Sweetwater Branch

"Today on our journey along the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee we are going to visit several trails and exhibits just north of Collinwood, Tennessee.

"SWEETWATER BRANCH nature trail takes 15 or 20 minutes to walk. This branch was named for the "sweet" flavor of the water. Travelers today should not drink the water. The shallow rocky soil of this bottom land supports plants and trees as they struggle to grow, as the branch continues to carve and shape the valley. In season, wildflowers are plentiful in this area.

"A few mile north is another branch that parallels the parkway, and the park service has built two picnic areas connected by a trail that runs 2/3 of a mile along side GLENROCK BRANCH. The sites are LOWER and UPPER GLENROCK BRANCH PICNIC AREAS.

"And 3 miles north of Glenrock Branch is an exhibit that refers to a spot along the Old Trace called DOGWOOD MUDHOLE. You can possibly guess how it got its name. It's a low spot in a ridge that's covered with dogwood trees. This spot became a difficult passage for wagons after heavy rains. So, this mudhole came to be known as DOGWOOD MUDHOLE.

"Join us next time when we will travel 2.5 miles along an actual piece of the Original Old Natchez Trace. I'm Frank Thomas, your guide along the Natchez Trace, a road through the wilderness."

For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com