Trip Idea

Spending a Weekend in Tupelo, Mississippi

Yellow VW Beetle drives away from the viewer along the Natchez Trace Parkway

Duration	Multiple Days
Topic(s)	African American Heritage, Animals, Archeology, Arts, Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite, Commerce, Trade, Engineering, Enslavement, Explorers and Expeditions, Plantations, Grasslands, Hispanic American Heritage, Immigration, Landscape Design, Migrations, Military, Indigenous and Native Warrior, Infantry and Militia, US Army, Monuments and Memorials, Music, Native American Heritage, Natural Sounds, Night Sky, Scenic Views, Schools and Education, Conservation Movement, Trails, Transportation, Roads, Routes and Highways, Unique Species, Rare, Wars and Conflicts, Civil War, Colonial/European Contact Conflicts, Tribal Conflicts, War of 1812, Westward Expansion, Wetlands, Marshes, Swamps, Artillery, Battlefields, Cavalry, Abolition Movement, Prairies, Painting, Photography, Forests and Woodlands, Farming and Agriculture, Deciduous Forests more »
Activities	Junior Ranger Program, Self-Guided Tours - Auto, Hiking, Self-Guided Tours - Walking
Type	Kid Friendly, Active, Relaxed, Urban, Educational, Inspirational more »
Parks	Natchez Trace Parkway, Tupelo National Battlefield, Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site, Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail

A yellow VW Beetle drives on the Natchez Trace Parkway away from teh viewer. The sky is blue with no clouds and green grass and trees border both sides of the Parkway road. — Car drives on the Natchez Trace Parkway
NPS Photo/March Muench

Tupelo is a dynamic city easily accessible by Interstate 22 and Highway 45, and the historic Natchez Trace Parkway that criss-crosses the city by land. Tupelo is roughly the halfway point If you are traveling the whole Natchez Trace Parkway. There is also an abundance of dining opportunities from upscale to blue-plate with over 160 restaurants in town. There are plenty of places to stay as Tupelo has 29 different hotels.

Natchez Trace Parkway
Become a Natchez Trace Junior Ranger
- Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
- Reservations: No
- Activity: Junior Ranger Program
- Age: 0 and Older
- Pets: Yes with Restrictions
- Location: Natchez Trace Parkway
- Duration: 20–120 Minutes
- Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
- Time of Day: Day
Do you care about exploring, learning about, and protecting the Natchez Trace? If yes, become a Junior Ranger! There are many ways to be a Junior Ranger badge at Natchez Trace Parkway, and this fun activity book is a great place to start.
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Multiple Parks
Hiking the Blackland Prairie Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
- Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
- Reservations: No
- Activity: Hiking
- Pets: Yes
- Location: Tupelo, Mississippi
- Duration: 1–6 Hours
- Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
- Time of Day: Day, Dawn, Dusk
The Blackland Prairie section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail is a popular 6 mile hiking trail in and around Tupelo, Mississippi.
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Natchez Trace Parkway
Walking Trails Near Tupelo, MS
- Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
- Reservations: No
- Activity: Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Age: 0–99 years old
- Pets: Yes
- Location: Tupelo, Mississippi vicinity
- Duration: 5–30 Minutes
- Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
- Time of Day: Day, Dawn
These short hikes are within a 30 minute drive from Tupelo, Mississippi. They range from a 5-minute paved accessible walk to a six-mile one-way hike through the forest. Dogs on leash are allowed on trails.
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Tupelo National Battlefield
Exploring The Battle of Tupelo
- Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
- Reservations: No
- Activity: Self-Guided Tours - Auto
- Pets: Yes
- Location: Tupelo, MS
- Duration: 30–50 Minutes
- Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
- Time of Day: Day
More than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers fought in and around Tupelo, Mississippi between the morning of July 14 and the evening of July 15, 1864. This is known as the Battle of Tupelo or the Battle of Harrisburg.
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Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site
Exploring The Brices Cross Roads Battlefield
- Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
- Reservations: No
- Activity: Self-Guided Tours - Auto
- Pets: Yes
- Duration: 1–3 Hours
- Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
- Time of Day: Day, Dawn, Dusk
The Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield was established in February of 1929 with the intention of preserving 1 acre in commemoration of the battle. Since then the Brice’s Crossroads National Battlefield Commission has purchased 1600 acres of the hallowed ground and with the help of the Civil War Trust and local support they have preserved many other areas associated with the battle.
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Natchez Trace Parkway
Leaf Peeping Along the Natchez Trace
- Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
- Reservations: No
- Activity: Self-Guided Tours - Auto
- Pets: Yes
- Location: Along the Natchez Trace Parkway
- Duration: 1–6 Hours
- Season: Fall
- Time of Day: Day
In middle to late October, the maple, hickory, oak and other hardwood trees begin to change colors and visitors have the opportunity to view the brilliant fall foliage along the Natchez Trace Parkway.
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