Meriwether Lewis Monument Campground
| Campsite Name |
Meriwether Lewis Monument |
| Campsite City |
Columbia |
| Beauty Rating |
4 |
| Privacy Rating |
4 |
| Spaciousness Rating |
3 |
| Quiet Rating |
4 |
| Security Rating |
5 |
| Cleanliness Rating |
5 |
| Address |
2680 Natchez Trace Parkway, Tupelo, MS 38801 |
| Operated by: |
National Park Service |
| Information |
(800) 305-7417. www.nps.gov/natr |
| Open |
Year-round |
| Individual sites |
32 |
| Each site has |
Picnic table, fire ring |
| Site assignment |
First come, first served; no reservation |
| Registration |
No registration |
| Facilities |
Water spigot, flush toilets |
| Parking |
At campsites only |
| Fee |
No fee |
| Elevation |
900 feet |
| Restrictions - Pets |
On six-foot leash only |
| Restrictions - Fires |
In fire rings only |
| Restrictions - Alcoholic beverages |
At campsites only |
| Restrictions - Vehicles |
None |
| Restrictions - Other |
14-day stay limit |
| Summary Quote |
The Natchez Trace Parkway is lined with interesting
history, and a free campground. |
| To get there |
From Columbia, take TN 50 west for 15 miles to the
Natchez Trace Parkway. Head south on the parkway for 22
miles to Meriwether Lewis Monument, which will be on your
right. |
This is one campground where you will want to take your time
heading to it, traveling the Natchez Trace Parkway, of course. I
came from Nashville way, and stopped at the many roadside sights.
Upon arriving at Meriwether Lewis Campground, set on a wooded ridge,
I found an added bonus, free camping! My overall experience was so
good I was almost ashamed I hadn’t experienced it before. In
addition to the interesting human and natural history, as well as
free camping, the nearby Buffalo River offers one of the finest
canoe float trips in the state.
The campground lies on a ridgetop in young oak-hickory woods. It is broken
into one loop and a side road. Steep hillsides drop off from all sides of the
camping area. Younger trees, some of which are dogwoods, separate the sites. The
camping areas are well maintained, well spaced and offer decent privacy. The
other camping area is on a narrow side ridge, with sites strung out on the road.
Each site has a good view into the woods below. This area has the only bathrooms
in the campground. But who’s complaining, since the campground is free. A small
auto turnaround at the end of the road offers a few more sites that are the
quietest of them all.
There is a water spigot at each camping area, and a campground host provides
an added sense of security. Campers can get a site almost anytime of year. A few
weeks in March-April and October-November are the only times the campground is
full. Snowbirders from up north are heading to and from their winter
destinations. Otherwise, Meriwether Lewis is the domain of tenters during summer
and fall.
The Natchez Trace came to be when boatmen, returning from delivering crops
and other goods down the Cumberland, Ohio and Mississippi rivers began returning
to their homes via a buffalo and Indian path running from Natchez, Mississippi
to Nashville, Tennessee. The federal government then commissioned roadwork,
improving the path. The Natchez Trace became one of our first western roads.
Portions of this old road are actually preserved to this day, and can be walked
on. You’ll have to learn the rest of the story on your own. Some my favorite
sights along the parkway are the Gordon House, built in 1812. Here, Mr. Gordon
operated a ferry on the Duck River. Down the road is preserved relic of an old
tobacco farm, with great views from the ridgeline. Jackson Falls exhibits some
of the natural beauty of the region. It is a two-tiered fall that drops over a
rock rim. A trail leads down the falls, and another cascade coming from a side
creek. There are many more places to visit north and south of Meriwether Lewis
Monument.
Here, near the campground, is the actual monument to Meriwether Lewis, one of
the leaders on the famous Corps of Discovery expedition, as in Lewis and Clark,
that went up the Missouri River and overland to the Pacific in the early 1800s.
After the expedition, Lewis died here under circumstances that remain one of the
great mysteries in American history. He is buried at the monument.
Several miles of trails run along the ridges and hollows of the immediate
area. Get a trail map at the log cabin near the monument. A longer hike is north
of here on the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. It runs for 26 miles in the
vicinity of the Gordon House, north of the campground. Check out the picnic area
at Little Swan Creek, an attractive stream with little bluffs running alongside
its clear waters. A bigger waterway is the Buffalo River. It flows free for 110
miles past large bluffs that look over good fishing waters. Some of my most
memorable paddling trips have taken place here. Fish for smallmouth bass or
bream. Or just enjoy the scenery. Call (800) 339-5596 for an outfitter in nearby
Hohenwald. |
