Typical terrain of the Grindstone Ford Trail near the Natchez Trace Parkway

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Grindstone Ford and Mangum Indian Mound Main Page

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Length: .4-mile loop
Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Flat and easy

At the Grindstone Ford stop on the Natchez Trace Parkway is a very interesting, short loop trail that follows the original Natchez Trace down to a point where it crossed the Bayou Pierre (river) at what was known as Grindstone Ford. When the Natchez Trace was in use, this river marked the “end of civilization,” for on the other side was the start of the Choctaw Indian Nation. The hiking trail does not actually cross the river—which was dry when I visited—but instead loops back around to the parking lot.

When walking this section of the original Natchez Trace, you will be walking on sunken portions of the trail. So many people, horses, and wagons passed this way that they wore a deep gully into the sandy soil, up to ten feet deep in some places.

Sunken section of the Natchez Trace on the Grindstone Ford Trail

The Grindstone Ford Trail starts at one side of the parking lot and comes out on the other. Signage directs you to begin on the left side. Not too far from the start is a short spur that leads to a cemetery where you will find tombstones that look like they came straight from a Hollywood B-horror movie set, except they don’t have funny sayings on them.

Spur trail to the cemetery near Grindstone Ford

Sarah (?) Abram Eddins Tombstone

Nancy Eddins Tombstone

Martha Morriss Tombstone

Florence Patterson tombstone at the Grindstone Ford cemetery

At the turnoff for the cemetery is an OLD TRACE sign pointing to the left. However, in that direction the cleared section of the Natchez Trace ends in 50 yards. The correct way to go is to the right, opposite from where the sign is pointing. When going the correct way you should be within sight distance of a Daniel Burnett’s Stand sign. Burnett once operated a stand (inn) in this area. Stands were placed about twenty miles apart along the trail, a distance a traveler could cover in a day. Burnett’s stand was the last white-owned stand before entering the Choctaw Nation. The Indians ran their own stands within their territorial boundaries.

Section of the Natchez Trace to the left of the Old Trace sign

Section of the Natchez Trace to the right of the Old Trace sign

On the way back to the parking lot you will pass the crossing point at Bayou Pierre. This was dry when I did the hike, and I didn’t even realize I had passed it until later, so I didn’t take a photo. The trail also passes some sort of concrete structure, though I have no idea what it is. Concrete as we know it today wasn’t patented until 1824, so whatever this is, it was built after the Natchez Trace’s heyday.

Unidentified concrete structure along the Grindstone Ford Trail

I originally hiked the Grindstone Ford Trail in 2015, and it was well maintained. I did it again in October 2021, and much of it was overgrown. I suggest walking out to the cemetery and perhaps a short distance down the Natchez Trace, then turning around and heading back to your car.

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