Short Hikes Along the Natchez Trace in Tennessee

I will describe each hike in it's own section. The intended purpose of this particular page is to show you how you can go about hiking each of these in just one trip. None of the trails on here will take more than 30 minutes.

You can use this as your first stop along the way. The hike down to the overlook is less than 1/4 of a mile and is real easy. You can continue further if you wish to hike to the bottom, just be careful as it can be a bit slippery. I have a seperate page for Fall Hollow Falls you can visit here: Fall Hollow Falls Page.

As you continue north on the trace you will come to the Tobacco Farm. This farm was once owned and operated by a local family. A short walk will take you around the field and through the old barn.

The next stop is at Bakers Bluff Overlook and Jackson Falls. You can park in either parking area to access the trail. As for me, I started at Bakers Bluff. After taking in the incredible view here, you can start on the trail towards Jackson Falls. The hike out to the falls from here is about 1/3 of a mile one way. Once you get to the parking area at Jackson Falls just continue forward to the concrete pathway. From here you will walk the 900ft pathway down towards the falls. It's a bit steep on the way back out, but safe. This trip is still under a mile in length so it's not bad.

The next stop is at the Gordon House, Gordon Ferry, and Duck River. The Gordon House is an 1800s era brick house built by Captain John Gordon some time after the War of 1812. Captain Gordon returned to his home around 1818, but died shortly after. A ferry was also operated on this site. A short 1/2 mile walk down a trail near the Gordon House will take you to the banks of the Duck River where their ferry was operated. This hike should take less than 20 minutes.

No hiking trail here. But it's a neat place to stop and enjoy the view.

The last stop is at the War of 1812 Memorial. You will come up on a memorial dedicated to the men who died during the affair. Many men had it rough as they traveled 20 - 30 miles per day along the trace with little rations and in bad weather at times. Many men were buried alongside the trace during that period. Inns that were built along the trace (like the one at the Meriwether Lewis Nation Park Monument just before the Fall Hollow trail) were used as hospitals on several occasions. There are a few trails at the memorial you can choose to hike. The longest one being about 2 miles (not sure if it's one way or round trip). Speaking of Inns, one stop you can make along this stretch is at the "She-Boss" location. This spot is near where the She-Boss Inn was located. It was named She-Boss because of the owners Indian husband. When someone would stop and ask him about accommodations he would point them towards his wife and say "she boss".

There are a few different places in between Fall Hollow Falls and the War of 1812 Monument in which you can hike on actual parts of the original Natchez Trace. Just look for the signs. Each section is a rather short hike, but very neat.

Scenery:

Along this stretch of short hikes you will get great views from scenic overlooks, see some scenic waterfalls, and also get to visit some historical sites.

Trail Maintenance:

Each trail is well maintained.

Facilities:

There are a few restrooms along the way. Hohenwald, Tennessee is nearby these trails if you need supplies. This section of short hikes is also located near the Meriwether Lewis Park, and the three mile Devils Backbone Nature Trail Loop (click here to visit that page).