Parking
Start at Gordon House Historic Site on the Natchez Trace Parkway at milepost 407.7; the walk begins in the house grounds. A covered pavilion and two picnic tables are on site.
Overview
About Historic Gordon House Trail
Why go
- An 1818 brick house and an Old Trace approach make the ferry story concrete.
Heads up
- The ferry landing is a likely location rather than a marked destination.
The brick house was built for John and Dolly Gordon in 1818. Gordon ran a ferry and trading post here with a Chickasaw leader. The ferry operated until a bridge opened over Duck River in 1896. That makes the river approach part of the history, not just extra walking.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy this place mattersMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Natchez Trace map
Full mapElevation503–542 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Natchez Trace Tour Guide
Your drive to Historic Gordon House Trail, 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 trailhead
Gordon House Historic Site0:00 / 0:30
“You're approaching Gordon House, an 1818 brick home and one of only two original structures still standing along the Old Trace.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Natchez Trace Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The House Dolly Shaped
- A Blue Flash from the Fence
- Jackson Falls and Baker Bluff
- The Ferry That Outlived the Trace
- 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Historic Gordon House Trail
Follow the Old TraceHistoric Gordon House Trail is a 0.
Historic Gordon House Trail is a 0.7-mile out-and-back from the house to the likely Duck River ferry site, following the Old Trace. Allow about 30 minutes. This is an easy history walk, and the house is closed to entry.
From the house to the riverWalk around the house to Fattybread Branch, then follow the Old Trace toward the river.
Walk around the house to Fattybread Branch, then follow the Old Trace toward the river. A gravel stretch climbs a small hill before the route narrows and descends toward the water. The ferry landing is believed to have been near the branch’s mouth.
Start and limitsStart at Gordon House Historic Site on the Natchez Trace Parkway at milepost 407.
Start at Gordon House Historic Site on the Natchez Trace Parkway at milepost 407.7; two picnic tables sit under a covered pavilion. Dogs are allowed on leashes no longer than six feet. Fattybread Branch can be deep or swift; don’t cross it then. Wet clay near the river can be slick.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Natchez Trace
39 sightingsAmerican AlligatorMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
35 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
53 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
28 sightingsGreat Blue HeronMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
29 sightingsRed-headed WoodpeckerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
32 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around noonSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Natchez Trace. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
