When you’re driving along the Natchez Trace Parkway in Tennessee, there is absolutely no passing from Milemarker 428 all the way til the end of the Parkway at Milemarker 444.
Yep, consider this yet another trivial factoid that’s been added to my collection of useless trivia about the Natchez Trace Parkway.
This is good to know though… because you might want to exit at one of the roadside pull-offs to get fast drivers off your tail.
Northbound Passing Zones In Tennessee
When you’re heading north toward Nashville, the last place you can pass a slow-moving vehicle that’s in front of you is at Milemarker 428 — just past the Garrison Creek rest area.
In my experience, if you honor the 40 mph speed limit, this usually means that a number of drivers will rush up behind you and become annoyed that you are going the speed limit.
Sometimes, I’ll pull over in the grass (which I’m not crazy about doing) and let them go around me. Other times, I — and other drivers — will just cruise along at the posted speed limit, forcing the wannabe speeders to just deal with it.
But, for what it’s worth, not everyone plays by the rules…
Southbound Passing Zones In Tennessee
If you’re starting in Nashville and heading south toward Alabama on the Natchez Trace Parkway, the first place you are allowed to pass is at Milemarker 430.1.
Until that point, from Milemarkers 444 to 430.1, the road is simply too curvy to allow for faster speeds.
Rest assured though, once you hit Leiper’s Fork, at milemarker 428.7, the speed limit increases from 40 mph to 50 mph. Typically, everyone is eager to go faster at this point. And since most people speed up, there’s usually less of an urgency to pass.
From Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee all the way to Biloxi, Mississippi there are plenty of opportunities to pass, if you so desire.
We’ve lived in the Nashville area since 2001 — and all 3 of our houses have been situated relatively close to the Natchez Trace Parkway. To me, the ‘The Trace’ is a hidden gem of Nashville — a place to go when you want to get away from it all and be one with nature. I’ve hiked it, biked it, motorcycled it, walked it with my dogs, and driven my car on The Natchez Trace Parkway more times than I can count! This is where I share some of my favorite things to do along the Natchez Trace Parkway — which runs 444 miles from Nashville Tennessee to Natchez Mississippi and through parts of Alabama. When I’m not enjoying the beautiful outdoors along the Natchez Trace Parkway, you’ll find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites).
