Discover Lee: Civil War history and nature trails

The Brice’s Crossroads battlefield is in Lee County near Baldwyn and was the site of a Civil War battle on June 10, 1864. This specifically located site and date provide a clear point of reference for planning a history-focused trip. Other experiences range from trails along the Natchez Trace to Elvis’s early life story in Tupelo.

History at specific places

The Mississippi’s Final Stands Interpretive Center in Baldwyn presents both the first and second days of the Battle of Tupelo-Harrisburg. The Tupelo National Battlefield commemorates the Battle of Tupelo and the people who lost their lives in it. The two sites therefore offer different perspectives: the Interpretive Center focuses on two days of battle, while the Battlefield centers its commemoration on the battle and those killed.

Natchez Trace and trails

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile recreational and scenic route through three states. At the Parkway Visitor Center near Tupelo, visitors can access a short paved trail and the northern terminus of the Blackland section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. At milepost 266, visitors can get information during opening hours; there is also a 16-minute film. Check opening hours before your drive.

The Blackland Prairie section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail has a southern trailhead on Jackson Street; it is six miles from the Parkway Visitor Center. The Beech Springs Nature Trail is a 2,800-foot loop on a paved path. Dogs are welcome there on a leash.

At Old Trace and Confederate Gravesites, the park protects an original section of the Old Trace. A somewhat steep, 700-foot paved trail leads to thirteen modern grave markers. Based on the stated length, this trail is shorter than the Beech Springs loop; the destinations also differ: here, the grave markers and historic trail section are the focus, while the other is a paved loop trail.

Elvis’s early life story and other topics

Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, in a two-room house built by his father, grandfather, and uncle. In the Elvis Presley Birthplace Park, the life-size bronze statue “Elvis at 13” stands at ground level; it depicts Elvis at age 13. The birthplace and the statue thus provide two different points of reference for his early life story.

The Oren Dunn City Museum is housed in a converted dairy that was part of the internationally known Forest Lake Farms. Permanent exhibits include a 1940s railroad model, the history of tornadoes and the Hospital on the Hill, Chickasaw cultural history, and fossils from northeast Mississippi. The museum is located in Ballard Park, which has playgrounds, picnic areas, and a walking path by the lake.

At Tupelo Buffalo Park & Zoo, visitors can feed goats, sheep, deer, and other animals. The bison tour goes out to the pasture, where visitors can observe buffalo, zebras, water buffalo, and Watusi cattle up close. Tombigbee State Park is six miles south of Tupelo.

If you are looking for a hotel for your trip, first choose the visits that matter to you. Then compare the locations of potential hotels with your travel plans.

Discover more destinations: Tupelo, Stone County, Jefferson Davis, Covington, Coahoma County, Tunica, Quitman County, Simpson County.

For the broader travel overview: Mississippi.