Note:  This post contains 6 photos.  Photos by me (Bruce) taken with a SONY alpha 6400 or Google Pixel 6 Pro unless otherwise indicated.  (Photos by Linda taken with a Google Pixel 6.)

MONDAY 23 October 2023 — NTNP 6 of 14 — Piney Grove Recreation Area, Tennessee -Tombigbee Waterway, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

One of the many responsibilities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACoE) is the construction, maintenance, and operation of infrastructure on domestic inland waterways for purposes of transportation, power generation, and recreation.  The Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway (aka the “Tenn-Tom” abv herein as “TTW”) is an example of this mission in action.  The Tenn-Tom is a 234-mile (377 km) artificial U.S. waterway built in the 20th century from the Tennessee River to the junction of the Black Warrior-Tombigbee River system near Demopolis, Alabama.

The Freedom Hills pullout along the NTNP.  (Photo by Linda)

The recreational use is a byproduct of the first two and primary concerns, but they are very popular with the public, such as boaters, hunters, fishermen (and women), and campers, including RVers.  We had been aware of the USACoE campgrounds for many years, but this was the first time we stayed at one.

Our trailer tucked into our site a Piney Grove CG, Piney Grove Recreation Area, USACoE.  (Photo by Linda)

The Piney Grove Campground met our expectations based on prior experience with state and federal camping and recreation facilities.  It was wooded, with spacious paved sites and interior roads and well-maintained trails.  It had beaches and boat launches, and functioning/clean restrooms, some of which is illustrated in the following photographs.  Not luxurious, of course, but the somewhat rustic appearance/nature of such a place is part of its charm, at least for us.

This sign indicates that we are 177 miles from the North Terminus (southwest of Nashville, TN) and 267 miles from the South Terminus (in Natchez, MS) of the Natchez Trace National Parkway.  That makes the NTNP 444 miles long, although I usually report it as 440 miles.

The sign at the entrance to USACoE Piney Grove Recreation Area heading in to the campground and boat launch (I think).

Another view of our truck and trailer in our campsite at the Piney Grove Recreation Area campground, USACoE.  If deforested commercial RV parks are not your thing, perhaps USACoE (and US Forest Service) campgrounds might be appealing (along with National Park Service campgrounds, of course).

A panoramic photo of a finger of the Tenn-Tom as seen from the Piney Grove Recreation Area campground, USACoE.

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