The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile recreational road and scenic drive through three states. It roughly follows the “Old Natchez Trace,” a historic travel corridor used by American Indians, “Kaintucks,” European settlers, slave traders, soldiers, and future presidents. It’s a very popular cycling route as there are no commercial vehicles allowed, the speed limit never exceeds 50 mph, there are very few stoplights or stop signs, it’s generally “flat,” and traffic is typically light outside the urban areas of Jackson and Tupelo. Plus, the weather in the latter part of April should be pretty decent.
My plan is to take Amtrak with my bike from Denver to Jackson (via Chicago), then ride from Jackson to the southern terminus in Natchez, turn around and ride all the way to Nashville. I expect my trip to be roughly 560 miles over 6 days, not including the Amtrak portion. My first “real” day on the bike should be Saturday, April 19…
April 24, 2025 – Collinwood to North Terminus
Super hilly day. Garmin said I had 22 “climbs,” and at least one was serious – one mile at 10%. I’m not sure it was quite 10%, but it was no joke. Lots of rain showers today, and at one point it was cool enough I had to put on a vest. Overall though, not…
April 23, 2025 – Tupelo to Collinwood NB
I’ll be the first to admit, I was nervous about today. My legs feel like lead, and yesterday’s bonk had me concerned. The good news is my worry was all for naught – everything worked out just fine. I loaded up on carbs last night (2 takeout orders), and this morning I left Tupelo with…
April 22, 2025 – French Camp to Tupelo NB
Well, I’m not going to lie, this was a tough day. The legs are starting to really feel it. I got caught in a steady rain from about 11-Noon. Fortunately, it was warm, so I actually didn’t mind too much, and I mostly fried out by the time I got to Tupelo. There were very…
April 21, 2025 – Raymond to French Camp NB
Whew, long one today – about 109 miles. The weather mostly cooperated with cloud cover the entire day. A brief shower rolled through around 1:20 pm. Luckily, I planned to stop in Kosciusko for lunch, and that’s when it really started to rain. By the time I was done, so was the rain. Where the…
April 20, 2025 – Natchez to Raymond NB
Easter Sunday! Warm weather and cloud cover were the order of the morning. Lots of rollers leaving Natchez (don’t remember coasting that much yesterday), but then things mostly flattened out again. Stopped for lunch in Port Gibson, just like yesterday…no other choices. Arrived in Raymond around 2 and was pleasantly surprised that a convenience store…
April 19, 2025 – Natchez Southbound for a Day
Today the real ride began! This is my only day going Southbound. I left the hotel in Clinton around 7:30 am to dark clouds and a cooling breeze. It took me a few miles to get out of Clinton, but soon enough, I found my “home” for the next few days – the Natchez Trace…
April 18, 2025 – Jackson, MS
I arrived at the train station in Jackson, MS around 11:45 AM. I collected my checked bike and two checked panniers from the baggage cart. All three were covered in, what the conductor told me was, pollen. Like a thick coat of dust. I was hoping the rains which rolled through here a little over…
April 17, 2025
Arrived in Chicago half an hour early! I’d say I dozed on and off overnight; I don’t think I ever got any deep sleep. Hoping that changes tonight. While in Chicago, I was lucky enough to spend the entire time with Keith Beyar, a great friend from high school who I haven’t seen in 30ish…
April 16, 2025
My journey has begun! I boarded my first Amtrak train around 7 PM. I checked my bike and two of my panniers – the other two are my carry-ons. I was quite surprised to learn roughly 40 people were boarding in Denver, which is a slow night. It’s usually 60-80! First order of business after…
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