Bear Creek Picnic Area on the Natchez Trace Parkway

The Bear Creek Picnic Area on the Natchez Trace Parkway is divided into two sections, each located in a shaded area along Bear Creek. The right-hand section has five tables and two grills, and the left-hand area has three tables and one grill. Each side has its own parking lot, and you carry your supplies a hundred feet or so to the tables. Trash cans are available, so you don’t have to haul your garbage home with you. Also, the road into the picnic area ends in a loop, so it is easy to get in and out for those with large RVs or trailers.

Except for one, the tables aren’t located right next to the river, but Bear Creek is still a scenic picnic area, one of the better ones on the Natchez Trace Parkway. The tables are anchored into the ground, so there is no way to move them closer to the water.

Bear Creek Picnic Area on the Natchez Trace Parkway

I’m not sure where the line is drawn between calling a body of water a “creek” versus a “river,” but Bear Creek is fairly wide. For those thinking about doing some fishing while picnicking, there is no way to get to the water, for the creek has a steep bank covered in weeds.