Glory Along The Natchez Trace Parkway

On a recent trip to the Nashville area to visit our son, we traveled up the Natchez Trace from Clinton, Mississippi, to the Terminus near Franklin, Tennessee.  The Trace is such a beautiful and peaceful way to travel, and I highly recommend it if you are not in a hurry. The speed limit is 50 miles an hour and is strictly enforced by Park Rangers, but there are so many interesting and scenic places to stop along the way, that you probably won't mind driving a little slower.  We passed several deer and turkeys along the roadsides and stopped at several of the mile marker posts which feature historic sites, beautiful pastoral scenes, and serene creeks and waterfalls.

One of our favorite stops on this trip was at Milepost Marker 404.7, a place called Jackson Falls, named after, who else, but Andrew Jackson.  [You can click on the map to enlarge it]

Although viewing the waterfalls requires a 900-foot walk down a paved, stepped down path, I think it was well worth the effort (even the return trip UP the path) ... as you can see in the pictures below.  At the bottom a bench welcomes you, as does a cooler atmosphere, and many flat rocks to jump across to get a close up view of the falls.  

We were the only ones there at the time, and I spent a pleasant 40 or so minutes enjoying the serenity and mesmerizing sound of the water cascading over the falls and gurgling over the rocky creek bed.  I did my best to capture a little of the beauty of the moment with my camera, but it is something you have to experience for yourself to really appreciate it.  

I hope you enjoy my pictures and, if you are ever traveling close by, I encourage you to take the time to visit Jackson Falls.  I think you will agree that it is well worth the detour ... and the climb back up the path.

  

A "cave" and small waterfall "terrarium" along the pathway ...

God's glory never fails to inspire me.

 

This old gnarled cedar tree stands next to the path, its twisted limbs worn smooth by weather and time, a sculpture created by God Himself ... greeting visitors to the falls.
  

 

 

I invite you to join me next time to read about another one of my favorite stops ... a picturesque place called Grassy Cove, Tennessee.