Come discover what Tennessee public lands have to offer every outdoor enthusiast!
Discover West Tennessee's Outdoor Recreation Area
A Partnership Born in the Outdoors
The Natchez Trace Recreation Area is a unique partnership between public lands - state parks, state forests, and wildlife management areas - to bring visitors 48,000 acres of outdoor paradise in West Tennessee. The three partner agencies believe in the power of preservation and conservation. The more people who can enjoy the land, the more people will care to protect it.
The area is a multiple-use public state property for Tennessee residents and visitors to enjoy. Already popular with local hunters, hikers, campers, and other outdoor enthusiasts, the area offers prime outdoor adventure for anyone who wants to play, explore, or just get away.
Unlike the federally managed Natchez Trace Parkway and Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, which both run 70 miles to the east, the Natchez Trace Recreation Area lies west of the Tennessee River. With more than 40,000 acres of outdoor adventure, the area near Lexington and Parker’s Crossroads in West Tennessee is your destination for outdoor recreation.
Acquired by the state in 1949, the land, now managed by multiple state agencies, represents a conservation success story.
What was once a denuded landscape of gullies and ravines caused by outdated farming practices in the 1930s, is now a healthy and resilient forested area supporting numerous outdoor recreation activities including hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.
The restored landscape also serves as a demonstration for sustainable forest management to Tennessee’s more than 500,000 private woodland owners. In fact, proper management of timber, wildlife, and recreational uses has transformed Natchez Trace Recreation Area into one of the state's most prized public lands.
Learn more about the partner agencies:
