Parking
At Parkway milepost 293.2, take the short loop road and park at the bottom. NPS lists one accessible parking space with a steep curb ramp and 15 unstriped spaces.
Overview
About Tenn-Tom Trail
Why go
- Paved access to the Tenn-Tom Waterway and bridge view
- Shaded picnic tables and a grill at the trailhead
Heads up
- Only 475 feet one way; the return follows the same sidewalk
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Natchez Trace map
Full mapElevation341–346 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 Tenn-Tom 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
Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway0:00 / 0:28
“You're coming up on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway picnic area, a shaded break beside a working shipping canal.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Natchez Trace Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Congressman at the Crossing
- The Bridge in the Foreman's Album
- The Eagle Without a White Head
- The Forest Behind the Canal
- 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 Tenn-Tom Trail
A brief walk to the canalTenn-Tom Trail is a paved out-and-back from Tenn-Tom Picnic Area to interpretive signs at the…
Tenn-Tom Trail is a paved out-and-back from Tenn-Tom Picnic Area to interpretive signs at the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. The National Park Service lists the sidewalk to the signs as 475 feet one way; retrace it for about 0.18 mile total. Allow around 15 minutes, including time to read the signs. This is a quick leg-stretch or an add-on to a picnic, not a destination hike.
What you’ll seeThe sidewalk has small hills at both ends.
The sidewalk has small hills at both ends. At the water, the signs introduce the 234-mile channel crossed by the Jamie L. Whitten Bridge. From the bank, include part of the bridge in a broad waterway view to show the canal’s scale. There’s a sharp drop to the water beside the trail, so keep children close.
Start at MP 293.2Take the short loop road off the Natchez Trace Parkway and park at the bottom.
Take the short loop road off the Natchez Trace Parkway and park at the bottom. The picnic area has four shaded tables and a grill. One accessible parking space has a steep curb ramp; the trail and tables do not meet ADA/ABA standards. Dogs are allowed on leash.
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.
