John Gordon’s ferry provided access across the Duck River

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Gordon House Main Page

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The trail to the Duck River where John Gordon once operated a ferry is no longer open. A short walk from the Gordon House where the hike begins, the trail crosses a small creek, and the bridge is no longer there. When I hiked the trail in 2015 the bridge was falling apart, so sometime between then and my October 2021 visit, it was removed. I seriously doubt the National Park Service will repair it any time soon. I am leaving my original review below just in case the bridge is ever repaired, but I probably won’t know about it, and therefore won’t be updating this page unless somebody notifies me. In the meantime, the only way to find out if it is open is to walk the short distance to the creek. This place is loaded with mosquitoes, so my advice is to see the house and leave.

Length: .5-mile round trip
Time: 30 minutes, including a stop at the Gordon House
Difficulty: Moderate, mainly flat with some hills

A short trail on the Natchez Trace Parkway leads to the Duck River and the probable site of the Gordon Ferry, a river crossing operated by John Gordon starting in 1803. Because it was in Chickasaw Indian territory, Gordon had to partner with a Chickasaw tribe member, and he did so with Chief George Colbert. Colbert ran many businesses in this area. The ferry outlived the Natchez Trace, remaining in use until a bridge was built over the river in 1896.

By hiking this trail you will be hiking on a portion of the original Natchez Trace. To start, walk down the hill from the Gordon House and head to the left across the field. Another trail keeps straight, but this is not the trail to the ferry site—I have no idea where it leads.

Start of the hike from the Gordon House to the Duck River ferry site

In less than a tenth of a mile you will come to a footbridge that crosses the Flatt Bread Branch (creek). If doing this hike on a very cold day as I was, be careful because the bridge will ice up and you can’t see the ice. Take it from me. I busted my butt as soon as I stepped foot on it and was lucky to avoid serious injury, not to mention narrowly avoiding falling into the creek, expensive camera and all. (Included is a 2021 photo of the missing bridge.)

Footbridge across the Flatt Bread Branch

Site of the former bridge over the Flatt Bread Branch

Once past the bridge the trail heads up a minor hill along a gravel road, an original section of the Natchez Trace that was constructed in 1802. At the top of the hill the trail becomes a narrow foot path as it makes its descent down to the river. The narrow path is uncharacteristic of the Trace, while the wide, gravel segment is more of what one would expect. This leads to the question, “If the narrow section is not the Trace, how did people travel from the ferry to the wide trail?” I suppose this question will remain unanswered.

Original segment of the Natchez Trace near the Gordon House

In a quarter mile you will be at the Duck River. Think twice about trying to walk down to the water’s edge, for the hard clay earth becomes slick as ice when wet. For my second mishap, I hit the mud and began a slow slide towards the water. Luck was on my side, for I stopped just before going into the river. However, to get back up I slipped and fell to my knees and had to crawl through the mud, grabbing on to nearby vegetation to help pull myself back up.

A narrow footpath leads to the Duck River and the probable site of John Gordon’s ferry

A potentially slick, muddy trail leads to the shore of the Duck River

When done at the river, return back to the Gordon House the same way you came. The hike is about a half mile, round trip (a sign at the start of the trail claims the hike is a half mile, so it is referring to round trip distance). There are a few information panels on the way to the river, so in addition to getting some exercise you have an opportunity to learn something. Plan to spend about thirty minutes in total for a stop at the Gordon House and the hike to the ferry site.

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