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The Last of Summer: A Road Trip Through Natchez Valley

  • Writer: Amanda McGowan
    Amanda McGowan
  • 11 minutes ago
  • 3 min read

Summer isn't over just because the calendar is starting to fill back up. There's still time for one more float, one more long drive with the windows down, and one more weekend where nobody is in too much of a hurry. Natchez Valley is a good place to use up the last of these warm days, with the Natchez Trace, the Buffalo River, the Tennessee River, and three towns to explore.


This trip doesn't need a strict itinerary, just pick a few places that sound good and leave some room to wander.

  • The Natchez Trace Parkway - Sunken Trace
  • Wayne County Welcome Center
  • The Dragonfly

Come in Through the Trace

For anyone coming down from Nashville, the Natchez Trace Parkway makes a pretty great enterance. The Trace runs directly through Collinwood, so it's an easy place to hop off and start exploring. Take your time on the drive, stop at pull-offs or historic sites that catch your attention, and enjoy the scenery.


Once in Collinwood, stop by the Wayne County Welcome Center. The volunteers there will happily answer questions and offer suggestions for the rest of your trip, or you can pick up a few brochures and maps to get a better feel for the area. Before exploring the rest of Collinwood, stop by The Dragonfly for a coffee and something sweet.

  • Crazy Horse Recreational Park
  • Rick's Barbecue
  • Clifton Marina

Get in the Water While It's Still Warm

Crazy Horse Recreational Park near Waynesboro offers canoe and kayak trips down the Buffalo River for an easy day on the water. It also has cabins, lodge rooms, RV sites, primitive camping, and a camp store, so it can be more than just an afternoon stop if staying near the river interests you.


Leave some time for Waynesboro itself too. Rick's Barbecue has been serving slow-smoked barbecue since 1979 and makes for an easy, fulfilling lunch stop. Then browse Tennessee River Auction House & Retail Store just off the square on Main Street. The retail shop is packed with a constantly changing seleciton of antiques, collectibles, vintage glassware, and restored cast iron.


If the Tennessee River is more your style, follow the road to Clifton. The riverfront town makes an easy place to spend your afternoon or evening, Clifton Marina's bar and grill is a great spot to grab a meal and spend some more time near the water. Leave some time to walk through town and enjoy the river before deciding where to go next.

  • Bear Inn Retreat
  • Natchez RV Park
  • Crazy Horse Recreational Park

Stay a Little Longer

If the drive home can wait until tomorrow, Natchez Valley has options for every kind of trip. Bear Inn Retreat near Clifton offers cabin rentals just minutes from the Tennessee River, while the Natchez RV Park is a good option for travelers bringing an RV or looking to camp near the Trace. Again, Crazy Horse Recreational Park is another option for cabins, lodge rooms, RV sites, and primitive camping near the Buffalo River. There's no need to squeeze the Trace, two rivers, three towns, and dinner into one day just because you can.

Calm stretch of the Buffalo River at Crazy Horse Recreational Park near Waynesboro, Tennessee, bordered by dense trees beginning to show early fall color.

Use Up What's Left of Summer

Come down the Natchez Trace, spend some time on the Buffalo River, make your way over to the Tennessee River, or mix it all up and do things in whatever order makes sense. Natchez Valley doesn't need much of a plan to make a good road trip.


There will be plenty of time for pumpkin patches and sweaters later. For now, there's still warm water in the river and some daylight left in the evenings.


Find more things to do at natchezvalley.com

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