Natchez Trace Parkway

Byway Details

Designation

All-American Road

Length

33 mi in Alabama

About Natchez Trace Parkway

The Natchez Trace Parkway's Alabama section is a 33.4-mile scenic drive within the Natchez Trace Parkway, a National Park Service unit. This stretch is designated an All-American Road and a National Forest Scenic Byway, and part of it passes through national forest land. The road crosses northwest Alabama past a string of small communities, including Cypress Inn, Threet, Rhodesville, Gravelly Springs, Lime Kiln, Mount Hester and Mingo. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to drive it. Typical averages from the Muscle Shoals weather station, about 19 miles away, show April highs near 72°F and October highs near 74°F, while July and August average highs around 89°F. As of October 2026, the National Park Service lists an area alert for current park closures. The alert covers the whole parkway, not just this section, and can change, so check road and site status before you go. Just off the route, CH Rock Springs Trail sits about 0.1 mile away for a short hike. Cypress Creek, roughly a mile away, offers canoeing.