Deep South

States: Mississippi · Alabama

Start near: Huntsville (starts here) · Chattanooga (about 1 h 55 min to Huntsville)

The Shoals

the river that sings

The Shoals is a ~150-mile back-roads route from Corinth to Huntsville on US 72 and AL 20, driven in 2 days, that stays off I-22 / I-65 through the Deep South.

Open the interactive map →

Drive

Corinth → Huntsville

Distance

~150 miles

Time

2 days

Highways

US 72 · AL 20

Avoids

I-22 / I-65

Region

Deep South

Four small towns on the Tennessee River cut more hit records than cities a hundred times their size: Aretha at FAME, the Stones at 3614 Jackson Highway, and the Swampers backing everybody. The same few miles raised W.C. Handy and Helen Keller, and Frank Lloyd Wright left Alabama exactly one house, here. The route runs from Corinth's Civil War crossroads to Huntsville, with a coon dog cemetery in between, because Alabama.

📍 Alabama music trail markers cluster in the Quad Cities; Corinth's crossroads story is told at the interpretive center.

The drive, segment by segment

Corinth Crossroads

Corinth → Tuscumbia · ~55 mi

The rail junction both armies bled for, then east into the Quad Cities along the river.

• ⚔️Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center — Corinth

  The crossroads the armies called the vertebrae of the Confederacy, plus the contraband camp where thousands freed themselves ahead of the law.

The Shoals

Tuscumbia → Florence · ~15 mi

FAME, 3614, Handy and Keller inside one fifteen-minute polygon of world history.

• 🎸FAME Studios — Muscle Shoals

  Rick Hall's hit factory: Aretha found her sound here in one famous afternoon, and the session men became the Swampers of Skynyrd's verse.

• 🎸3614 Jackson Highway — Sheffield

  Muscle Shoals Sound, the studio the Swampers built after leaving FAME; the Stones cut Brown Sugar and Wild Horses in this cinder-block box.

• 🏛️Ivy Green — Tuscumbia

  Helen Keller's birthplace, pump and all; The Miracle Worker plays on the grounds each summer.

• 🏛️Handy Birthplace & Rosenbaum House — Florence

  W.C. Handy's log cabin and museum, and a mile away the Rosenbaum House, Frank Lloyd Wright's only Alabama building, tours daily.

Limestone County

Florence → Huntsville · ~80 mi

US 72 to Athens and tiny Mooresville, then into the Rocket City.

• 🏘️Mooresville — Mooresville

  An 1818 village older than the state, all picket fences and a working post office with call boxes from 1840.

Tips and best time to go

• Book FAME and 3614 tours ahead; both run limited daily slots.
• The W.C. Handy Music Festival takes over Florence in late July.

Frequently asked questions

How long is The Shoals and how many days does it take?

The Shoals is about 150 miles and takes 2 days at a back-roads pace.

Where does The Shoals start and end?

It runs from Corinth to Huntsville.

Which highways does The Shoals follow?

It follows US 72 and AL 20.

Which interstate does The Shoals replace?

It avoids I-22 / I-65, using US 72 and AL 20 instead.

How many stops are on The Shoals, and what are the highlights?

6 stops are mapped, including Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center, FAME Studios, 3614 Jackson Highway, Ivy Green and Handy Birthplace & Rosenbaum House.

When is the best time to drive The Shoals?

The atlas’s seasonal note for this route: “The W.C. Handy Music Festival takes over Florence in late July.”

Worth a detour

• Coon Dog Cemetery — The only cemetery in the world reserved for coon dogs, burying champions since 1937. Bring no ordinary dog; they check credentials, in spirit.
• Rattlesnake Saloon — A saloon tucked under a sandstone bluff overhang outside Tuscumbia; the 'saloon taxi' pickup hauls you down the hollow.