Buzzard Roost Spring on the Natchez Trace Parkway
Buzzard Roost Spring on the Natchez Trace Parkway is the site of a stand (aka inn) run by Chickasaw Chief Levi Colbert, and later his son, in the early 1800s. His brother George operated another stand and a ferry farther up the Trace. In contrast to some Indian nations that allowed foreigners to operate businesses on their land, all businesses within the Chickasaw nation were either run by the Chickasaw or by foreigners with Chickasaw partners.
The Colbert brothers were of mixed ancestry, with a Scottish father and a Chickasaw mother. In most instances, the more prosperous Indians along the east coast had a European parent. An exhibit in a covered shelter used to give information about Colbert via an audio message, but it no longer works. However, there are information panels in the parking lot that tell his story, as well as provide information on stands in general.
Buzzard Roost Spring shelter
A nearby spring provided water for residents and guests of Colbert’s stand, and visitors to the Natchez Trace Parkway can still access it today by walking to the bottom of a hill from the parking lot. You can see the water from above, but you cannot see the spring’s source from there. You must walk to the bottom of the hill.
View of Buzzard Roost Spring from above
There are two ways to get to Buzzard Roost Spring, with the easiest being along a path that begins at the parking lot. A sign points the way. You can also get there from the covered shelter, but the path from there is down a short but very steep hill. In the photo below, the path from the shelter is on the left side of the spring, whereas the path from the parking lot follows a more gradual slope, coming in from the right along the wooden rail fence.
Buzzard Roost Spring on the Natchez Trace Parkway
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Last updated on November 30, 2021
