DIRECTIONS TO NARROW GATE AT LEATHERWOOD FORGE:

FROM THE NATCHEZ TRACE

You can get on the Natchez Trace Parkway at several locations. You can drive out hi-way 100 from Bellevue and get on the Trace just past the Loveless Café  or you can take the McCrory Lane exit off of I-40 and follow the signs for the Trace which will come out near the Loveless Café . You can also get on at hi-way 96 west of Franklin, or hi-way 46 just south of Leiper's Fork.

Once on the Trace travel to the exit at hi-way 50. There area no billboards, gas stations and very few road sign on the Trace. Watch carefully for your exit at mile marker 407.7. There will be only one small sign and then a left hand turn for your exit. Distance on the Trace is:

33.8 miles from hi-way 100
28.6 miles from hi-way 96
20.4 miles from hi-way 46

At the bottom of the exit ramp, turn right toward Centerville and go one mile to Shady Grove. Turn right onto Leatherwood Road (across from the Duck River Market). There will be directional signs from this point on that look like real estate signs. Go 2 miles and turn right at the stop sign which merges with Bratton Rd. Wind around, crossing the Duck River and passing Gardner's Mulch Farm (huge mulch pile on your left and white house on the right).Go one more mile and the blacktop ends. Turn right onto Dry Prong Rd. I am the first drive on your right and there is a large property sign there. Turn right into my drive, cross the creek, pass the white house on the hill and follow the lane back onto the property until you see the new lodge on your right.

Drive time approximately one hour and 10 minutes from Brentwood or Bellevue.

From Murfreesboro, Chattanooga and Atlanta via I-24

Travel I-24 to the intersection of new by pass 840.  Take I-840 west toward Franklin.  At the I-65 exit take I-65 south toward Birmingham or Huntsville.  Go to the next exit and get off at 396, also called Saturn Parkway.  This is a new road and it will take you toward the Saturn car plant where it will make a curve to the right and then a big sweeping curve to the left and become hi-way 31.  You will be traveling toward Columbia and the road will narrow down some and you will get into a light commercial area.  Travel until you come to the intersection of 412 (about 7.5 miles from the curve).  There will be a McDonalds, a couple of gas stations and a tractor sales business (Middle Tenn. Tractor Sales) on this corner.  Turn right onto 412.  Go approximately 5 miles and turn left onto the ramp for hi-way 50, then at the bottom of the ramp turn left again onto hi-way 50 west toward Centerville. Travel approximately 11.5 miles and you will be in the very small town of Shady Grove.  There will be a yellow building on your left called the Duck River Market. (Exactly one mile past the Natchez Trace Bridge)  Across from the market you will see Leatherwood Road.  Turn right onto Leatherwood Road.  I have a sign here that looks like a real estate sign.  It says Leatherwood Forge Retreat Center and Bountiful Blessings Farm (my neighbors) and these signs will be at each intersection the rest of the way.  Go about 2.5 miles and turn right at the stop sign where Bratton Rd comes into Leatherwood Rd. Continue to wind around, across the Duck River Bridge, past the very large mulch pile at Primm Springs Rd (go straight), and one mile from there, turn right onto Dry Prong Rd.  Go about _ mile and my driveway will be the first one on your right (large property sign here).  Come across the bridge and follow the gravel road past the white house on your left, through the gate, and back to the retreat center.  The lodge will be on your right.  Drive Safely!  Cell phones don't work once you get on the country roads.

Directions to Leatherwood Forge from Memphis via I-40

Take I-40 east to the hi-way 50 Centerville exit.  Travel about 17 miles on 50 until you come to a "T" in Centerville at hi-way 100.  Turn right which will be hi-way 50 (hi-way 50 makes a jog here) and hi-way 100.  Go approximately one mile and bear left sharply, following the hi-way 50 east sign, toward Columbia. (Note: Yield to oncoming traffic which does not stop.  This is a dangerous intersection).   Go 11 miles and turn left onto Bratton Rd.  I have a directional sign at this intersection that looks like a real estate sign but you can't see it until you are right on it, so watch your odometer.  Travel approximately 3 _ miles,  winding around, crossing the Duck River, past Gardner's Mulch Farm (huge mulch pile on your left, white house on your right) and straight ahead to where the black top ends.  Turn right onto Dry Prong Rd and take the first drive to your right.  There is a large property sign at the drive.  Follow the gravel lane past a white house, through the gate and back about _ mile to the retreat center on your right.  Travel Safely.  Note: Cell phones do not work once you are off the main roads.

Directions to Leatherwood Forge from Nashville via I-40

From Nashville take I-40 West toward Memphis to Exit 172 which is the Dickson / Centerville exit, also the highway 46 exit (about 30 miles from Bellevue area).  Turn left at the top of the exit ramp onto highway 46 south going toward Centerville.  Travel 6.3 miles to the intersection of highway 100 at the 4-way stop.  (Highway 46 changes names to highway 7 after you cross through this intersection.)  Proceeded straight through this intersection and travel until you come to the Paul C. Tidwell Bridge (about 7.5 miles), cross the bridge and start up an incline.  At the top of the hill you will pass M. Pleasant Cemetery Road on your right, and the Primm Ridge Road ahead on your right.  Turn right on to Primm Ridge Road.  You will wind around and down the hill for 1.3 miles and will come to an intersection.  Bear right and cross the small bridge, and go ahead for 1.9 miles to where the road dead ends.  Turn left on to Primm Springs Road.  Go 4 miles until the road dead ends into Leatherwood Road.  Turn Left.  Go 1 mile and turn right on to Dry Prong Road.  Go to the first drive on your right and turn into the property crossing the concrete bridge.  There is a “Narrow Gate at Leatherwood Forge” sign at the entrance.  Follow the gravel lane past the small white house on the left, through the gate and back to the lodge. 

From Birmingham via I-65

Take I-65 North toward Nashville from Birmingham or Huntsville.  Go to the exit for 50, toward Columbia. This will swing around the south side of Columbia, past the Maury Regional Hospital and also be called the James Campbell Parkway. Just one mile past the hospital you will come to an intersection of 50 and 412.  (There are two gas stations and a traffic light at this intersection.) Turn left, following the signs to 50 towards Centerville.   Go approximately one mile and veer off to your right, still following the signs to Centerville.  Travel approximately 14 miles and you will be in the very small town of Shady Grove. (Exactly one mile past the Natchez Trace Bridge)   There will be a yellow building on your left called the Duck River Market. Across from the market you will see Leatherwood Road.  Turn right onto Leatherwood Road.  I have a sign here that looks like a real estate sign.  It says Leatherwood Forge Retreat Center and Bountiful Blessings Farm (my neighbors) and they will be at each intersection the rest of the way.  Go about 2.5 miles and turn right at the stop sign where Bratton Rd merges with Leatherwood Rd. Continue to wind around, across the Duck River Bridge, past the very large mulch pile at Primm Springs Rd (go straight), and one mile from there, turn right onto Dry Prong Rd.  I am the first driveway one on your right (large property sign here).  Come across the bridge and follow the gravel road past the white house on your left, through the gate, and back to the retreat center.  The lodge will be on your right.  Drive Safely!  Cell phones do not work past Columbia.