Natchez Trace Ride
 

I drove from Carolina to Nashville on Monday, 11/3, and on Tuesday began pedaling the eleven miles from the motel to the Trace parkway about 10a.m. Even though I had again sorted gear and supplies the previous night, minimizing my touring load, I was unconditioned for the extra weight. Also, I discovered that Tennessee has hills, which, while not terribly steep on the Trace, were somewhat long and unrelenting in their challenge to my average speed and daily mileage (especially on the first days). While my 26T small chain ring x 32T freewheel cog were sufficient, I used the lowest gear quite a lot, struggling to maintain 4.5 mph on the uphill grades and occasionally getting to the middle chain ring on the down hill parts where I encountered a fairly strong headwind on most days. My average speed for the trip varied from 10.3 to 12.3 mph, improving with my physical conditioning and the diminishing of the hills.

I met Pierre from Montreal on that first day at a rest stop. Since we were going in the same direction we agreed to at least camp together at locations which we would agree on enroute. We were hauling about the same size loads, but his bike was a lighter Myata or Myota road touring bike. And he was half my age. And he was a stronger rider. So we didn't actually pedal much together; if we started together, he would pull away on the uphills and I would catch up if he stopped for lunch. We pedaled in the rain 30 miles the second day and shared a cabin at a KOA campground to warm up and dry out. Aside from that night, we camped in approved campsites but took rest days on 3 occasions in some towns/cities along the way. Those rest days, especially the one in Tupelo after a 70 mile day, were significant in helping my legs recover. By the time we arrived in Natchez on Saturday, 11/15, I felt great and capable of biking the return trip. Alas, the cold weather attack from Canada was an unwelcome prospect to endure while camping on the way back to Nashville, so I rented a car and drove back. Pierre continued on to Baton Rouge, having a flight to catch in New Orleans a few days later.

The Natchez Trace is a great ride, with pavement quality from good to excellent and light traffic except for the areas around Tupelo and Jackson, Mississippi. There are historical points of interest for those so inclined or, as in my case, (a tired cyclist) a place to sit and have a snack. I met some great folks along the way, including several cyclists and a Washington Post travel writer cycling the Trace for a story to appear next August. I am invigorated.

Great write up, Mike - sounds as if you had a good time. I think the ride is a good one if you want to do it again after it's over!

Last month we traveled the Trace in our Motorhome from Tupelo to Nashville. I did not find it bike friendly with no shoulders and many blind spots for motorists. I paid particular attention to cyclists but feared others would not. I'm glad it worked out for you.

It was bike friendly to a degree. No commercial traffic (semi-trucks), 50mph max speed limit. Not that many entrances and exits, so most locals go short distance exit to exit. Most RV's and cars gave us the whole lane and if there was a hill or curve just ahead, they had the courtesy to wait until there was definite clear road ahead in which to pass. We were frequently alone on our section of the road for 5-10 minutes at a time, as opposed to regular highways with ten times the traffic at higher speeds and less patient drivers. We met some of the RV folks at a campground and they were very friendly, not resentful of our presence on the Trace. No shoulders but they weren't needed except during rush hour and only near Tupelo and Jackson. Good planning gets one off the highway during those hours in those locations.

Nice report on the Trace. Glad you enjoyed it and met a cycling peer to share some of the riding and camping.

I've ridden some of it myself. Found it quite, safe, smooth, and boring. Just me I'm sure.

You have encouraged me...I had a tough year this year...and can now point to a new direction...

thanks...

I left out lots of details and anecdotal type adventure moments. Didn't think there would be interest, so I just summarized. I can see how tranquil to one person could be 'boring' to others, but for a first, medium distance tour, I thought it was gratifying. What do you look for in an 'interesting' tour? Are you up for a south to north GDMTB assault beginning in May? I read a couple summaries by folks who did that ride and it sounds like the berries. Thought I might follow it up with a short pedal from Banff to Vancouver then south on the pacific coast hiway, as long as I'm in the neighborhood. Yeah, I know: Big Dreams.

Nice write up on the Trace. Did you do a full journal with photos? Crazyguyonabike is a good site for this.

No journal; this wasn't an epic tour and why would anyone want to know about the daily details of where I camped, how far I pedaled in how much time. The little side trips I took (Pierre made me stop to look) to see America's longest unmortared stone wall (Tom's wall), or the oldest, horse-drawn farm machinery I've ever seen, at French Camp, and destruction from the tornado that simply straddled the Trace in April 2011 for ten long miles were interesting, I suppose. I took some pictures but they are for the moment trapped in my phone or camera memory card. I never actually get around to looking at those pics, anyway. If you knew how many pics I've taken that I never looked at once, you might understand. Riding the Trace was just about riding the trace. I liked it. I wanna do it again, and some other, longer rides, too. I've read a ride report on CGOAB and another site. Both were good. If I do something really worth documenting, maybe I will. Any interest in south to north GDMBR starting around mid to late May? Anybody?

Who would be interested? Why, the next person thinking about doing the Trace! Wondering where is there to camp, how long do you have to ride, what is there to see? Yeah, that person!

I'd put up a separate thread to look for partners for the GDMTBR. You'd reach folks that aren't reading this thread.

I agree with etsisk. A few of us are planning to do this next year and every bit of info helps.

All right, then: Natchez Trace Parkway (U.S. National Park Service) This site is about the Scenic Parkway, not the Scenic Trail. The Parkway goes from Natchez to Nashville but the (foot) Trail, which the Parkway parallels, is only maintained in certain areas, short sections only for pedestrians to see how it used to be long ago.

The Nat'l Park Service will send you a map of the Parkway, or you can download and print it out, or pick it up for free at Trace Bikes about a mile from the northern terminus of the Trace. Several pages of helpful information are available on the NPS/natr website. You should look around there. There are 5 bicycle only campgrounds and a few other campgrounds along the Parkway, but camping is allowed only in those designated areas. The general location is indicated on the map, but the specific location is not on the map, but on one of those information pages that show various services at various exits. You may be able to stealth camp but if you are seen you might have a problem. Since there are only 5 bike camping spots, you may have to camp at general camping areas where RV's and the like are also camping. We found these folks to be very friendly, helping to scavenge for firewood, brewing coffee for everybody, friendly conversation. At the end of our (half day) biking in the rain, we went off the Trace at an exit to share a pricey cabin at a KOA campground and dry out. There are 'comfort stations' (rest rooms + water, not showers) at comfortable biking distances from each other, and some towns just off or not far off the parkway for occasional meals & resupply. One of those 'info' pages mentioned above has some of that noted. If you want to motel every night, you will need to research the towns where you want to stop ahead of time.

If you are new to pedaling a loaded touring bike, are somewhat older but used to 40-ish mile days, you might consider planning a rest day after 3 or 4 days. If you are used to 80-90 miles per day and are young and tough, you probably don't need that. It will help if you ride with a buddy and draft each other, changing lead every five miles or so. We met a couple young women (mid-20's) who drafted each other, shared a tent, did not even have a stove to cook (or a bike pump the first hundred or so miles), and they cranked out 60-90 mile days, camped where they pleased (out of sight) and had no problems. Everyone won't be that lucky.

Riding strategy: The northern part has more hills, and they are steeper and longer than in the southern part. Going from north to south is possibly a poor plan if you are used to flat rides, so in that case maybe starting in Natchez is a better idea. You will be in shape for the longer hills by the time you get to Tennessee. However, there will be rolling hills all along the way. Mississippi is not flat, and there can be medium to strong headwinds; however, the prevailing wind is generally from the south or sw in that area, unless there is a front coming through. Or you may want to end your ride in New Orleans, in which case you will do the larger hills first and probably ride into a headwind much of the way. If you do go on to NOLA, you may want to cross the Mississippi river at Natchez, and take the river road on the west side of the water. They said there is much less traffic, and fewer towns, and fewer stores, but the east side route is a major highway, not bike friendly.

The Trace Parkway traffic was light and very considerate except near Tupelo and Jackson, Mississippi. In those areas, you need to be off the Parkway during rush hour, particularly in the afternoon. There is no paved shoulder to the right of the white line.

How to get there: Unless you live fairly close and have someone to drop you off, I recommend renting a car. Pierre & I rented a Hertz Nissan Stanza, folded rear seats forward, took bike wheels and seats off, loosened handlebar stem and put both bikes in the rear, closed trunk. Enterprise had a significant drop off fee for a one way rental; Hertz did not. Those were the only two national rental companies in Natchez. Also, in most of the small towns including Natchez, many businesses are closed on Sunday and are not open too late on Saturday. We got to Natchez, took a motel room about 5pm and the car rental places were closed until Monday morning. If I had thought of it ahead of time, I would have made a point to get there sooner.

But then I would not have gone sightseeing in the rain that last Sunday in Natchez. There are a few things to see there and at other places along the way to get there. One of them, in Alabama, is Tom's Wall, a memorial to his great-great-great-great-grandmother and her journey on the Trail of Tears way back in the 1830's. Longest unmortared stone wall in America, http://www.natcheztracetravel.com/na...tone-wall.html.

Pierre and I pedaled at different paces, he being half my age with a lighter bike. We met sometimes for lunch, mostly to camp together, share a motel room $. If anybody wants to go ride the Trace in the spring and wants a companion for camping, please send me a visitor message. If you have any questions at all, send me a message.

It was fun the first time. I met a guy who claimed to have done it 20 times; he offered us lodging in Baton Rouge.

And the thing that impressed me most of all were the beautiful women I met along the way. This must be a curse of getting old.