an absolute paradise for bicycle tourists!
On one trip, I was having lunch along the Natchez Trace Parkway in a picnic area. A group of middle-aged cyclists also stopped for lunch. I had an opportunity to chat with one of the members of the group. She told me this was her very first bicycle tour and said it had been the best vacation of her life! Her enthusiasm was very heartwarming!
The Natchez Trace Parkway was established in 1938 as part of our National Park System. It commemorates the most significant wilderness road of the old Southwest. This ancient, natural pathway crosses the homelands of the Natchez, Chickasaw, and Choctaw nations. In 1801, President Thomas Jefferson designated the Natchez Trace a national post road for mail delivery between Nashville and Natchez. Where the ground was soft, walkers, riders, and wagons wore down the “sunken” sections you can still see today.
The Natchez Trace Parkway is an ideal way for cyclists to experience this historic southern landscape. The Natchez Trace Parkway forms a magnificent ribbon of green from the bluffs of the Mississippi River to the Appalachian foothills of Tennessee.
You can refill your water containers at restrooms along the Natchez Trace Parkway. Restrooms are located near these mile markers: 17, 55, 122, 154, 181, 193, 233, 266, 286, 327, 364.
You will find free campgrounds near these Natchez Trace Parkway mile markers: 55, 193. You will find free, bicycle only, primitive camping near these Natchez Trace Parkway mile markers: 160, 233, 266, 327.
Summary of Road Conditions
Numbers in parentheses refer to the page number for the relevant map in the Rand McNally Road Atlas. The mileage figure next to each city is the distance from the preceding city. Mileage is calculated from city to city based on Google Map’s routing engine. Along the Natchez Trace and Blue Ridge Parkways, the mileage figures refer to the highway mile markers.
Starting in Natchez, MS (56), mile 0
N Natchez Trace Parkway (NTP) Jackson, mile 100
Rush hour traffic in Jackson affects the parkway. Exercise caution and avoid rush hours. Just past mile marker 100 you can exit the parkway to a shopping center on your left if you need a break. A bridge takes you over I-55. Approaching this bridge look to your left and you will see a paved bike path. Cross the grass and turn left on the bike path. Follow the bike path a short distance to a road and turn right. Proceed through a roundabout and then into the shopping center where you will find restaurants, a high end grocery store, and a Starbucks.
N NTP Kosciusko, mile 160
Kosciusko is very easy on, easy off. There are motels, restaurants, and a small Walmart. Kosciusko is Oprah Winfrey’s home town.
N NTP French Camp, mile 180
A stop at the historic French Camp is highly recommended. They have the best BLT sandwiches and potato soup I have ever tasted!
N NTP Houston, mile 226
Just before the exit for Houston, you will see severe tornado damage to the forests along the parkway. These damaged sections attest to the almost unfathomable power of these storms. Houston is the author’s father’s hometown.
N NTP Tupelo, mile 260
Rush hour traffic in Tupelo affects the parkway. Exercise caution and avoid rush hours, if possible.
N NTP Pharr Mounds, mile 286
The open space surrounding these Indian burial mounds focuses your attention on the mounds. This site has the feel of an ancient plaza. This is the feeling the architect Louis Kahn tried to capture in his architecture. If you would like to learn more about Louis Kahn, I highly recommend the superb documentary “My Architect.”
N NTP Bear Creek Mound, mile 309
This is my favorite of the Indian burial mounds. Be sure to read the historic marker. The marker describes how the Indians navigated nearby Bear Creek in their dugout canoes in order to find fish and game. Their lives sound so idyllic it makes me want to hop in a canoe and paddle up Bear Creek!
N NTP Cherokee, Alabama, mile 320 (4)
The Natchez Trace Parkway crosses three states. As you enter Alabama, you are not far from the famous Muscle Shoals Recording Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. I highly recommend the award winning documentary “Muscle Shoals” which tells the story of all the incredible music recorded at this studio.
N NTP Collinwood, Tennessee, mile 355 (94)
You will cross the Tennessee River a few miles north of Cherokee. The bridge has nice, safe shoulders and offers an expansive view of the river. The river looks majestic and peaceful. This is one of the most beautiful river crossings on the entire route. There is a legend that an Indian maiden haunts the river and occasionally sings. Supposedly, this legend helps explain why Muscle Shoals is such a wonderful place to record music. Collinwood is very easy on easy off. There is a Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Collinwood. Turn left at the traffic signal and proceed one quarter mile. The grocery store is on your right. There is also a convenience store with a deli and an indoor seating area on your left at the traffic signal.
N NTP to Hwy 64, mile 370
Turn right onto Hwy 64. Hwy 64 has nice, paved shoulders and is an official bicycle route. Hwy 64 is also known as the David Crockett Parkway. During the 1950‘s there was a Davy Crockett TV show which created a Davy Crockett craze of immense proportions. I am embarrassed to admit that I can still sing the theme song to the Davy Crockett TV show! There are family pictures of me wearing my official Davy Crockett “coon skin” cap while carrying my plastic frontier rifle! Very cute!
The people in Tennessee are incredibly open and friendly. When I explain that I am from Austin, Texas and that I am pedaling my bicycle towards the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, the person I am speaking to often exclaims,”That’s amazing!” This is the only part of the country where people consistently respond in this manner. Who could possibly complain about being called “amazing?” Certainly not I! In Missouri, “The Show Me State,” in contrast, the usual response is, “Why on earth would anyone want to do that?” These regional differences in attitude are much more pronounced than I would ever have imagined!
E 64 Lawrenceburg, 32 mi (from Collingwood)
Traffic in Lawrenceburg is busy and the city streets don’t have shoulders. I usually bypass Lawrenceburg by staying on Hwy 64. The nearby town of Pulaski is much more bicycle friendly.
E 64 Pulaski, 19 mi
Just before you enter Pulaski, Hwy 64 turns right. You can bypass Pulaski by turning right to stay on Hwy 64. Continue straight ahead if you want to take a break in Pulaski. Pulaski has lots of restaurants. A Walmart is located just ahead on your right. A laundromat is located past the Walmart about one half mile. Turn right on Sixth St. and proceed one block to the laundromat.
E 64 Fayetteville, Tennessee (95), 29 mi
Take the Hwy 64 truck bypass around Fayetteville to avoid narrow, dangerous city streets. The bypass has nice, paved shoulders. You will pass a high school on your left. As you leave the Fayetteville area, you will cross Hwy 431. Look to your right down Hwy 431 and you will see a Walmart and lots of fast food restaurants.
E 64 Winchester, 33 mi
Hwy 64 has nice, paved shoulders all the way to Winchester.
E 41A Cowan, 6 mi
As you approach Winchester, you will exit to your right onto Hwy 41A. This intersection is clearly marked with signs for Cowan and for the University of the South. You can see mountains close by. Hwy 41A has comfortable mini-shoulders and light traffic. Cowan is a small, pleasant town. There is a Dollar General in Cowan on your left if you need water.
E 41A Sewanee, 7 mi
It is about a half hour ride from Cowan to the point where you will start climbing. The climb takes about 45 minutes. It is a typical mountain road with switch backs and 5-6% grades. The mountains are gorgeous with lots of trees, flowing creeks, and wildflowers, including beautiful wild roses. There are plenty of stealth camping spots. Hwy 41A has reasonable mini-shoulders and often has an extra climbing lane. It is very comfortable to ride on compared to most mountain roads. There are plenty of pull outs if you need to stop and rest. At the summit there is an ancient stone gateway which solemnly announces that you are entering the “domain” of the University of the South.
E 41A Monteagle, 6 mi
Monteagle is a small resort town with restaurants, shopping, and lots of real estate offices eager to sell you “mountain views.” In Monteagle you cross I-24. There is a grocery store, a Waffle House, and a McDonalds, all on your left. The McDonalds has one electrical outlet.
S 41 Tracy City, 7 mi
Hwy 41A seamlessly becomes Hwy 41 as you depart Monteagle. Hwy 41 has decent mini-shoulders. Turn left when you reach Hwy 56. This intersection is clearly marked.
N 56 Altamont, 15 mi
Hwy 56 is a beautiful, rural road with acceptable mini-shoulders. Traffic is very light. Most of the time you are passing through mountain woodlands with trees on both sides of the road. The towns are small. You will pass convenience stores and a Dollar General.
N 56 Beersheba Springs, 5 mi
Beersheba Springs is a small mountain town with beautiful, historic, vacation homes nestled in the surrounding hills. In a time before air conditioning, having a vacation home in the mountains was a favorite way for wealthy families in the South to escape the summer heat. On one of my trips, a retired medical doctor and his wife passed me in their car, stopped up ahead, and waved me over to invite me to breakfast. Not being the type of person to pass up breakfast, even the second breakfast of the day, I accepted their invitation with a happy smile!
Their vacation home in Beersheba Springs had been in the family for generations. The back of the house looked out over a breathtaking valley. The house had a rustic feel with beautiful wooden floors and handmade furniture. I was given a tour of the whole place while breakfast was being prepared. In one corner of the house was a steamer trunk that had belonged to a long ago female relative. Above the trunk on the wall was a framed document signed by William Jennings Bryan, Secretary of State. It was an early version of the passport, a simple letter with the official seal of the United States stating that the bearer of the letter was a United States citizen and requesting that they be given safe passage. Breakfast included delicious, homemade rolls. I thanked my hosts for their wonderful southern hospitality and promised to mail them a copy of my book when it was finished. Then I headed towards McMinnville.
N 56 McMinnville, 22 mi
Shortly after you depart Beersheba Springs, you begin a steep descent. This descent is similar to your recent climb from Cowan to Sewanee, only this time you are going down rather than up. After a number of switch backs you arrive in the lush, fertile valley below. This valley is home to a large number of thriving nursery businesses growing ornamental trees and shrubs. The rich, sandy loam is the finest looking soil I have ever seen.
As you enter McMinnville, Hwy 56 bends to the left. Look for signs that say “Hwy 56 to 70S, Truck Route” (that’s an “S” as in “South” after 70). Turn right onto Chancery St. at a traffic signal atop a hill to stay on Hwy 56. Proceed on Chancery St. about two miles until you reach the well marked intersection with Hwy 70S. Turn right on Hwy 70S. If you need a break, there is a McDonalds at this intersection. The McDonalds is very modern and has lots of electrical outlets with built in USB ports.
E 70S/30 Spencer, 21 mi
Hwy 70S has nice, paved shoulders. It takes only about twenty minutes to arrive at the well marked intersection with Hwy 30. Turn right onto Hwy 30. Hwy 30 has light traffic and mini-shoulders. At first there are annoying rumble strips. Later, the rumble strips disappear and road conditions become much more comfortable. The ride to Spencer is gorgeous. The contours of the land please the eye at every turn. You will cross a number of concrete bridges. All of the bridges are curved. There is hardly a straight line wherever one looks. This sensual landscape delights the eye with its bounty of shapes and colors. After about half an hour, you begin to climb. The rustic farms disappear and trees hug both sides of the road. The climb also has its sensual aspects. Entering a turn, the grade suddenly increases then settles down for a stretch as you approach another turn. The grade is constantly changing and I find myself rhythmically going on and off saddle based on the demands of the road.
Spencer sits at the summit. You will pass a sheriff’s building on your left. Next, you will see a taller building just past the sheriff’s building and also made of brown brick. Pull over next to the taller building. There is a single tree next to this building with strange, purple leaves. Under this tree is an inviting water tap. Lift the handle and it seems like you might be disappointed. Then you hear a delightful “swooshing” sound that indicates that water is on its way! Finally, the pure, cold, mountain water starts gushing out! I am filled with life affirming joy because I am very hot and thirsty! While you are drinking your water, look straight ahead and you will see a beautiful, restored, art deco masterpiece. The facade is labeled “Haston Block 1908.” If you need a break, there is a small country cafe on your left as you exit Spencer and head towards Pikeville.
E 30 Pikeville, 25 mi
You descend Spencer Mtn on your way to Pikeville. Then you climb and descend Pikeville Mtn. Pikeville sits at the foot of Pikeville Mtn. Turn right as you enter Pikeville to stay on Hwy 30. As soon as you turn right, there is a McDonalds on your left with electrical outlets. As you leave Pikeville, turn left to follow Hwy 30. All of these turns are clearly marked.
E 30 Dayton, 17 mi
Road conditions between Pikeville and Dayton are very pleasant. Hwy 30 has either shoulders or generous mini-shoulders. The climb over Dayton Mtn is easier than the climbs over Spencer Mtn and over Pikeville Mtn. The descent down the other side of Dayton Mtn is long and very steep, however, with 8% grades. Entering Dayton, turn right on 4th St. and proceed half a block to check out the largest and most beautiful magnolia tree that I have ever seen! Turn left on 3rd St. to continue east on Hwy 30 to Decatur and Athens. This intersection is clearly marked.
Turn right on 3rd St. to visit the Rhea County Courthouse, the site of the famous 1925 Scopes Trial. Town leaders, hoping to raise the town’s profile, handpicked John T. Scopes, a teacher, as the defendant. Civil libertarians hoped to test a state law that banned the teaching of evolution in the public schools. William Jennings Bryan, a three time candidate for the Presidency, argued for the prosecution. Clarence Darrow, the best known lawyer of the time, argued for the defense. He denounced what he called the “fool ideas” of biblical literalism, but lost at trial.
Bryan died in Dayton a few days after the trial, his death likely caused by the stress of parrying Darrow’s arguments. There is a Scopes Trial Museum in the courthouse basement. Statues of both men are on the courthouse grounds. Darrow’s statue was added in 2017. This caused a great deal of controversy. Many residents of Dayton were upset by the addition of the “atheist” Darrow statue. A 2015 Pew Research Center study found that 34 percent of Americans continue to reject evolution outright. Be sure to read the inscriptions on the base of the Bryan statue. Bryan was certainly a formidable orator!
E 30 Athens, 28 mi
The ride from Dayton to the Tennessee River on the way to Athens is harrowing. You have about a six inch mini-shoulder which is covered by a very annoying rumble strip. Be very careful and hop on and off the road as necessary. The bridge crossing the river has nice safe shoulders. The river is peaceful and very beautiful. Once you cross the river, road conditions are superb with very wide, smooth, paved shoulders. There are great stealth camping spots all along the way. Approaching Athens you cross I-75. Hotels and restaurants are clustered near the freeway. Stay on Hwy 30 all the way through Athens. You will pass a Walmart on your right. Then you will pass Tennessee Wesleyan University also on your right. Just past the university you will see a sign for Hwy 39 west. Don’t turn west onto Hwy 39! You need to go east on Hwy 39! As you start to leave Athens on Hwy 30, turn left onto east bound Hwy 39 towards Englewood. This intersection is clearly marked.
E 39 Englewood, 7 mi
Hwy 39 is fairly comfortable to ride on with acceptable mini-shoulders. Englewood is small and charming. You will pass several interesting wall murals as Hwy 39 jogs through Englewood. Cross the railroad tracks and turn left onto Hwy 411. This intersection is clearly marked.
N 411 Madisonville, 10 mi
Hwy 411 has two lanes in each direction and nice, wide, paved shoulders except when you are passing through towns. There is a Walmart on your right as you enter Madisonville.
N 411 Maryville, 28 mi
Entering Maryville there is another Walmart on your right. Traffic in Maryville is very heavy. Stay on Hwy 411 through Maryville. Don’t take the exit on your left for the Hwy 129 truck bypass. You will pass the handsome, red brick buildings of Maryville College. As you leave Maryville there is a well marked exit to the right for Hwy 321 north to Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Your paved shoulder resumes. You can see the surprisingly rugged looking Smokey Mountains ahead of you.
N 321 Apple Valley, 15 mi
Hwy 321 through Apple Valley is a beautiful parkway with nice, safe shoulders. The highway follows a creek in places and the climb is very gradual. The trees, meadows, and mountains are breathtaking. This is a resort area with every imaginable amenity for visitors. One resort announces that it is “Bearly” Rustic. Perfect advertising for luxury loving city dwellers!
N 321 Wears Valley, 9 mi
Turn left to stay on Hwy 321 to Wears Valley and Pigeon Forge. This intersection is clearly marked. It is about six miles to Wears Valley. You will be climbing on a narrow mountain road with switch backs. At times the grade is 10%. l generally feel comfortable on narrow mountain roads without shoulders. Speed limits are reduced to 35 mph and even 20 mph at times. Drivers pretty much have to pay attention, otherwise they will tumble down the mountain! I think long boring stretches are much more dangerous because speeds are higher and drivers sometimes fail to pay attention. This section is very scenic and has several beautiful, historic churches. As you enter the town of Wears Valley you will see a stone bridge crossing over Hwy 321. There is excellent stealth camping on your right just before this stone overpass.
N 321 Pigeon Forge, 11 mi
Hwy 321 descends from Wears Valley to Pigeon Forge. As you enter Pigeon Forge, there is a McDonald’s on your left (no electrical outlets). A little further, also on your left, is a Krogers grocery store. There is a Glacier water machine outside the Krogers. There is a laundromat in the same shopping center as the Krogers. A short distance from the Krogers is the intersection with Hwy 411. Turn right to head toward Gatlinburg on Hwy 411. Turn left on Hwy 411 and proceed approximately two miles and you will find a Starbucks on your right next to an outlet mall if you need to charge your devices. Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are basically amusement parks with wild rides, dinner theaters, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Dollywood, lifesize model of the Titanic with a fake iceberg stuck to it, etc.