Natchez Trace Solo Ride Comments

I had the great fortune to enjoy a solo, self-SAG tour for the Natchez Trace October 16 – 22, 2010. I have posted daily blog entries of the ride in part to help others planning a similar ride to benefit from the experiences of a fellow rider. There were many questions when I started my planning.

This ride was my longest self-contained ride so I scanned the Internet for blogs and travel logs seeking tidbits and insider information that would aid in my planning. There was lots of information, but I was never fully satisfied with my findings. Hopefully the blog entries and list of summary points below will be a helpful guide for your planning.

Note: Click on photos to see enlarged version.

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a treasure in our national park system. As a national park, the Trace is free of billboard clutter as well as the associated food/lodging services typically advertised on those billboards. Planning is, therefore, needed.

Suggested resources include:

• The Natchez Trace National Park Service (NPS) website and free NPS information
• Glen Wanner’s guide book “Bicycling the Natchez Trace”
• The Natchez Trace Travel website
• Google searches related to the Trace and bike riding/touring

My evening stops below were selected based on a daily ride of 60 – 70 miles and the convenience of the stop to the Trace. Primarily I camped, but was very glad to have a motel stop in the middle of the tour.

• Day 1 Rocky Spring NPS Campground mile 54.8
• Day 2 Ratliff Private Campground mile 123.7
• Day 3 Jeff Busby NPS Campground mile 193.1
• Day 4 America’s Best Value Motel mile 266.0
• Day 5 Colbert Ferry Bike-only Campground mile 327.3
• Day 6 Meriwether Lewis NPS Campground mile 385.9
• Day 7 End of Trace (traveled home) mile 442.0

Other Points:

• Spring or fall is the best time for touring the Trace. I rode 100 miles of the Trace one summer day several years ago. The heat was intense. Other summer ride blogs mentioned the bane of mosquitoes, gnats and other pests.
• The road surface of the Trace is very good to excellent. Between miles 160 – 190 the surface is a little rough by comparison, but still a good ride.
• My carbon fiber bike with 700 x 25 tires did just fine.
• I pulled a Yak BOB (Beast of Burden) vs. panniers.
• Traffic is very light except near Jackson and Tupelo. Cautious riding is required.
• I opted to ride Natchez to Nashville to mimic the traditional walking route of the original Kaintucks. Either way works. I did find that the many road side historic markers neatly unfolded the story of the Trace in this north bound direction.
• The southern section of Trace is pretty flat with low to moderate rolling hills. The northern tier in Tennessee is a different story. Still lots of low to moderate rolling hills, but interspersed are some long, grinding hills that will require some climbing gears and patience. Due to this hillier terrain, I planned fewer daily miles in this section.
• Well-maintained mileage markers situated on the right side of the road heading north reduced the need to track mileage on my bike computer. The bike computer was a good asset when leaving the Trace in search of supplies, since NPS information and Wanner’s book provide mileage distances to stores, restaurants, lodging, etc.
• Trace mileage markers run from Mile 1 to Mile 442. Adding my side trips, I rode a total of 485 miles.
• Information from the National Park Service (NPS) (800.305.7417) includes: (1) glossy tri-fold with a full map of the Trace, (2) letter containing information on NPS and private campgrounds, bicycling rules, mileage locations for supplies/food, public transportation, mileage for drinking water, bike shops. Park service literature also indicates when water sources are turned off during winter months.
• As well as using the great information from the NPS, I relied on Wanner’s book. His book provides nice background stories, information on hills climbs, water/supply locations, etc.
• I carried two bike-mounted water bottles and frequently filled one or both of the one liter plastic soda bottles I carried on my BOB trailer for an extra water supply.
• Based on the distances off the Trace for restaurants noted in Wanner’s book, I either rode off the Trace for a restaurant midday meal or carried food for lunch.
• Also using Warner’s book, I located supermarkets where I could purchase food bars, apples, carrots, foil-packed tuna/chicken, fig bars, Ramen noodles. etc. I typically ditched the Ramen noodle flavor pack and mixed the Ramen noodles in with a Lipton chicken noodle dry mix. I discovered a Pad Thai noodle meal at a Kroger in Tupelo that proved to be most satisfying in taste and quite filling.
• The service station/store at mile 193.1 (NPS Jeff Busby campground) is closed.
• There is huge shopping mall off the Trace at mile 262 (at the Natchez Trace Visitor Center) at the northern end of Tupelo. I stayed at the America’s Best Value motel (662.842.4403) here, had a steak dinner and re-supplied at a full service Kroger supermarket.
• Heading north, there is a left-hand turn just before the visitor center that takes you to the motel. Because it's tricky to find, I suggest printing and bringing a Google map of the ride from the Visitor Center to America’s Best Value motel.
• I carried a full week’s supply of oatmeal and coffee for breakfast and carried two days of dinner meals. Supermarket stops allowed me to add fresh fruit and restock my pantry.
• Breakfast and dinner were prepared at the campsite cooked with my Whisper lite stove.
• My unofficial observation is that I used about 2 – 3 ounces of fuel each day for these meals. I carried a 22 ounce fuel bottle and had fuel left over at the end of the ride.
• I stopped and read just about every Historic Site marker. These markers were not on my ride sheet and thus appeared to me rather serendipitously.
• Whenever there was opportunity to wander the old Trace trail noted in the historic marker, I took that opportunity.
• At mile 375 there is a 2.5 mile section of the original Trace sufficiently paved in a pebble path that allows a bike to traverse it without problem. You get the real sense of the Trace deeply tunneling through the forest on this short section. Highly recommended.
• Another 2 mile section of the Trace at mile 401.4 (Tobacco Farm) is not paved.
• All the National Park Service (NPS) campgrounds are free on a first come first served basis. I was off the Trace between 4:30 – 5:00pm and had no problem finding an open spot. Most spots were filled with RVs of varying sizes and shapes.
• All the NPS and private campgrounds at which I stayed had a picnic table which was very convenient for meal preparation, socializing, reading, journal writing, etc.
• The restrooms in the NPS campgrounds and along the Trace are clean and provide access to drinking water.
• Not to diminish enthusiasm for a future search, I was unable to find any power outlets at the NPS campgrounds (Rocky Spring, Jeff Busby and Meriwether Lewis) or at the bike only campground at Colbert Ferry.
• The private campground at Ratliff offered full services at a site different from the primitive campground abutting the parking lot by the boat ramp. The primitive campground was $5.00.
• The store and small restaurant at the Ratliff Campground (601.859.9586) closes at 6:00pm. If you arrive after closing time, the campground is adjacent to the parking lot near the comfort station.
• I encountered only a handful of riders. I always stopped and chatted, swapped information, took photos, got e-mail addresses so we could exchange photos.
• Cell phone coverage (Verizon) was spotty in some areas.