Natchez Trace Parkway Series part 9 - Choctaw Lake to Natchez

The drive from Choctaw Lake to Natchez State Park was one of the longest on our journey. At milepost 193, you will come to Jeff Busby campground.  This is one of the 3 free campgrounds on the Trace.  In addition to several camping slips, this area has a self-guided nature trail that takes you to one of Mississippi's highest points at 603 ft.

Close to Jackson, MS we stopped at milepost 105 to view the expansive Ross Barnett Reservoir.

At mile post 55, you will come to Rocky Springs, the southernmost free campground on the trace.  

We stopped at milepost 41 to walk part of the Old Trace called "Sunken Trace".








At milepost 15, we came across the historic site of Mount Locust.  This is a restored historic house, turned into an inn (called a stand).

This was the back of the house, although to me it looks like it

should be the front.

Here is a view of the "back".









An inventory of furnishings, along with the prices of the time was found and can be seen at one of the exhibits.  The house was considered elaborate for its time.

The last stop we made before Natchez was at milepost 5.  This is the site of the Elizabeth Female Academy Site.  It was founded in 1818 and was the first school for women charted by the state of MS.  I never realized that Natchez used to be the capital of MS (not Jackson).  Once the capital moved to Jackson and the population shifted, this school struggled to stay open.  It finally had to close in 1845.  There is still one partial wall that remains.