THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS ADDITIONAL RESOURES 6XPPDU\RIWKH7UDLOV 3KRWRJUDSK\ 6XPPDU\RIWKH%\ZD\V /LVWLQJSDJHRIOLQNVWRDGGLWLRQDORQOLQHFRQWHQW TRAILS The Discover Tennessee Trails & Byways driving tours are your ticket to fun off the beaten path, recognized for their archaeological, cultural, historical, natural, recreational and scenic qualities. Several of our trail routes incorporate these byways, with many unspoiled, magnificent and seldom-seen portions of our state. MEMPHIS AREA Great River Road National Scenic Byway & Trail The Great River Road sprawls from Min- over the river. History is everywhere along the nesota to Arkansas along what was once the Great River Road. Visit the Henning boyhood western boundary of America: the Mississippi home of Roots author Alex Haley; feel the spirit River. The 185.5-mile Tennessee Corridor is of blues legends like B.B. King on Beale Street a tapestry of unique sites with intrinsic value in Memphis, and take a stroll through Elvis and sense of place, some of the most scenic Presley’s Graceland®. stretches of the Lower Mississippi Valley. The 25,000 gorgeous acres at Reelfoot HIGHLIGHTS: Lake State Park are home to almost every kind t The Memphis Queen of shore and wading bird as well as majestic t Alex Haley Museum golden and American bald eagles. See the t Elvis Presley’s Graceland® remains of a Confederate Civil War fort at Fort t Fort Pillow State Historic Park Pillow State Historic Park, where the Chicka- t Mud Island saw Bluffs provided a strategic vantage point t Reelfoot Lake State Park Cotton Junction Trail: Teapots to Sweet Spots The Cotton Junction Trail is a drive through Heritage Center. The kettle’s always on at the the cotton fields and quaint small towns of Teapot Museum in Trenton, the “teapot capital West Tennessee. Visit Casey Jones Village in of the world.” The food, friendly people and Jackson, named for the legendary train con- unique slice of life on Cotton Junction Trail ductor who gave his life to save his passengers are sure to leave a great impression. in the early 1900s. While you’re there, stop by the Old Country Store for some famous down- HIGHLIGHTS: home cookin’. t Gibson County Courthouse In cotton country, the fields are especially t The Old Country Store at Casey Jones breathtaking in late summer. The Cotton Mu- Village seum in Bells shows how this crop shaped the t Trenton Teapot Museum area’s culture and economy. Stop by Nutbush, t West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center the humble hometown of the Queen of Rock ‘n’ t Nutbush Roll, Tina Turner, and visit a museum dedicat- t Bells ed to her life in Brownsville. Immerse yourself in blues culture at the West Tennessee Delta – 2 – Walking Tall: Rockabilly, Rails & Legendary Tales Trail The Walking Tall Trail is the story of West National Military Park, where one of the war’s Tennessee, told through music, legends and bloodiest battles raged on the banks of the Ten- hundreds of quirky small-town gems. It’s built nessee River. Travel even further back in time TM around larger-than-life folks: W.C. Handy, B.B. at Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park to King and the blues legends of Beale Street; see prehistoric mounds of Woodland Indians. rockabilly pioneer Carl Perkins; and interna- Get your toes tappin’, hike at a state park tional icon Elvis Presley. Connect with power- and appreciate the beauty of a small-town ful figures like Martin Luther King, Jr.; visit the square—all on the Walking Tall trail. home of railroad legend Casey Jones. Uncover stories like the Queen of the Confederacy, the HIGHLIGHTS: sharp shooter and the 1,000-pound man. Learn t Selmer’s Rockabilly Highway Mural about the trail’s fascinating namesake: Buford t Casey Jones Railroad Museum Pusser, the legendary McNairy County Sheriff t Memphis in May’s World Championship and crime fighter. Barbecue Cooking Contest Come hungry! This trail is a BBQ lover’s t Shiloh National Military Park dream, with stops perfect for sampling all the t Natchez Trace State Park famous “secret recipes” of West Tennessee. t Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park Visit Civil War sites along the Memphis- t Buford Pusser Home & Museum Charleston Railroad and stop at Shiloh NASHVILLE AREA Tennessee River Trail Discover the good life on the Tennessee River Golden Age of Steamboats, experience the Trail, peppered with quaint historic towns like Tennessee River’s history at its namesake Waverly, Linden and Paris, and river overlooks museum in Savannah. Visit Pickwick Landing, that are the perfect backdrop. the 1800s riverboat stop that’s now a state park Canoe the Buffalo River or capture your with forested hiking trails, fishing, boating and own game in one of the many wildlife manage- camping. ment areas like Big Sandy in Benton County or Eagle Creek near Waynesboro. Rent a boat at HIGHLIGHTS: Paris Landing State Park, and keep an eye out t Paris for deer and wild turkey in the Land Between t Fishing on the Tennessee River the Lakes. t Loretta Lynn Ranch Learn about country music superstar t Buffalo River Loretta Lynn at her sprawling ranch and mu- t Pickwick Landing seum. Visit Fort Donelson National Battlefield t Paris Landing State Park near Dover and Shiloh National Military Park near Savannah, sites of two important Civil War battles. From prehistoric river life to the – 3 – Old Tennessee: Settlers to Soldiers The Old Tennessee Trail is a drive as rich nificent antebellum homes, and trace the steps in history as in fresh air, gently rolling hills of Confederate General Hood’s 1864 campaign. and down-home charm. This trail begins in Stretch your legs and get a cold drink in the historic Franklin, a short drive from Nashville historic markets which help anchor our com- and a worthy day trip or dinner excursion. Get munities. Wander deeper into Tennessee to behind the wheel for a different mindset, a new discover a new kind of life and adventure. attitude, a fresh kind of adventure, as you wind through gorgeous countryside and favorite HIGHLIGHTS: small towns. t Rippavilla Plantation Glimpse the original Tennessee, when t Leiper’s Fork Native Americans hunted the land and later t Carton Plantation found themselves face to face with the settlers t Lawnchair Theatre arriving to shape homesteads and farmlands. t Thompson’s Station Touch Civil War bullet holes that mark mag- Nashville’s Trace: Backstage to Backroads Nashville’s Trace takes you from backstage marks like the birthplace of Southern gospel Music City to its most famous backroad, the music, and charming gems like Puckett’s Gro- Natchez Trace. Today, it stretches from Nash- cery and Nett’s Country Store. The Trace tells ville to Natchez, Mississippi, and is maintained the story of the American Southeast, where by the National Park Service. The Tennessee down-home cookin’ was born and front-porch portion is a favorite day trip for cyclists, mo- music made its way to the Nashville stage. torcyclists, photographers, horseback riders and regular folks out for a scenic cruise. With HIGHLIGHTS: a maximum speed of 50 mph and not a single t Meriwether Lewis Cabin billboard along the way, the Trace is a breath of t Double Arch Bridge in Birdsong Hollow fresh air for travelers. t Natchez Trace Parkway Explore the communities just beyond the t Nashville Honky Tonk trees. Six loop options take you to small towns t David Crockett State Park like Grinder’s Switch, home of Minnie Pearl, t Grinder’s Switch Amish farms, antebellum homes, musical land- Screaming Eagle: Lady Legends to Heroes Get your fill of Nashville’s big-city energy, Station. Take the trail in March to find your then hit the Screaming Eagle Trail for outdoor inner Irish at Erin’s annual arts festival. You adventure, Tennessee’s famous BBQ, military won’t go hungry; stop at Carl’s Perfect Pig in lore and country music must-sees. White Bluff for a rack of some of Tennessee’s Start at Fort Campbell in Clarksville, best ribs (and the banana pudding). Take a home of the famed 101st Airborne’s Screaming break on the Screaming Eagle Trail for a new Eagles. Visit the base’s Pratt Museum to learn picture of Middle Tennessee. about air combat history and view the notori- ous XM- 29 Davy Crockett atomic mortar. Tour HIGHLIGHTS: country music legend Loretta Lynn’s home and t Harpeth River State Park museum in Hurricane Mills. For hiking, camp- t Bluebird Cafe ing, and outdoor fun, nature lovers won’t want t Customs House Museum to miss Montgomery Bell State Park. t Loretta Lynn’s Plantation Home Shop in one-of-a-kind storefronts, admire t Carl’s Perfect Pig historic buildings, and catch a live music show, t Fort Campbell like the blues jam at Kingston Springs Fillin’ – 4 – Ring of Fire: Ghost Stories and Music Legends The Ring of Fire Trail stretches from Nashville and homes from the 1700s. It’s also home to across the gorgeous Cumberland Plateau and country music royalty; enjoy a mansion tour AND MUSIC LE T STORIES GENDS TR GHOS AIL back again. Discover some of Middle Tennes- just outside Music City. see’s most beautiful scenery in the hills and The stories are as rich as the sweet smoke farms in the heart of the region. Fall in love billowing from the tobacco-curing barns in the with Dale Hollow, one of America’s favorite early fall. From settlers and Civil War soldiers lakes; gaze out from high above the breathtak- to the Bell Witch and underwater ghost towns, ing Cordell Hull Dam; encounter the quiet the Ring of Fire Trail will deliver an unforget- power of the Cumberland River.