Biking the Natchez Trace Rules and Recommendations
Safety rules and recommendations for biking the Natchez Trace Parkway including the high-traffic vehicle areas of Jackson and Tupelo.
The National Park Service recommends that bicyclists not use the following areas during heavy traffic periods:
Jackson, Mississippi area:
Vehicle traffic through the greater Jackson area can be very heavy from milepost 87 (I-20 intersection) to milepost 103 (Old Canton Road). Try to avoid weekday rush hour times: 7:00-9:00 a.m. and from 3:00-6:00 p.m.
Note: The town of Ridgeland, MS is building a Multi-Use Path that generally parallels the Natchez Trace Parkway. The path is currently complete from milepost 101 (Interstate 55 overpass) to milepost 103.7 (near Old Canton Road at the Bashear's Creek crossing). Soon the path will will be complete further north to milepost 105.6 (Reservoir Overlook parking area). And, sometime in 2011 the path will be extended south to milepost 92 (US Highway 49).
The busiest vehicle traffic area in Jackson is from I-55 (milepost 101) to Old Canton Road (milepost 103). This section of the Multi-Use Path is complete. We recommend that you ride on the path rather than the parkway through this section when vehicle traffic is heavy. The Parkway Information Cabin at Ridgeland visitor center with bathroom facilities is located in this area at milepost 102.
Click here to view a map of the Ridgeland Multi-Use Path.
Tupelo, Mississippi:
Vehicle traffic through Tupelo can be very heavy from milepost 258 to milepost 268. Try to avoid weekday rush hour times: 7:00-8:30 a.m. and 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Chip and Seal Pavement:
There is a section of the Trace, from milepost 155 (Holly Hill stop) to milepost 192 (Jeff Busby) where the pavement is "chip and seal". Chip and Seal pavement is rough and does not produce a smooth ride. When the park service resurfaces this section of the Trace they are replacing the "chip and seal" with regular asphalt. This summer the section from milepost 135 to 155 has been resurfaced with plans to continue north towards Kosciusko.
Rules of the Road:
To view the park service's "Bicycle Rules of the Road" click here.
