By Jennifer Melhiser

(Jennifer Melhiser joined Alabama Outdoors in 2015 as an operations manager. She lives in Florence with her husband and 8-year-old son. She enjoys outdoor adventures such as hiking, canoeing, and camping and has a real passion for traveling and music.) 

As we are trying to adjust to our new routines, I discovered my family was spending more time on electronic devices than before.

The new routine has my son at home completely immersed in his tablet, laptop, or gaming device. The new routine is binge-watching TV shows, making silly dance videos, and playing video games. We seem to be living in our devices lately.

 

Since we live in Florence, we looked nearby for a new adventure: The Natchez Trace!  The middle part of it — about 33 miles of the original historic forest trail — runs through Northwest Alabama. It’s now our go-to for outside time.

Off the grid on the Natchez Trace

The entire Natchez Trace extends about 440 miles from Nashville, Tenn., to Natchez, Miss. If you are not familiar with it, I highly recommend you research it before making a visit. 

The Trace is an ancient path that began as a wildlife and American Indian trail. Today it’s a designated National Scenic Trail with no billboards, few road signs, and no commercial traffic. 

Cell service is spotty at best on the Trace, so make sure to bring a physical map and use the mile markers as a guide. At one point on a recent visit, we had three different devices giving us three different directions! 

My husband and I looked to the sun and studied the terrain to get our bearings. We were, once again, reminded of how dependent we have become on electronics.

Beautiful scenery and wildlife

As soon as you are on the Natchez Trace, the beautiful scenery takes you back to a pristine time.  The vivid colors of spring and summer blanket the Trace.

You can explore hiking trails, natural springs, creeks, and the Tennessee River. There are Indian mounds, overlooks, and historical sites to view. 

Seeing wildlife in action is always an extra bonus. We saw wild turkeys, hawks, black vultures, butterflies, and more.  Below are a few spots that my family and I enjoyed exploring along our journey of the Natchez Trace.

Colbert Ferry at milepost 327.3

 

Travel south on the Trace, cross the John Coffee Memorial Bridge over the Tennessee River, and you will find the Colbert Ferry. The ferry, on the southern shore of the river, is a must-see.

There is fishing, a boat launch, a picnicking area with grills, hiking, and camping. Not too far from the parking lot, you can access the original Old Trace and hike to an overlook on the Tennessee River. This area is part of the Northern Alabama birding trail and an Indian historical site.

Colbert Ferry has a rich history. According to local legend, George Colbert charged Andrew Jackson and his Tennessee army $75,000 to ferry them across the river (to and from the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.)

 

Rock Spring at milepost 330.2

A short nature trail here gives you a chance to explore a natural spring. Stepping stones along the path lead you across the creek and into the woods. Along this loop trail we saw butterflies, beaver dams, and even encountered a snake while crossing the creek.   Look out for ruby-throated hummingbirds as they are a favorite on this Alabama birding trail. Rock Spring is a spot to find tranquility within nature.

Wichahpi Commemorative Stone Wall east of milepost 338

The Wichahpi Commemorative Stone Wall is not an advertised stop on the Natchez Trace, but it is truly an Alabama must-see. A local man, Tom Hendrix, built this wall to honor his great-great-grandmother, Teh-La-Nay. 

She was a member of the Yapuchi tribe that was forcibly relocated to Oklahoma during the Trail of Tears. She ultimately walked back home to Alabama and the Tennessee River that she truly loved. 

The wall is located on private property and dogs are not allowed. As I walked this long path surrounded by woodland terrain, I could feel the anxiety and stress of the new normal lifting away.  

Cypress Creek

We crossed the state line into Tennessee and stopped at a picnic area along Cypress Creek. I looked across the road and could see we were at the edge of the rolling hills of Tennessee. We spent much time playing along Cypress Creek skipping rocks, climbing on fallen trees, and trying to keep the dogs from dragging us into the water. 

Over the weeks, I found my family looking forward to these outings. These experiences gave us the relief we needed to be able to mentally prepare for what the future holds and deal with the new routine. Take your time, breathe a little easier, and find a new adventure to explore. It is worth the memories!

To get there from Birmingham: Take I-20/59 west. Merge onto I-65 north toward Cullman, AL. Turn onto A1-157 west. Follow the road as it goes past Florence toward Cherokee, AL. Turn onto N. Pike Road in Cherokee.  Turn north onto the Natchez Trace Parkway.

 

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