Sunken Trace at Mile Post 350 on the Natchez Trace Parkway
At the Sunken Trace stop on the Natchez Trace Parkway, not only is there an original Trace segment, but there is also a parallel trail that was cut when the main trail got too muddy. Step behind the information sign and you will be on the original Trace segment. The parking lot is located in the middle of the trail, so you can head left or right. Regardless of which way you go, the Trace will merge with the parallel trail and you can walk back on it to form an oval loop. The trip is about a quarter-mile long and takes five minutes to complete. If you haven’t walked on an original segment of the Natchez Trace, here is your chance.
While this pullout is called the Sunken Trace, the trail is not very “sunken” when compared to the original segments at the southern end of the trail. With thousands of men, wagons, and horses traveling along the Trace, a gully was worn into the earth. Because of the sandier soil in the south, some of these gullies became 10 to 15 feet deep. The northern soil is a little harder, and thus the gullies are not as deep.
Slight concave shape of the Sunken Trace at Mile Post 350
Sunken Trace at the southern end of the Natchez Trace
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Last updated on November 30, 2021
