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Double Arch Bridge at Birdsong Hollow in Natchez Trace Parkway

#1 of 49 sights in Natchez Trace

Sight · Natchez Trace Parkway

Double Arch Bridge at Birdsong Hollow

Twin concrete arches vault 155 feet over a wooded Tennessee hollow

Photo: National Park Service
Type
Sight
Nearest trail
0.9 mi
Audio stories
4 nearby
  • Parking
  • Scenic viewpoint
DirectionsMap

Hear the audio tour

Double Arch Bridge at Birdsong Hollow

Overview

About Double Arch Bridge at Birdsong Hollow

Why stop

  • Graceful double-arch engineering
  • Excellent bridge and valley photography

Heads up

  • Best as part of a longer Parkway drive than a standalone stop
At milepost 438, just south of Nashville, the Parkway crosses Birdsong Hollow on a double-arch concrete bridge that runs 1,572 feet long and stands about 155 feet above the valley and Tennessee Highway 96 below. It was the first segmentally constructed concrete arch bridge in the United States, opened to traffic in June 1994, and it earned the 1995 Presidential Award for Design Excellence. It is also considered eligible for the National Register for its exceptional design and construction.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy stop

Map

Where it is

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SightDouble Arch Bridge at Birdsong Hollow35.98581, -86.99276
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Plan your stop

Before you go

Best time to go

You need daylight for this one. Late afternoon and evening side light from the west tends to be kindest to the bridge itself, while morning light often works better for the below-bridge angle from the south exit. Fall can add color to the wooded valley and photographs.

4 active Natchez Trace alerts

  • ClosureParkway sections closed for bridge and road constructionTwo Natchez Trace Parkway sections are closed to through traffic; follow the signed detours.Official details
  • ClosureMount Locust historic stand closedThe historic stand at Mount Locust Inn & Plantation (MP 15.5) is closed because of structural concerns.Official details
See all 4 alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Natchez Trace Tour Guide

Your drive to Double Arch Bridge at Birdsong Hollow, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Natchez Trace Parkway. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

Recorded for this place

Double Arch Bridge at Birdsong Hollow
0:00 / 0:31
“You're approaching the Double Arch Bridge at Birdsong Hollow, where two open concrete arches carry the Parkway high above a wooded valley.”

Plays as you drive up to Double Arch Bridge at Birdsong Hollow in the Parkwolf Natchez Trace Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • Timberland Park
  • The Bird in the Leaf Litter
  • The Arches That Hung in Place
  • The Bird That Borrows a Nest
  • 272 audio storiesacross Natchez Trace’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor American Alligator, White-tailed Deer, Wild Turkey, and 9 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 26 trails, 62 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
★★★★★
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
JMJamesApp Store review
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4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Guide

More about Double Arch Bridge at Birdsong Hollow

What makes it distinctiveThe open arches were designed to echo the surrounding hilly terrain rather than fill the hollow…
  • The open arches were designed to echo the surrounding hilly terrain rather than fill the hollow with solid supports.
  • It was built from precast and cast-in-place concrete segments, using balanced-cantilever erection.
  • From the overlook you see the roadway, the arches, and the piers rising out of a wooded, gently rolling valley.
Viewing and photographyThe best view is from the pull-off just north of the bridge, which looks back across the arches…
  • The best view is from the pull-off just north of the bridge, which looks back across the arches and the hollow.
  • You can also see the bridge from below by taking the Tennessee Highway 96 exit and using the pull-off before the highway.
The honest limitationThis is primarily a pull-off and viewing experience with limited amenities.

This is primarily a pull-off and viewing experience with limited amenities. It fits best as one stop inside a longer Natchez Trace Parkway drive rather than a trip on its own.

bridgescenicarchitecturephotographyengineeringvalley

Wildlife

Wildlife in Natchez Trace

All Natchez Trace wildlife maps
American Alligator39 sightingsAmerican AlligatorMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapWhite-tailed Deer35 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapWild Turkey53 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapGreat Blue Heron28 sightingsGreat Blue HeronMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapRed-headed Woodpecker29 sightingsRed-headed WoodpeckerMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapTurkey Vulture32 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around noonSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Natchez Trace. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Keep exploring

Near Double Arch Bridge at Birdsong Hollow

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

EasyJudy Hayes Trail0.2 mi · 9 min · 0.9 mi awayA short wooded connector into Timberland Park's trail network.

More stops nearby

Sight · 0.8 mi awayTimberland ParkWooded loops, a small nature center, and a quiet overlook pavilionSight · 3.5 mi awayNatchez Trace Parkway Northern TerminusUnassuming ramp off Highway 100 where the Parkway beginsRestaurant · 3.6 mi awayThe Loveless CafeScratch biscuits and fried chicken under a neon roadside sign

Parkwolf’s Natchez Trace ranking

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Take Parkwolf to Natchez Trace.

The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.

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