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 boots, because we’ve compiled a hiking guide for Middle Tennessee with 19 routes and trails to help you plan your next adventure.
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, turkey, 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
Your route will be a bit hilly at times, with stretches of flat land and a few water crossings. Plus, 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
Take in views of Percy Priest Lake and the surrounding woods, with a variety of wildlife and wildflowers along the way. The trail is 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
Cross several springs and open meadows, and expect 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
With an elevation gain of ~790 ft, this route 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
Travel through open meadows and wooded areas taking in 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 nature enthusiasts.
No trip to Warner Parks is complete without a trip up the Allée steps — the Belle Meade entrance to Percy Warner Park. | Photo by @monkeytrent
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 rain. Pro tip: Walk down a paved road the trail crosses to the cleared knob of Luke Lea Heights for views from 922 ft.
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 one 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.
Some spots on the web consider Hidden Lake a hidden gem — do you? | Photo by @gotta_have_faithhhh
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. Bonus: Learn more about Hidden Lake’s past as a resort.
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 tall grass. Take in colorful wildflowers, from asters to ironweed in season, and watch for the many species of birds that frequent the area.
From 1928 until 1944, The Falling Water River was used to generate hydroelectric power for Cookeville, TN. | Photo by Alex Banakas via Flickr
Waterfall wonders
Gorge Overlook and Woodland Trails, Fall Creek Falls State Park
Difficulty: 🥾🥾
Length: 3.1-mile loop
Pet friendly: Yes, leash required
Just over two hours from Nashville is Tennessee’s largest and most visited state park at 26,000+ acres. This hike is primarily shaded for those hotter summer months, and the beginning of the trail offers a view of the creek.
River Trail to Ridgetop Trail, Burgess Falls State Park
Difficulty: 🥾🥾
Length: 1.5 miles out and back
Pet friendly: Yes, leash required
The route combines the River Trail, Upper Trail, and Ridgetop Trail for the chance to see four waterfalls, the last of which descends over 130 ft into the gorge.
Cummins Falls Base Route, Cummins Falls State Park
Difficulty: 🥾🥾
Length: 2.4 miles out and back
Pet friendly: Yes, leash required
Though dogs are allowed, it’s not recommended as the route is rugged and steep. You’ll follow the Falls Overlook Trail and Blackburn Fork to get a close look at the base of the waterfall. You must purchase a permit to access the gorge. Pro tip: You’ll also cross the river, so you might want to pack water shoes.
Ozone Falls is so picturesque, it was actually chosen as a filming location for some scenes in the 1994 “Jungle Book.” | Photo by Frank Kehren via Flickr
Ozone Falls Trail, Ozone Falls State Natural Area
Difficulty: 🥾🥾
Length: 0.3 miles out and back
Pet friendly: Yes, leash required
If you’re looking to get right to the view, this short trip leads you right to the base of the waterfall, plus there’s a wading pool. Beware, large rocks might make this route a bit more difficult for Fido.
Busby and Machine Falls Loop, Short Springs State Natural Area
Difficulty: 🥾🥾
Length: 1.9-mile loop
Pet friendly: Yes, leash required
Venture through this Tullahoma forest, where you’ll see three waterfalls ranging from 20- to 60-ft. Be mindful of your shoe choice as the route can be muddy and slick. Parking is also limited at the trailhead.
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.
- Travel light (but still have room for snacks) with Lululemon’s Everywhere Belt Bag.
- Get a good bulk deal on Perfect 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.
