Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
About 20 miles past the falls, the Natchez Trace reaches its highest point—1,100 feet
above sea level. This long ridge, the Tennessee Valley Divide, once marked the boundary
between the United States and the Chickasaw Nation, its neighbor to the south.
21.
Garrison Creek
Named for an army garrison that was established nearby in 1801, the parkway's northern-
most picnic site is the trailhead (at mile 427.6) for a 24 1/2-mile hiking and bridle path that
meanders across the Tennessee highlands. The old trace was designated an official postal
route at the beginning of the 19th century; as a result, army troops made improvements to
the road-bed in this area—at mile 426.3, just over a mile to the south—to try to speed up
thepaceatwhichmailwasdeliveredbetweenNashvilleandNatchez.Trustingthatthemail
carrierswouldknowtheshortestandeasiestwayandwouldprovidecompanionshipincase
of danger, newcomers often accompanied these seasoned riders on their journeys. The post
rider was adopted by the National Park Service as the official symbol of the Natchez Trace
Parkway, and today you'll find that the silhouette of a horse and rider adorns the signposts
along the entire route, a recurring reminder of the roadway's frontier heritage.
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