The Natchez Trace: A hidden gem that passes through Williamson County

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Natchez Trace Parkway is associated with much U.S. history. In the modern age, it’s also become a great place for recreation — and it passes right through Williamson County.

Just like the physical roadway itself, the parkway’s history ties Middle Tennessee to our southern neighbors.

“The road was originally used by Native American communities — the Choctaws and the Chickasaws,” Ewing added. “In 1801, President Thomas Jefferson had an agreement with them to turn it into a postal road so the postal service could bring mail throughout this area.”

Fast forward to modern times in Williamson County, that same route that Native Americans, early settlers, and Andrew Jackson took is now a place for relaxation and recreation. Michael Culberth, the Nature Parks & Trails Coordinator for Williamson County Parks & Recreation, met with News 2 at Timberland Park near the parkway. Culberth called it a “hidden gem.”

“As far as Williamson County goes, I consider the Natchez Trace Parkway to be a little bit of a hidden gem,” explained Culberth. “A lot of folks, even here in Franklin, they don’t realize we have a unit of the National Park Service seven miles down the road … It stretches from Davidson County — Nashville — 444 miles south to Natchez, Mississippi. It offers a whole lot of different recreational opportunities — from hiking [to] horseback riding. And this is all in our immediate area, not down in Mississippi, but right here in Middle Tennessee.”

“Bicycling is really big on the Trace because there’s relatively little traffic, and what traffic there is is going 40, 45 miles per hour, so it’s very popular as far as recreational opportunities [are concerned]” Culberth added.

Culberth said that people travel from across the world to enjoy all the Natchez Trace has to offer.“We’ve got a map in there with pins showing where people from all over the world have come to visit the Trace,” Culberth said.