The Tennessee section of the Natchez Trace runs about 100 miles from just outside Nashville down to the Alabama state line, and a Santa Fe Hybrid will carry you through the whole stretch on roughly a quarter tank. We're not writing ad copy here. At 50 mph with frequent coasting pullouts on a canopy road with no semis or traffic lights, the Hybrid's city-mode regeneration has real room to work.
Pick up the parkway at the northern terminus near West Nashville and drive south. The foliage along those first 50 miles alone earns the trip.
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What's the Plan at a Glance?
| Stop | What to Do | Best Time | Parking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Terminus (MP 444) | Enter the parkway; photo at the entrance sign | Morning, any season | Small pull-off lot |
| Double Arch Bridge / Birdsong Hollow (MP 438) | View the bridge from below via the TN-96 exit | Anytime; dramatic in low light | Roadside pulloff |
| Baker Bluff / Jackson Falls (MP 404.7) | Hike the 900-ft paved trail steeply down to the falls; separate Baker Bluff trail also here | After rain for peak falls flow | Dedicated lot with restrooms |
| Old Trace Walk (MP 403.7) | 2,000-ft walk on the original sunken Trace ridge | Morning or late afternoon | Small pull-off |
| Meriwether Lewis Site (MP 385.9) | Explore the monument, burial site, and hiking trails; free campground nearby | Midday; plan 45-60 minutes | Large paved lot with restrooms |
The Double Arch Bridge Is Worth Slowing Down For
Yes, the Double Arch Bridge earns a deliberate stop, though you've got to leave the parkway to see it properly, since the span at Birdsong Hollow soars over Tennessee Highway 96 and, according to the National Park Service, received the Presidential Award for Design Excellence in 1995. The bridge is easy to cross without ever noticing what you crossed. Take the TN-96 exit, pull off before you reach the highway, and look back up at it from ground level. Ten minutes at ground level changes how the rest of the drive feels.
The 50 mph limit works in your favor here. You've got time to notice the bridge, plan a U-turn, and actually stop rather than blowing through at interstate speed.
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Jackson Falls and the Old Trace Reward the People Who Park
Jackson Falls sits at milepost 404.7, and the National Park Service describes it as a 900-foot paved trail that descends steeply to the falls, so yes it's short, but it earns the stop anyway because the gorge blocks road noise completely and the water flows harder after rain. The Baker Bluff trail starts at the same rest area and runs 2,100 feet out to a ridge overlook above the Duck River valley. Both share the same parking lot with restrooms, so you can do both in about 45 minutes total.
Two miles south, the Old Trace Walk at milepost 403.7 puts you on a 2,000-foot section of the actual original trail along a ridge 300 feet above the Duck River. This stretch is where the NPS interpretive signage does the most work. Read it.
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Why the Santa Fe Fits the Pace of the Trace
The Santa Fe Hybrid suits the Trace well, though the fit comes from the road as much as from the car, and the parkway is a 50 mph route with no stoplights, no semis, and no merging on-ramps, which is exactly the low-speed, frequent-coasting driving the Hybrid's powertrain handles best. The Hybrid pairs a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine with an electric motor for 231 combined horsepower (per Hyundai's specifications), and the EPA rates the front-wheel-drive version at 37 city and 36 highway mpg. A cruise at 50 mph with frequent coasting as you slow for pullouts is exactly where that city number earns its keep. The Hybrid recaptures energy through regenerative braking every time you decelerate for a stop.
The one tradeoff worth flagging is the third row, where the Santa Fe Hybrid has 30.0 inches of legroom. That's tight for adults on a long drive, so it's better suited to kids or shorter three-row trips. Traveling with adults in all three rows for the full 100-mile Tennessee section? Fold the third row and gain 40.5 cubic feet of cargo space instead. Pack a cooler, trail shoes, and a proper picnic. It's a better use of the room anyway.
The gas-powered 2026 Santa Fe is a capable choice too. EPA rates the 2.5-liter turbo at 29 mpg highway in FWD form, and with 277 horsepower you won't feel underpowered anywhere. Where it gives ground is efficiency, since the gas model doesn't claw back the coasting energy the way the Hybrid does on a stop-and-go scenic route.
Fall is the reason to time this trip before the end of October. The NPS and every seasoned Trace driver will tell you the hardwoods along the Tennessee section turn in October, and the canopy road means you're essentially driving through a tunnel of color. Both the Santa Fe and the Santa Fe Hybrid have a panoramic sunroof option that makes that specific drive noticeably better.
Need three rows with more adult legroom? See the Palisade
The Trace isn't going anywhere, and neither is that 100-mile Tennessee section. Fall foliage on a canopy road has a window, though. If you've been thinking about this drive, the next few weeks are the best time we know of to do it. Come see us on Bell Road and we'll get you set for it.
