Popular stop along the trace gets upgrade

Devil's Backbone is a well-known stop along the Natchez Trace, especially for trail hikers, cyclers, or leisurely scenic drives. It's a moderately strenuous three-mile trail that showcases the area's impressive natural beauty. The State Natural Area is a 950 acre tract of wilderness located in Lewis County, near the Hickman County line.

The State of Tennessee is set to showcase it as a premier destination in Tennessee, upgrading the area from a State Natural Area to a State Park. Development is expected to begin very soon and will offer unique opportunities for recreation and education in a stunning natural setting.

This opportunity is enhanced because of its location along the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Devil's Backbone has a diversity of community types that are representative of the Western Highland Rim. Examples of these include: 1) White Oak-Northern Red Oak-Hickory Forest 2) Chestnut Oak Forest 3) Chestnut Oak-Black Oak-Hickory Forest 4) Beech-Tuliptree-White Oak-Sugar Maple Forest 5) Chestnut Oak-Shortleaf Pine Forest 6) White Oak-Northern Red Oak-Tuliptree Forest 7) Scarlet Oak-Southern Red Oak-Mockernut Hickory Forest and 8) Sycamore-Tuliptree-Beech Forest.