Canton, Mississippi.

I told the story of our trip on the Natchez Trace Parkway, a scenic drive we traveled from Canton to Tupelo in Mississippi. Our first stop found us at mile marker 122 on the parkway just outside Canton. Cypress Swamp is home to towering bald cypress and water tupelo trees, which are adapted to living in waterlogged soils. Though we didn’t see any wildlife on our visit, the swamp is also home to a variety of wildlife, including alligators, turtles, snakes, birds, and frogs.

Visitors to Cypress Swamp can step down the short stairway to walk along a 0.4-mile (.6 km) boardwalk trail that winds through the swamp, offering fascinating views of the trees shown in my opening photo.

Many years ago, the Pearl River flowed through this area. Over time, the river changed course, leaving behind a shallow area created by the deposition of sediments. During periods of low water, seedlings of water-tolerant cypress and tupelo trees were able to take root and grow.

The channel is slowly filling with silt and vegetation, and over time, bald cypress and water tupelo trees will be replaced by black willow, sycamore, and red maple trees.

Our first view of the swamp turnout was marked by the standard Natchez Trace Parkway sign. The small parking area was empty on the morning of our visit.

At the end of the boardwalk is a much shorter trail referenced in the placard in the photo above. You don’t need to cross the highway to walk the main trail unless you’d like a much more immersive experience.

The placard describes the changes taking place in the swamp and provides a description of the short trail that leads from the boardwalk. Bring comfortable shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty and clothing that you won’t mind getting wet if you plan to walk the trail.

Hikers and wildlife photographers might enjoy a trek on a longer trail that leads through the area. Directly across the Natchez Trace roadway from the swamp, you will find the Yockanookany Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. This stretch of trail offers many sights, accessible via short side trails. The trail parallels and sometimes crosses the parkway roadbed, so please be careful to look for vehicle and bicycle traffic, especially at bridge crossings, where you must walk along the parkway road. The trail is over 25 miles (40 km) long, and it is an out-and-back style so hikers can choose how far to travel before returning to the trailhead. More details can be found on the National Park Service website here.

The wide base of the trees helps them stay rooted in the soggy soil of the swamp. Bald cypress trees are deciduous coniferous trees, meaning that they lose their leaves in the fall. They are adapted to living in waterlogged soils and can grow to be over 100 feet tall. Water tupelo trees are deciduous hardwood trees that are also adapted to living in waterlogged soils. They can grow to be over 100 feet tall and have bright red leaves in the fall.

After our visit to the Cypress Swamp, we continued north on the beautiful Natchez Trace Parkway. In addition to appropriate clothing and shoes for walking the trails, consider insect repellent and sunscreen. We didn’t have repellent, but we were lucky in that on this September morning, the insects were apparently sleeping in.

Be especially wary and on the watch for alligators. Stay on the trail and enjoy this truly special place.

John Steiner

Kosciusko, Mississippi.

It isn’t often that I need to provide pronunciation guides for the places we visit, but one of our stops on the Natchez Trace requires it. Kosciusko (/ˌkɒsiˈʌskoʊ/ KOSS-ee-USK-oh) Mississippi is one of the few towns located just off the Natchez Trace Parkway. Though the 444-mile (715 km) parkway runs from Natchez to Nashville, we only traveled the route from Canton to Tupelo, about 160 miles (258 km). Well, technically, I need to subtract 12 miles (19 km) or so. Just south of Tupelo, the parkway was closed for road resurfacing.

Though there are towns nearby all along the way, there are no food, gas, or lodging services on the Parkway itself, so be sure to plan ahead and be prepared for short detours to nearby towns for services needed. Our stop at Kosciusco found us at a nice visitor center that featured the history of the town as well as some background on the parkway. A large wall map complete with brochures and information sheets pointed out special stops along the parkway’s entire route.

In addition to its historical sites, the Natchez Trace Parkway also offers a variety of recreational opportunities. Visitors can hike, bike, horseback ride, camp, and fish. There are also several picnic areas and scenic overlooks along the Parkway.

The National Park Service manages three campgrounds along the length of the Parkway. Those campgrounds are Meriwether Lewis at Milepost 385.9, Jeff Busby at Milepost 193.1, and Rocky Springs at Milepost 54. The three Parkway campgrounds are free, primitive, and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. There are also bicycle-only campgrounds as well.

All along the route, points of interest are identified by these signs. There is about a half-mile “warning” sign indicating a potential stopoff is coming up. Some sites have restrooms, but most do not, so plan accordingly.

The parkway roughly follows the path of the original Natchez Trace, a historic travel corridor used by Native Americans, European settlers, and traders for centuries. There are many of these stop-offs along the route, so those who are interested in the entire history of the parkway can expect plenty of time on the road and a multi-day trip.

The best time to visit is during the spring or fall when the weather is mild. Be aware that the Parkway is a two-lane road with no shoulders, so it is important to drive safely and be patient. On the Sunday we visited in early September, we encountered little traffic. We were occasionally passed by vehicles whose occupants were in much too much of a hurry to enjoy the pace of the parkway so be careful not to get “run over” by those who have to “hurry up to see it all.”

Many of the stops are historical references. This sign reads in part, “The Road to your left, running to Canton, Mississippi, was opened in 1834 and named for Choctaw Indian Chief Ofahomo or Red Dog. Like other Choctaw, he had accepted the ways of his European neighbors and had become a farmer.”

When planning your trip, be sure to check the National Park Service website here for any alerts or closures. It was on the NPS site where I discovered the short detour on the highway near Tupelo. The Natchez Trace Parkway is a popular destination for motorists, hikers, bikers, and horseback riders. It offers stunning scenery, abundant wildlife, and a rich history.

In a future post, I will feature one of the stops along the way, Cypress Swamp at milepost 122.0 near Canton, Mississippi. It is home to towering bald cypress and water tupelo trees, which are adapted to living in waterlogged soils. Stay tuned for more about the Natchez Trace Parkway.

John Steiner