Happy trails: Our guide to hiking around Nashville

From quick and easy loops around town to drives that take you to fantastic lakes, our city has so many options to hit the trail. So lace up your hiking boots, because we’ve compiled a hiking guide for the Nashville area with 14 routes and trails to help you plan your next adventure and experience breathtaking views.

Note: While parks and trails may be listed as open, we recommend checking park websites before visiting for further info, current trail conditions, and safest practices for the area.

Key: Easy = 🥾 | Moderate = 🥾🥾 | Hard = 🥾🥾🥾

Sedge Hill Trail, Beaman Park

Difficulty: 🥾
Length: 2 miles out-and-back
Pet friendly: Yes, leash required

This Beaman Park trail connects the Nature Center to the Henry Hollow Loop. Hike it in under one hour (or longer if you want to stop and enjoy the creek) or add on Henry Hollow Loop and Ridgetop Trail for a ~six-mile adventure.

High Ridge Trail and Shoreline Trail, Bledsoe Creek State Park

Difficulty: 🥾🥾
Length: 2.8-mile loop
Pet friendly: Yes, leash required

This state park trail is a mix of wooded areas, lakeside paths, and open areas, making it a great option for hikers seeking variety. The loop combines the park’s two longest trails and offers an abundance of wildlife, including deer, turkeys, and geese.

Rogers Walk Trail, Ellington Agricultural Center

Difficulty: 🥾
Length: 2.4-mile loop
Pet friendly: Yes, leash required

This trail south of downtown offers a peaceful and easy hike through the arboretum. Watch for wildlife and a variety of native Tennessee trees and plants along the route, including the iris garden maintained by the Middle Tennessee Iris Society.

Harpeth Woods Trail, Edwin Warner Park

Difficulty: 🥾🥾
Length: 2.5-mile loop
Pet friendly: Yes, leash required

Enjoy forest scenery and river views along this moderate hike at Edwin Warner Park. The trail is hilly at times with stretches of flat land and a few water crossings. Add on the Owl Hollow Loop (0.33-mile spur trail) for a short hike through barred owl territory.

Day Loop Trail, Long Hunter State Park

Difficulty: 🥾🥾
Length: 3.7-mile loop
Pet friendly: Yes, leash required

The trail offers views of Percy Priest Lake and the surrounding woods, with a variety of wildlife and wildflowers along the way. It’s a popular destination for hikers and nature enthusiasts, but expect some steep inclines along the route.

Mossy Ridge Trail, Percy Warner Park

Difficulty: 🥾🥾
Length: 5.1-mile loop
Pet friendly: Yes, leash required

Mossy Ridge features a variety of terrain, from level ground to steep inclines, and crosses several springs and open meadows. The trail offers shady spots, resting benches, and a short spur trail that leads to a “quiet point.” For longer hikes, take the one-mile Cane Connector trail between Percy and Edwin Warner Parks.

Ganier Ridge And South Cove Trail, Radnor Lake State Park

Difficulty: 🥾🥾
Length: 5.4-mile loop
Pet friendly: No

This scenic, but moderately challenging route has an elevation gain of ~790 ft. and takes hikers away from the park’s most popular loop and up to a ridgeline with views of the lake through foliage. Running, jogging, and bicycles are prohibited, so plan to reserve about ~2.5 hours for this day hike. Radnor Lake also offers ADA-accessible trails.

Bells Bend Loop Trail, Bells Bend Park

Difficulty: 🥾🥾
Length: 4.2-mile loop
Pet friendly: Yes, off-leash allowed in some areas

The trail features a variety of terrain, from open meadows to wooded areas, and offers views of the surrounding farmland and the Cumberland River. With multiple access points, picnic areas, and fishing and bird watching opportunities, you will often be in the company of other hikers and nature enthusiasts.

Warner Woods Loop, Percy Warner Park

Difficulty: 🥾🥾
Length: 2.9-mile loop
Pet friendly: Yes, leash required

This partially-paved, partially dirt trail is in a heavily-wooded area of the park and might be a little muddy in spots after a rain. Pro tip: Take in views from 922 ft by walking down a paved road the trail crosses to the cleared knob of Luke Lea Heights.

Burch Reserve Trail, Edwin Warner Park

Difficulty: 🥾🥾
Length: 3-mile loop
Pet friendly: No

In the fields and hollows of this trail, you’ll find old homesites, grasslands, a few small ponds, and a wetland. If you climb the ridge tops in the winter months, it’s possible to catch a view of the Harpeth Hills and Nature Center.

Historic Valve House Trail, Radnor Lake State Park

Difficulty: 🥾
Length: 0.8 miles out-and-back
Pet friendly: No

The trail opened in 2012 as part of the Tennessee State Parks 75th anniversary celebration. Radnor supplied 1 million gallons of water a day to the rail yards for steam engines and drinking water for cattle at the height of the valve’s use.

Hidden Lake Trail, Harpeth River State Park

Difficulty: 🥾
Length: 1.3 miles out-and-back
Pet friendly: Yes, leash required

Follow the creek through the woods before your journey ends at the water’s edge. Take a beat and soak up the serene atmosphere at the bench on the far side of the lake.

Peeler Park Gravel Trail, Peeler Park

Difficulty: 🥾
Length: 2.6 miles out-and-back
Pet friendly: Yes, leash required

Tucked away on a curve of the Cumberland River called Neely’s Bend, the gravel portion of this trail is a bit hillier than its paved counterpart. If you’re looking to lengthen your route, add in the ~2.7-mile Peeler Park Loop.

Dove Farm Loop, Bells Bend Park

Difficulty: 🥾
Length: 2.3-mile loop
Pet friendly: Yes, leash required

A portion of the pastoral hike winds along the Cumberland River. Pro tip: You’ll be traveling through open fields, so wear tall socks and boots to avoid high grass. Take in colorful wildflowers from asters to ironweed in season and watch for the many species of birds that frequent the area.

Get the right gear

Get the most out of your trip with comfortable, handy, and helpful hiking gear:

• For the best footwear, check out Nordstrom Rack’s sneaker edit for hiking.
• If your trail demands a proper hiking boot, we like Columbia’s collection on Amazon.
• For apparel that’s both flattering and functional, we turn to small business Aesthetic Built. We love the oversized scuba hoodies for women and the muscle scallop tees for men.
• Travel light (but still have room for snacks) with lululemon’s Everywhere Belt Bag.
• Get a good bulk deal on Perfect Bars, Clif Bars, or Kind Bars at a warehouse store like Sam’s Club.
• Don’t forget to bring a compact, portable phone charger (you’ll thank us later).
• We like this Teton hiking backpack.
• We like this lightweight water bottle.
• Psst — to be ultra-prepared, here are the 10 items you should never enter a national park without, according to the National Park Service.