Potkopinu Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
The Potkopinu section, between milepost 17 and 20, follows the historic Old Trace. The "sunken" nature of the trail is due to the footsteps of thousands of travelers between the 1780s and 1820s in the soft loess soil. NPS Photo

Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail

Federal Recreation Area · Alabama · National Park Service

The Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail is five sections of hiking trail running roughly parallel to the 444-mile long Natchez Trace Parkway scenic motor road. The foot trails total more than 60 miles and offer opportunities to explore wetlands, swamps, hardwood forest, and the history of the area.

Plan your visit

Know before you go

Phone
662-680-4027
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

What's here

Highlights: Trails

Activities & features: Hiking · Horse Trekking · Horseback Riding

Photos

  • A section of the Old Trace at Rocky Springs (MP 52.4-59)
    NPS Photo
  • A fork in the trail with directional signs
    NPS Photo

Nearby parks

Parks of Alabama

Freedom Riders National MonumentRoland Cooper State ParkRussell Cave National MonumentOak Mountain State ParkLake Guntersville State ParkMeaher State ParkLake Lurleen State ParkJoe Wheeler State ParkNatchez Trace ParkwayLake Jackson RV Park at FloralaHorseshoe Bend National Military ParkCathedral Caverns State ParkDeSoto State ParkBlue Springs State ParkBirmingham Civil Rights National MonumentMonte Sano State ParkSelma To Montgomery National Historic TrailCheaha State ParkChewacla State ParkBuck's Pocket State ParkTuskegee Institute National Historic SiteGulf State ParkChickasaw State ParkPaul Grist State ParkFrank Jackson State ParkBladon Springs State ParkTrail Of Tears National Historic TrailWind Creek State ParkTuskegee Airmen National Historic SiteLakepoint State ParkLittle River Canyon National PreserveRickwood Caverns State Park

33 parks mapped in Alabama

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Sources: National Park Service · updated 2026-08-12