National Park Service Road Trip: Explore American Heritage

This National Park Service road trip is a deep dive into American history—from ancient mound builders to Civil War battlefields and a Civil Rights landmark. In just a few days, I visited eight National Park Service units, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a Civil Rights landmark on a drive from Dallas-Fort Worth airport to Houston the long way stopping in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

In my quest to visit all 433 National Park Service units, I flew into DFW early evening and my friend Adeina picked me up. We drove 1.5 hours and decided to spend the night in Greenville, Texas. Hope, Arkansas is about 3.5 hours from DFW airport.

Day 1: Presidential Roots and Prehistoric Mysteries

After a quick overnight in Greenville, Texas, we headed to William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site in Hope, Arkansas. This small white home tells the story of Bill Clinton’s early years, from living with his grandparents to the humble beginnings that shaped a future president. We did not make a tour reservation. The 45-minute tour is offered frequently. We were the only ones on our tour.

Tip: After your tour, grab a latte at HeBrews Coffee Shop and snap a photo with the angel wings mural near the train depot.

It’s 3.5 hours to Poverty Point National Monument, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with some serious ancient wow-factor in northern Louisiana. These earthworks date back over 3,000 years and is the largest hunter-gatherer mound complex in North America.

Tip: Don’t miss hiking to the top of Mound A. The sheer size and effort it took to build is mind-blowing. You’ll walk the same path as ancient peoples who built this massive ceremonial landscape without the help of agriculture or the wheel. They used animal skin “buckets” to carry the dirt.

We drove another hour to Vicksburg, Mississippi and checked into a charming Victorian Airbnb. For dinner, go to 10 South Rooftop Bar & Grill. Shrimp and grits pair nicely with the beautiful Delta sunset view. Start with the pimento cheese appetizer. Save room for the chocolate bread pudding—but only if you’re ready for rich, over-the-top indulgence.

Day 2: Vicksburg to Natchez

Our second day of this National Park Service road trip was more exploring than driving. We grabbed lattes from Highway 61 Coffee before heading into Vicksburg National Military Park. This battlefield is one of the best marked in the world, with over 1,300 monuments. We spent the morning and could have easily spent a day.

We followed the driving tour and used the park’s audio app. Highlights included:

Shirley House and Jackson Road – Imagine the dugouts and trenches in summer heat during the 47-day siege.
Illinois State Memorial – Climb the steps and look out onto the battlefield from the rotunda.
USS Cairo Museum – This recovered Union ironclad is a must-see. You can go inside. The personal artifacts from 1862 are haunting and fascinating.

Tip: Grab lunch at Bohemia Café before heading toward Jackson. Their grilled cheese with tomato sandwich on homemade bread is delish!

From Vicksburg, we drove 45 minutes to Jackson to visit Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument, a pivotal Civil Rights landmark. This modest home on the Mississippi Freedom Trail is where Medgar Evers was assassinated in 1963.

A self-guided tour is sobering and powerful. Even the avocado green walls—restored for the film Ghosts of Mississippi—tell a story. I didn’t know much about the Evers making this one of the most educational stops on this National Park Service road trip. We spent about 45 minutes touring the home and visiting the nearby garden.

Tip: Park at the garden and read the signs there before walking over to tour the home.

From Jackson, it’s a little less than 2-hour drive to Natchez. For the last stretch, we drove the southernmost stretch of the Natchez Trace Parkway. Late afternoon, the scenic road was desolate and we enjoyed having the road to ourselves.

Tip: Visit Emerald Mound, the second largest Native American ceremonial mound in the U.S. It’s a quick and easy walk with sweeping views from the top.

From Emerald Mound it’s about 20 minutes to Natchez, the oldest continuously inhabited city on the Mississippi River. We stayed at The Guest House, a beautifully restored 1840s inn with wraparound porches in the heart of the historic district.

Tip: Enjoy a glass of wine or cup of coffee in a rocking chair on the porch.

Day 3: Mississippi River to Creole Culture and Big Thicket

To kick off Day 3 of this National Park Service road trip, we grabbed breakfast at Natchez Coffee Company, a locals’ favorite, before walk part of two of the historic walking trails in town. To check off Natchez National Historical Park, we visited Fort Rosalie, site of the Natchez Revolt of 1729 and a pivot place in the American Revolution to control the Mississippi Valley. Before leaving town, we went to the Melrose Estate, also a part of Natchez National Historical Park.

Tip: Make a reservation in advance to tour the antebellum home of Melrose Estate.

We crossed the Mississippi River and headed into Louisiana driving 2.5 hours to Cane River Creole National Historical Park, visiting both Magnolia and Oakland Plantations. We had less than 30 minutes before Magnolia Plantation area closed so we quickly walked around exploring the preserved quarters cabins of laborers in the 1950s and ’60s and the general store. Even though the park was closing, we decided to chance it and drove to the Oakland Plantation, hoping we could at least see it from the road. The home is visible from the road and so is an old gas station. The two plantations and drive between them are fascinating. Both of us wished we had more time here.

Tip: Drive the scenic 18-mile stretch along Cane River from Cloutierville to Natchitoches—it’s stunning.

As we crossed back into Texas, we saw a marker and decided to stop just after we crossed the Sabine River where Louisiana Highway 8 turns into Texas Highway 63. The marker is for Burr’s Ferry, an important communications point between Texas and the United States during the settlement era of the early 1800s. It’s named for Dr. Timothy Burr, second cousin of U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr.

Our final stop was to catch sunset in Big Thicket National Preserve. Known as the “biological crossroads of North America,” this preserve is great for hiking, paddling, fishing, and boating. We had originally planned to kayak in Big Thicket but had to cut our road trip by one night. We’re making plans to return for a paddling adventure!

We drove on to Houston in the dark so I could catch a flight to Dallas the next morning and Adeina could attend an event in Houston. Three days, 8 units – what an incredible National Park Service road trip for a deep dive into American history.

Total NPS Units: 8