Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, Rocky Springs Section and Townsite (Blog Hike #891)

Trails: Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, Townsite Trail, Rocky Springs Trail
Hike Location: Natchez Trace Parkway, Rocky Springs Campground
Geographic Location: northeast of Port Gibson, MS (32.08749, -90.80393)
Length: 2.9 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: March 2022
Overview: An out-and-back on the historic Natchez Trace followed by a short loop near Rocky Springs Townsite.
Trail Information: https://www.nps.gov/natt/index.htm
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=903309

Photo Highlight:

Trace Hike Video: 

Townsite Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: Rocky Springs Campground is located at mile marker 54.8 on the Natchez Trace Parkway.  This mile marker sits 12 miles south of SR 27 or 18 miles north of SR 18.  Park in the parking lot for the Historic Trace, which is located just after starting the loop road for the Rocky Springs Townsite.

The hike: For my introduction to the Natchez Trace, see the previous hike.  For present-day travelers heading northbound on the Trace, the first major recreation area reached is the Rocky Springs Campground, which sits near the historic Rocky Springs Townsite.  This hike explores the recreation area and townsite, and it consists of two parts.  The first part is an out-and-back on the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, which follows the spur of the historic Trace that led to the townsite.  The second part explores the townsite itself.  Thus, on this hike you approach the Rocky Springs Townsite the same way travelers would have 200 years ago.

Historic Trace trailhead

            From the Historic Trace trailhead, head northeast into the woods on the Rocky Springs Historic Trace Spur.  An interpretive sign and a brown metal mileage sign mark this trailhead.  Quickly you see where the phrase "sunken Trace" comes from: hundreds of years of footsteps have worn a channel in Mississippi's soft loess soil.  As a result, steep dirt walls now tower between 2 and 20 feet above the trail.  Water collecting in the channel can make the trail muddy, but some gravel gets you over the muddiest areas.

The sunken Trace

            The trail slowly descends along the sunken Trace, which actually stays near the top of a gentle finger ridge.  A couple of trees that had fallen across the channel needed to be negotiated, but overall the trail maintenance was quite good on my visit.  At 0.5 miles, ignore a side trail that exits left and remain in the channel, soon descending some wooden waterbars.

Little Sand Creek

            At 0.65 miles, you reach a major trail intersection near the bank of Little Sand Creek.  The trail going sharply right is the horse trail, and the trail going softly right leads to Rocky Springs Campground.  This hike turns left to begin heading northbound on the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail.  The narrow trail heads through creekside bottomland woods that features more grass than you might expect for forest this dense.

Hiking through creekside bottomland

            You cross a small creek before reaching the unbridged creek crossing of Little Sand Creek.  My original plan was to cross the creek and continue north to Old Port Gibson Road before looping back to the Natchez Trace Parkway.  Unfortunately, when I hiked here the day after a heavy rain, the creek was high enough to make this crossing uncomfortable.  Thus, I turned around here and retraced my steps to the Historic Trace trailhead.  Walking this direction, you hike up the Rocky Springs Historic Trace Spur the same way travelers of yesteryear would have hiked to Rocky Springs Townsite.

Entering Rocky Springs Townsite

            Upon arriving back at the trailhead to complete the first part of this hike, turn right to walk up the loop road and reach Rocky Springs Townsite.  A short lollipop loop takes you through the townsite.  Mostly only cisterns, safes, and pieces of chimneys remain, but a church dating to the 1820's also stands nearby.  Further around the loop road, a short out-and-back trail leads downhill to Rocky Springs, the small bouldery water outlet for which the town is named.  Continuing around the loop road returns you to the trailhead parking area to complete the hike.