Natchez Trace Bicycle Itinerary - North to South, 4 Days
On this Natchez Trace Parkway Bicycle Itinerary cyclists will bike North to South for 4 days from the Northern Terminus (milepost 442 - Nashville, TN) to the Southern Terminus (milepost 0 - Natchez, MS).
Ride Stats for entire 4-day itinerary.
- Does not include miles to/from Parkway for lodging.
- Currently, there is a 17.5-mile-long closure on the Parkway with a detour. For details on how to bike or drive around the closure, see Day 2 below.
17.5 miles of Parkway closed - current status:
- Total Miles on Parkway, Multi-Use Path and Road Detour: 451.2
Average miles per day: 112.8 - Total Elevation Gain:
15,971 feet (avg. 35.4 feet/mile) - Total Elevation Loss:
16,499 feet (avg. 36.6 feet/mile)
0 miles of Parkway closed (no detour):
- Total Miles on Parkway and Multi-Use Path: 446
Average miles per day: 111.5 - Total Elevation Gain:
15,751 feet (avg. 35.3 feet/mile) - Total Elevation Loss:
16,281 feet (avg. 36.5 feet/mile)
Day 1 - Nashville, TN (Northern Terminus at milepost 442) to Collinwood, TN (milepost 355) or Threet, AL (milepost 341)
Ride Stats for Day 1
milepost 442 to milepost 355:
- Miles on Parkway: 87.6
- Elevation Gain:
5,392 feet (avg. 61.6 feet/mile)
Maximum Grade: 8.9% - Elevation Loss:
5,002 feet (avg. 57.1 feet/mile)
Minimum Grade: -8.1%
milepost 442 to milepost 341:
- Miles on Parkway: 101.9
- Elevation Gain:
5,549 feet (avg. 54.5 feet/mile)
Maximum Grade: 8.9% - Elevation Loss:
5,552 feet (avg. 54.5 feet/mile)
Minimum Grade: -8.0%
- Route Overview Map for Day 1 (Route along the Parkway and Routes to/from Lodging at start and end of the Day)
- Restrooms, Top 30 Favorite Sites, and Exits with Services Nearby Along the Way from Milepost 442 to Milepost 341
- Lodging, Featured Points of Interest and Food at the end of the Day near the Parkway at Milepost 355 and Milepost 341
Day 2 - Collinwood, TN (milepost 355) or Threet, AL (milepost 338) to Houston, MS (milepost 230)
Currently (starting on August 16, 2023), there is a 17.5-mile closure on the Natchez Trace Parkway just south of Tupelo, MS.
- These 17.5 miles between milepost 256.7 and milepost 239.2 are projected to be closed thru the spring of 2024.
- Below are 3 different options (2 different detour options and 1 no detour route after the closed area reopens) for Day 2 based on the status of the road project/closure/detour.
If you have a support vehicle – we highly recommend driving around the closure on the park service's Marked Detour Route.
NatchezTraceTravel.com has created an Alternative Bicycle Detour Route that is 23.7-miles-long around the 17.5-mile-long closure:
- 21.3 of the bicycle detour miles are on lightly traveled county roads. 2.4 miles at the very southern end are on MS Hwy 32 which has a lot of car and truck traffic and not much shoulder.
- A 1,500-foot section of County Road 101 is gravel. Fortunately, CR 101, like most of the bicycle detour route is fairly flat.
- Dogs also like lightly traveled country roads – several have been reported. You might want to take an air horn to scare dogs away.
- A few street signs at intersections are missing – follow our directions and RideWithGPS cues. There are no detour road signs for the bicycle route.
- If you don’t have a support vehicle – AND
if you don’t feel comfortable biking in traffic for 2.4 miles - OR
encountering dogs along the way - OR
are directionally challenged you should consider:
- Obtaining a ride around the closure. Check with the Tupelo Cycling club: Tupelo Cycling Facebook page.
OR
- We have another detour that goes around this 17.5-mile-long closure AND goes around all of Tupelo - avoids biking on the Parkway between milepost 266 and 230. This detour takes cyclists off the Parkway to the popular Tanglefoot Trail® and down to Houston, MS. - For more information about the closure, Marked Detour Route, Alternate Bicycle Detour Route including a map, click here.
Ride Stats for Day 2
(17.5 miles of Parkway closed - current status - 23.7-mile-long Detour around Closure)
milepost 355 to milepost 230:
- Miles on Parkway (109.1 miles) and Road Detour (23.7 miles): 132.8
- Elevation Gain:
4,382 feet (avg. 33.0 feet/mile)
Maximum Grade: 6.0% - Elevation Loss:
5,113 feet (avg. 38.5 feet/mile)
Minimum Grade: -6.5%
milepost 338 to milepost 230:
- Miles on Parkway (91.9 miles) and Road Detour (23.7 miles): 115.6
- Elevation Gain:
4,123 feet (avg. 35.7 feet/mile)
Maximum Grade: 5.9% - Elevation Loss:
4,444 feet (avg. 38.4 feet/mile)
Minimum Grade: -6.5%
Click Here to View Day 2 (including 23.7-mile-long Detour around the 17.5-mile-long Closure):
- Route Overview Map for Day 2 (Route along the Parkway/Detour and Routes to/from Lodging at start and end of the Day)
- Restrooms, Top 30 Favorite Sites, and Exits with Services Nearby Along the Way from Milepost 355 to Milepost 230
- Lodging, Featured Points of Interest and Food at the end of the Day near the Parkway at Milepost 230
Ride Stats for Day 2
(17.5 miles of Parkway closed - current status - Detour around Tupelo on the Tanglefoot Trail®)
milepost 355 to downtown Houston:
- Miles on Parkway (90.3 miles) and Road Detour (69.7 miles): 160
- Elevation Gain:
5,030 feet (avg. 31.4 feet/mile)
Maximum Grade: 6.0% - Elevation Loss:
5,767 feet (avg. 36.0 feet/mile)
Minimum Grade: -6.5%
milepost 338 to downtown Houston:
- Miles on Parkway (73.2 miles) and Road Detour (69.7 miles): 142.9
- Elevation Gain:
4,756 feet (avg. 33.3 feet/mile)
Maximum Grade: 5.9% - Elevation Loss:
5.081 feet (avg. 35.6 feet/mile)
Minimum Grade: -6.5%
Click Here to View Day 2 (including Detour around Tupelo on the Tanglefoot Trail®):
- Route Overview Map for Day 2 (Route along the Parkway/Detour and Routes to/from Lodging at start and end of the Day)
- Restrooms, Top 30 Favorite Sites, and Exits with Services Nearby Along the Way from Milepost 355 to Houston
- Lodging, Featured Points of Interest and Food at the end of the Day in Houston
- Lodging options along the route in case you want to split this longer (net 22 more miles compared to other detour option and net 38 more miles compared to Parkway route with no detour) route into two days
Ride Stats for Day 2 (0 miles of Parkway closed)
milepost 355 to milepost 230:
- Miles on Parkway: 126.6
- Elevation Gain:
4,083 feet (avg. 32.3 feet/mile)
Maximum Grade: 5.9% - Elevation Loss:
4,815 feet (avg. 38.0 feet/mile)
Minimum Grade: -6.5%
milepost 338 to milepost 230:
- Miles on Parkway: 109.5
- Elevation Gain:
3,846 feet (avg. 35.1 feet/mile)
Maximum Grade: 5.9% - Elevation Loss:
4,167 feet (avg. 38.1 feet/mile)
Minimum Grade: -6.5%
Click Here to View Day 2 (no detour!):
- Route Overview Map for Day 2 (Route along the Parkway and Routes to/from Lodging at start and end of the Day)
- Restrooms, Top 30 Favorite Sites, and Exits with Services Nearby Along the Way from Milepost 355 to Milepost 230
- Lodging, Featured Points of Interest and Food at the end of the Day near the Parkway at Milepost 230
Day 3 - Houston, MS (milepost 230) to Ridgeland, MS (milepost 101-100)
Ride Stats for Day 3
- Miles on Parkway and Multi-Use Path: 130
- Elevation Gain:
3,119 feet (avg. 24.0 feet/mile)
Maximum Grade: 5.1% - Elevation Loss:
3,105 feet (avg. 23.9 feet/mile)
Minimum Grade: -5.0%
- Route Overview Map for Day 3 (Route along the Parkway and Routes to/from Lodging at start and end of the Day)
- Restrooms, Top 30 Favorite Sites, and Exits with Services Nearby Along the Way from Milepost 230 to Milepost 100
- Lodging, Featured Points of Interest and Food at the end of the Day near the Parkway at Milepost 100
Day 4 - Ridgeland, MS (milepost 101-100) to Natchez, MS (Southern Terminus at milepost 0)
Ride Stats for Day 4
- Miles on Parkway: 102
- Elevation Gain:
3,751 feet (avg. 36.8 feet/mile)
Maximum Grade: 5.4% - Elevation Loss:
3,961 feet (avg. 38.8 feet/mile)
Minimum Grade: -3.4%
- Route Overview Map for Day 4 (Route along the Parkway and Routes to/from Lodging at start and end of the Day)
- Restrooms, Top 30 Favorite Sites, and Exits with Services Nearby Along the Way from Milepost 101 to Milepost 0
- Lodging, Featured Points of Interest and Food at the end of the Day near the Parkway at Milepost 0
Do you appreciate this information and advice?
Natchez Trace Travel Planner
Parkway Map, Top 30 Favorite Sites and Nearby Lodging Map, Lodging Flyer
I/We "Bicycled the Natchez Trace" Merchandise