Sweetwater Branch near the Natchez Trace Parkway

Length: .5-mile round trip
Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

A quarter-mile trail (half-mile round trip) starts at the parking area for the Sweetwater Branch stop on the Natchez Trace Parkway and follows the Sweetwater Branch (creek) for the majority of the time. Wayside exhibits about the history and environment of the area are posted along the side of the trail.

Wayside exhibits can be found along the Sweetwater Branch Nature Trail at Mile 363 on the Natchez Trace Parkway

To get to and from the creek you must descend / ascend a moderate hill. There are some stairs to deal with as well. However, the moderate section is very short—no more than a half minute walk—and once at the bottom, the trail is flat and easy to hike as it follows the creek.

Sweetwater Branch Nature Trail at Mile 363 on the Natchez Trace Parkway follows Sweetwater Branch for most of its length

Towards the end of the hike you will pass a small cave shelter, and a few minutes later the Sweetwater Branch Nature Trail ends at a field. Turn around here and head back the way you came. There’s not much more to the hike—no unmarked intersections, no tricky turns. Just hike until you reach the field. The round trip takes about twenty minutes, but your time can be better spent doing something else. I suggest hiking this trail only if you have been driving for a long time and want a chance to stretch your legs.

Cave shelter on the Sweetwater Branch Nature Trail at Mile 363 on the Natchez Trace Parkway

Back to the Top | Next Stop North | Next Stop South