mount locust

This is one of the last remaining preserved roadside inns of the 18th and19th century for the many travelers on the Natchez Trace. Do not be fooled by its modest appearance, it is very well preserved with lots of interesting artifacts in each room and is worth a visit. Considerable attention to detail is evident in the furnishings in each room. It gives one insight into what these in for like travelers in the past. There are some very good displays and signage on the way to the building explaining its significance and how it functioned.It is well worth a few minutes of time and is just off the Natchez Trace.

As with all of the attractions on the Natchez Trace Parkway, there isn't that much information at the site unless you stop at the visitor's center in Tupelo. If you are doing a shorter trip on The Trace, like we did from Natchez to Jackson, I recommend reading up on the main places to visit before you go. There is an informative brochure on Mount Locust on the National Park Service website that enhanced our visit:http://www.nps.gov/natr/planyourvisit/natchez-to-jackson.htmThe grounds are beautiful, green, and well-kept and a little imagination transports you back to the pioneer days of the Old Trace. The house has been restored and you can walk through rooms depicting the way the "inn" would have looked in 1820. In my opinion, the best (worst?) part was a small slave cemetery in the back with a single stone marker and a listing of those buried there as a somber reminder of the darker side of the southern plantation.

We spotted this place from the Natchez Trace Parkway and decided to check it out. We were pleasantly surprised with the old structure, beautiful grounds to walk around and the clean restrooms. It's a great place to stop to break up and trip and stretch your legs. Interesting place also.