Natchez Trace Parkway - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 796

19. Meriwether Lewis Site
As the drive winds northward past the Buffalo River, keep an eye peeled for woodchucks,
foxes,coyotes,and—wheretheroadpassesthroughfieldsandpastures—bluebirdsperched
on roadside fence wires. The Meriwether Lewis Site, at the junction with Rte. 20, is one
of the region's most popular recreation areas, with camping, hiking trails, and a section of
theoldtraceleadingdowntoLittleSwanCreek.Lewis,co-leaderofthehistoricLewisand
Clark expedition to the Pacific Northwest, was only 35 when he died of gunshot wounds at
an inn here in 1809. Though believed to have been a suicide from the outset, murder and
conspiracy theories have circulated since soon after his death. His gravesite is marked with
a broken stone column, symbolic of a life cut short by tragedy.
The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's white-columned home and the site of his tomb, covers 1,120 acres and includes a
25,000-square-foot visitor center. Inside his residence, visitors will find original artwork, furniture, personal items, and
more.
20. Jackson Falls
At milepost 404 a precipitous trail descends from the parkway to the base of a waterfall
on Jackson Branch. The falls are named for Andrew Jackson, the renowned general who
became the seventh president of the United States. At the parkway's northern terminus in
Nashville, you'll find the Hermitage, Jackson's white-columned home and the site of his
tomb.