The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile recreational road and scenic drive through three states that roughly follows the Old Natchez Trace, a historic travel corridor used by American Indians, Kaintucks, European settlers, slave traders, soldiers, and future presidents. Today, people can enjoy not only a scenic drive but also hiking, biking, horseback riding, and camping along the parkway. Mississippi, Alabama, and most of Tennessee have humid subtropical climates, with weather ranging from mild winters to hot summers. Average high temperatures reach into the high 80's in summer and into the high 40's in winter. Thunderstorms are common in Mississippi, especially in the southern part of the state, and from June through November, the state is occasionally affected by hurricanes moving north from the Gulf of Mexico.
