Quick answer (as of October 28, 2026) The Natchez Trace Bridge is the Double Arch Bridge at Birdsong Hollow, milepost 438 on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Williamson County. It's closed to drivers, walkers and cyclists until spring 2027 while the National Park Service builds a permanent safety barrier, and the parkway is closed from milepost 437 to milepost 440. Near Franklin, you get on at the Highway 96 ramp at milepost 437 and head south, or at Highway 46 by Leiper's Fork. The northern terminus is at Highway 100, milepost 444, in Davidson County, and the parkway has no entrance fee.
You've seen the photo of that bridge. Now you want to know if you can drive it, where to get on, and how close you could live to it.
Here's the Williamson County stretch of the parkway, with the mileposts from the National Park Service and the drive times I measured myself. I live in Canterbury, in Thompson's Station, just south of Franklin, and I've been selling real estate since 2013.
What is the Natchez Trace Bridge?
The Natchez Trace Bridge is the Double Arch Bridge at Birdsong Hollow, at milepost 438 on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Williamson County. It carries the parkway 155 feet above Tennessee Highway 96, and it opened to traffic in June 1994, per the National Park Service.
- The Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration both call it the first segmentally constructed concrete arch bridge in the United States. FIGG Engineering Group designed it and PCL Civil Constructors built it, per the FHWA.
- It won the Presidential Award for Design Excellence in 1995, per the Park Service, and an Award of Merit in the FHWA's 1996 Excellence in Highway Design program.
- The Park Service calls it the second longest bridge on the parkway.
- In normal times, the Park Service says the best view is from the pull-off on the north side, just north of the bridge. That pull-off is inside the closed section until the bridge reopens.
Is the Natchez Trace Bridge open?
No. The National Park Service closed the Double Arch Bridge on April 15, 2026, and the parkway is closed between the Highway 96 off-ramp at milepost 437 and Big Tree Overlook at milepost 440. The Park Service's road status page, updated October 28, 2026, lists the work from April 2026 to May 2027, and its April 10, 2026, news release says the bridge stays closed to drivers, walkers and cyclists until spring 2027.
Crews are replacing the temporary barrier on the bridge with a permanent pedestrian safety barrier, and they're doing preventive maintenance, including repainting the bridge, per the Park Service.
Here's the detour the Park Service posts, as of October 28, 2026:
- Northbound: take the ramp on the right at milepost 437. Turn left on Highway 96 West and go 3.5 miles. Turn right on Highway 100 East and go 3.5 miles to the Northern Terminus.
- Southbound: from the Northern Terminus, take Highway 100 West for 3.5 miles. Turn left on Highway 96 East and go 3.5 miles. Turn right onto the parkway ramp.
The Park Service calls it a 7.5-mile detour. Highway 96 runs under the bridge, so the detour takes you right beneath it.
If you ride, the Park Service suggests parking at the Highway 96 off-ramp lot and riding south of milepost 437 for a long day, or parking at the northernmost lot at milepost 442 and riding to Big Tree Overlook at milepost 440 and back for a shorter one.
Where do you get on the Natchez Trace Parkway near Franklin?
The National Park Service lists Highway 96 as the Franklin access to the Natchez Trace Parkway. The ramp at milepost 437 is about 8.7 miles and 12 minutes west of Franklin's Public Square on Highway 96, with no traffic, and while the bridge is closed you can only head south from it. The other entrance close to Franklin is Highway 46 at Leiper's Fork, which Visit Franklin places at milepost 428. My Leiper's Fork guide covers the village itself.
| Entrance | Milepost | Drive from Franklin's Public Square | Status, October 28, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highway 96 ramp, west of Franklin | 437 | About 8.7 miles, 12 minutes, by Highway 96 | Open. Southbound only; the parkway is closed north of here to milepost 440. |
| Highway 46 (Pinewood Road), at Leiper's Fork | 428, per Visit Franklin | About 10.1 miles, 19 minutes, by Old Hillsboro Road | Open |
| Northern Terminus, Highway 100 | 444 | About 15.7 miles, 21 minutes, by Highway 96 and Highway 100 | Open south to Big Tree Overlook (milepost 440) and back |
Drive times are OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM) with no traffic, measured October 28, 2026. The Park Service also notes there's no direct access to the parkway from Highway 840 near Nashville.
The National Park Service charges no entrance fee for the Natchez Trace Parkway or any of its facilities, and you don't need a pass.
What is there to see on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Williamson County?
From north to south, the Williamson County stops are Big Tree Overlook, the Double Arch Bridge, Timberland Park, Garrison Creek, Burns Branch and the Tennessee Valley Divide. Here's what the National Park Service and Williamson County list at each one, with the status as of October 28, 2026.
| Milepost | Stop | What's there | Status, October 28, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 440 | Big Tree Overlook | Overlook at the north end of the bridge closure | Open from the Northern Terminus as an out-and-back |
| 438 | Double Arch Bridge at Birdsong Hollow | The bridge, 155 feet above Highway 96, with a viewing pull-off just north of it | Closed until spring 2027 |
| 437.2 | Timberland Park (Williamson County Parks) | Interpretive center, butterfly garden, restrooms, hiking trails, an ADA accessible trail, an overlook, picnic tables, RV access | Open daily 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; the county lists 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting Sunday, November 1 |
| 427.6 | Garrison Creek | Northern trailhead of the Highland Rim Trail, horse trailer parking, restrooms, drinking water, picnic shelter | Open |
| 425.4 | Burns Branch | Highland Rim Trail trailhead, picnic table, hitching post, car parking only | Open |
| 423.9 | Tennessee Valley Divide | Ridge with exhibits; trailhead parking for hikers only | Open |
The Park Service's road status page listed no trail or campground closures on October 28, 2026.
Two of these stops come with history. Garrison Creek is named for a U.S. Army post that stood nearby in 1801 and 1802. The Tennessee Valley Divide was the 1796 boundary between Tennessee and the Chickasaw Nation, and streams south of it run toward the Duck and Tennessee rivers while streams north of it drain to the Cumberland, per the Park Service.
Where are the trails on the Natchez Trace near Franklin?
The main trail is the Highland Rim Section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. It starts at Garrison Creek, milepost 427.6 near Leiper's Fork, and runs 20 miles south to Tennessee Highway 50 at milepost 408, near the Gordon House, per the National Park Service.
- Garrison Creek, milepost 427.6, is the trailhead for hikers and horseback riders, with plenty of horse trailer parking, restrooms and drinking water.
- Burns Branch, milepost 425.4, is a trailhead with car parking but no trailer parking. The Park Service says it isn't a staging area for horses.
- The Tennessee Valley Divide, milepost 423.9, has trailhead parking for hikers only. The Park Service points to spring blooms and fall color along this stretch.
- Timberland Park, milepost 437.2, is Williamson County's park just south of the Highway 96 entrance, with its own hiking trails and an ADA accessible trail.
Where is the northern terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway?
The northern terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway is milepost 444 at Highway 100, about 17 miles southwest of downtown Nashville, per the National Park Service. You can also reach it from I-40 at exit 192, McCrory Lane. It sits in Davidson County, and from Franklin's Public Square it's about 15.7 miles and 21 minutes by Highway 96 and Highway 100 with no traffic, measured October 28, 2026.
Milepost 444 is the last of the parkway's mileposts, counted from milepost 0 at the southern terminus in Natchez, Mississippi. With the bridge closed, you can still drive south from the terminus to Big Tree Overlook at milepost 440 and turn back.
How much of the Natchez Trace Parkway is in Williamson County?
About 21 miles of the Natchez Trace Parkway are in Williamson County. The parkway crosses in from Davidson County between the northernmost parking lot (milepost 442) and Big Tree Overlook (milepost 440), and it crosses into Maury County around milepost 420, south of the Tennessee Valley Divide.
I measured that on October 28, 2026, by tracing the parkway in OpenStreetMap and checking points along it against the U.S. Census Bureau's county lines. The southern crossing is my estimate from that check, so treat "around milepost 420" as close, not exact.
What is there to do in Leiper's Fork near the parkway?
Leiper's Fork is about 1.7 miles and 4 minutes from the Highway 46 ramp onto the Natchez Trace Parkway, measured from the village's point on OpenStreetMap with no traffic on October 28, 2026. Garrison Creek is about 3.4 miles and 8 minutes away.
Visit Franklin, Williamson County's tourism office, lists these in the village as of October 2026:
- Art galleries, antique shops and boutiques.
- Fox & Locke, for barbecue, live music and open mic nights.
- Leiper's Fork Distillery, with production tours and a tasting room in a restored 1829 log home.
- Country Boy Restaurant, for breakfast.
- Annual events: Pickin' Leiper's Fork, an antique and vintage shopping event; ForkFest, an evening of outdoor live music; and the Leiper's Fork Christmas Parade. Visit Franklin doesn't post 2026 dates for them on its Leiper's Fork page.
What's it like to live near the Natchez Trace Parkway?
The Williamson County homes closest to the Natchez Trace Parkway are in and around Leiper's Fork, on the west side of Franklin, and toward Fairview. By road, the nearest ramp is about 4 minutes from Leiper's Fork, about 9 minutes from Westhaven in west Franklin, and about 13 minutes from Fairview City Hall, measured with no traffic on October 28, 2026.
| Area (where I measured from) | City or county | Nearest parkway ramp | Drive, no traffic | Next closest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leiper's Fork (the village's point on OpenStreetMap) | Unincorporated Williamson County | Highway 46 | About 1.7 miles, 4 minutes | Highway 96 ramp, about 8.2 miles, 13 minutes |
| Westhaven, west Franklin (the neighborhood's point on OpenStreetMap) | City of Franklin | Highway 96 | About 6.0 miles, 9 minutes | Highway 46 ramp, about 9.0 miles, 18 minutes |
| Downtown Franklin (the Public Square) | City of Franklin | Highway 96 | About 8.7 miles, 12 minutes | Highway 46 ramp, about 10.1 miles, 19 minutes |
| Fairview (City Hall, 7100 City Center Way) | City of Fairview | Highway 96 | About 10.1 miles, 13 minutes | Northern Terminus at Highway 100, about 10.2 miles, 15 minutes |
City and county status is from the U.S. Census Bureau's TIGERweb boundary layers, checked October 28, 2026. All four points are in Williamson County.
Williamson County countryside
Leiper's Fork
Leiper's Fork is unincorporated, so there's no city government. Williamson County adopted its own zoning standards for the village on November 13, 2012. Williamson County's Leiper's Fork Village Special Area Plan uses the Natchez Trace Parkway as the village's northern boundary, and from the village's point on the map, the parkway is about 0.7 mile away in a straight line.
West Franklin
Westhaven is inside Franklin city limits and sits closer to the Highway 96 ramp than downtown does. If you're shopping the higher-priced side of Franklin, my Franklin luxury homes guide covers Westhaven and Leiper's Fork and shows what's listed.
Fairview
The City of Fairview says the parkway runs "just a few miles away from the heart of Fairview." From City Hall, the Highway 96 ramp and the Northern Terminus are each about 10 miles.
What to check on a house near the Trace
While the bridge is closed, a trip north on the parkway from any of these spots means the Park Service detour on Highway 96 and Highway 100. If the Trace is on your list, ask two things about each house: which ramp is closest and how long the drive is, and whether the address is inside a city or out in the county, since that decides whose rules and taxes apply. My towns near Franklin guide has the tax rate and school district for Leiper's Fork, Fairview and the rest.
I've been investing in real estate since 2005. If you've got a house in mind, text me the address at 615-392-1186 and I'll measure the drive to the nearest ramp for you. For the rest of the city, start with my Franklin, TN homes for sale guide, and for a weekend list, see my things to do in Franklin guide.
Frequently asked questions about the Natchez Trace Bridge near Franklin
Is the Natchez Trace Bridge open?
No. The National Park Service closed the Double Arch Bridge on April 15, 2026, and the parkway is closed between the Highway 96 off-ramp at milepost 437 and Big Tree Overlook at milepost 440. The Park Service's road status page, updated October 28, 2026, lists the work from April 2026 to May 2027, and its April 10, 2026, news release says the bridge stays closed to drivers, walkers and cyclists until spring 2027.
Where is the Natchez Trace Bridge?
The Natchez Trace Bridge is the Double Arch Bridge at Birdsong Hollow, at milepost 438 on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Williamson County. It carries the parkway 155 feet above Tennessee Highway 96, and it opened to traffic in June 1994, per the National Park Service.
Why is the Natchez Trace Bridge closed?
Crews are replacing the temporary barrier on the bridge with a permanent pedestrian safety barrier, and they're doing preventive maintenance, including repainting the bridge, per the Park Service.
Where do you get on the Natchez Trace Parkway near Franklin?
The National Park Service lists Highway 96 as the Franklin access to the Natchez Trace Parkway. The ramp at milepost 437 is about 8.7 miles and 12 minutes west of Franklin's Public Square on Highway 96, with no traffic, and while the bridge is closed you can only head south from it. The other entrance close to Franklin is Highway 46 at Leiper's Fork, which Visit Franklin places at milepost 428.
Where is the northern terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway?
The northern terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway is milepost 444 at Highway 100, about 17 miles southwest of downtown Nashville, per the National Park Service. You can also reach it from I-40 at exit 192, McCrory Lane. It sits in Davidson County, and from Franklin's Public Square it's about 15.7 miles and 21 minutes by Highway 96 and Highway 100 with no traffic, measured October 28, 2026.
How close is Leiper's Fork to the Natchez Trace Parkway?
Leiper's Fork is about 1.7 miles and 4 minutes from the Highway 46 ramp onto the Natchez Trace Parkway, measured from the village's point on OpenStreetMap with no traffic on October 28, 2026. Garrison Creek is about 3.4 miles and 8 minutes away.
Does it cost anything to drive the Natchez Trace Parkway?
No. The National Park Service charges no entrance fee for the Natchez Trace Parkway or any of its facilities, and you don't need a pass.
Want a house close to the Trace?
Tell me which part of the county you like, and I'll pull the Williamson County homes closest to a parkway ramp, with the drive measured for each one. DM me, text or call 615-392-1186.
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