May 16-17, 2024 – Natchez Trace Parkway, Mississippi

 

Thursday morning, we drove north to Canton, MS where we are staying at Movietown RV.  This is a large RV park with mostly long-term residents.  There are about 10 pull-through sites that are for travelers like us.   We are not sure why it is called Movietown as there is nothing here about movies.  We do know that A Time To Kill and Oh Brother Where Art Thou were filmed in Canton, so that might be the reason for the name.

Friday, we went back to the Natchez Trace Parkway and continued where we left off on Monday. Our first stop was at the overlook for Ross R. Barnett Reservoir.

Archeologists believe that Boyd Mound Site was occupied sometime around 500 A.D. and pottery found in the mounds was made before 700 A.D.

We took a half mile hike at Cypress Swamp. Nancy and Tacky are waiting for Rex to start our hike.

Water tupelo and bald-cypress trees can live in deep water for long periods.  This trail goes through an abandoned river channel. 

A small difference in elevation makes a big difference in the kind of trees that grow in the swamp.  Just a few inches above the wet area are oak, sweetgum, maple and pine. 

This was a beautiful hike in the swamp.

The Pearl River flows into the Ross R. Barnett Reservoir.

We ate a picnic lunch at Myrick Creek picnic area and then hiked a short trail along the creek.  Rex and Tacky are waiting patiently on the bridge at the start of the trail.

This was a beautiful hike along the creek.

We hiked another beautiful short trail at Hurricane Creek.

We took another short hike at Cole Creek.  This is a mixed hardwood forest which takes you through the last stage of a tupelo – bald-cypress forest and the first stage of a mixed hardwood bottomland forest.

We enjoy walking through the swamp and seeing the variety of plant life.

We liked the moss along the trail as the forest changed from a tupelo – bald-cypress forest to a hardwood forest.

Our next stop was at French Camp, founded in 1810 when Louis LeFleur and his family opened a tavern and inn at this site.  Because of his nationality it was originally called Frenchman’s Camp.

Construction of the Colonel James Drane House began in 1846 using a water-powered saw.  The foundation and framing are secured with wooden pegs and the ceiling with squared nails.  The house was moved to this location in 1981.

The house was closed but there were viewing windows.  The only windows with enough light for a picture was upstairs.  This bedroom also had a loom in the back corner.

The blacksmith shop and the barn had antique tools on display.  A very interesting look into what life was like here in the 1800s.  We were disappointed that it was not open.  We think that because we are traveling before Memorial Day that many sites are not open.

Our next stop was at Jeff Busby campground and picnic area.  We hiked a short trail to the highest point on the Parkway.  At 603 ft above sea level, we consider this a small hill.

We were met at the parking lot by two very friendly stray dogs.  The two dogs following us to the trail head.

The hike was beautiful with a few flowers along the way.  And the two stray dogs continued following us.

The view from the top of the hill.  The two dogs patiently waited for us while we enjoyed the view and followed us all the way back down the trail.  They were very friendly and kept their distance, so they did not cause us any problems but Tacky did not like them around us the entire hike.

We stopped at two different areas where we could hike on sections the Old Trace.  It was fun hiking the Trace and imagining what it must have been like traveling the Trace in the 1800s.  We are glad that we can hike back to the Jeep and air conditioning – we are not used to 70% humidity, and it is starting to get hot!

We now have driven the Natchez Trace Parkway to the 200-mile marker and have enjoyed all the beautiful and historic sites.