Top 20 Parks In and Around Nashville Tennessee

On any given Sunday, you will find state parks across America filled with families enjoying natural amenities created and preserved by our government. Although Nashville Tennessee is known as 'Music City' and 'The Home of Country Music', we didn’t believe at first, when a friend of ours mentioned the city of Nashville has 109 public parks and Greenway’s within the city limits. After further research, we discovered it is true: A list of Nashville Tennessee City Parks. This does not count the amazing state parks less than an hour’s drive from Nashville’s city center.

If you are considering relocating to beautiful Nashville neighborhoods, take a look at the 'bigger backyard',  the parks and playgrounds preserved for you in Tennessee.

The Best Large Parks In Nashville

• 1) Bicentennial Mall State Park 600 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN A 19 acre park in front of the Tennessee State Capitol Building. Wide open spaces display beautiful views of the downtown. A great place to read a book, play with your children or take an leisurely stroll. The center section of the park has a 2,000 seating outdoor amphitheater. Picnic tables and bathrooms are available at the park.

• 2) Centennial Park 2600 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN Home to the Parthenon replica, a 132 acre park in the heart of downtown Nashville. Gardens, water features such as the duck pond, nice walking trails and scenic photographic park. Joggers frequent the park. Bring your four legged best friend to Centennial Dog Park.

• 3) Radnor Lake State Park 1160 Otter Creek Road, Nashville, TN Six hiking trails weave through the park and around the 85 acre lake. As a protected natural habitat, wildlife is easy to find and observe. Rock formations, wildflowers and wildlife attract photographers from all around the area to photograph this beautiful state park near Nashville neighborhoods.

The Best Large Parks on the edges of Nashville

• 4) Bledsoe Creek State Park 400 Ziegler Fort Road, Gallatin, TN (45 minute drive) This 164 acre park provides camping and boat ramps on Old Hickory Lake, a popular bass fishing lake. There are six miles of hiking trails and twenty two picnic shelters. A children’s playground, softball field and volleyball courts are additional park amenities.

• 5) Burgess Falls State Park 4000 Burgess Falls Drive, Sparta, TN (1.5 hour drive) The park is known for magnificent waterfalls cascading from the Falling Water River from Center Hill Lake. Boating is allowed above the dam area only. Hiking trails of all levels; easy to extremely strenuous lead to the various waterfalls. A children’s playground and restrooms are available in the park

• 6) Cedar of Lebanon State Park 328 Cedar Forest Road, Lebanon, TN (45 minute drive) This 900 acred densely forested park has eight miles of hiking trails, camp sites, seasonal horseback riding and a Olympic size swimming pool for use during the summer months. A modern lodge, tennis courts and ball fields are additional park amenities.

• 7) Edgar Evins State Park 1630 Edgar Evins State Park Road, Silver Point, TN (1 hr drive) This 6,000 acre park is located on the shore of Center Hill Lake. Lodging and camp sites are available. A restaurant is at the marina. Eleven miles of hiking trails weave around the lake. Center Hill Lake is a popular swimming lake in Middle Tennessee.

• 8) Fall Creek Falls State Park 2009 Village Camp Road, Pikeville, TN (2 hour drive) Voted America’s Best State Park in the Southeastern United States. The park is 20,000 acres and is home to the tallest waterfall in the eastern United States named White Fall Creek Falls. Fall Creek Falls State Park has cabins, villas, a fancy guest Park Inn and camp sites for the outdoors man. The Fall Creek Falls State Park restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Fall Creek Falls Golf Course has been named in America’s Top 25 Public Golf Courses. There are 34 miles of hiking trails of all levels in the park. Fishing and boating are permitted on Fall Creek Falls Lake. Horseback rides are available during the summer months. Fall Creek Falls State Park has an Olympic size swimming pool open Memorial Day to Labor Day. There are four ball fields in the park. Fall Creek Falls State Park is busy year round with education events and festivals.

• 9) Henry Horton State Park 4358 Nashville Highway, Chapel Hill, TN (1 hour drive) The Buford Ellington championship 18 hole golf course is located at Henry Horton State Park. The Horton Inn provides accommodations inside the park, along the Duck River. The park also has its own restaurant or outdoor picnic facilities. Easy hiking trails, a paved bicycle path and children’s ballfields are more park amenities. Professional trap and skeet shooting are available in the park’s skeet shooting range. Henry Horton State Park is also known for its Olympic size swimming pool, open Memorial Day weekend through the beginning of August.

• 10) Long Hunter State Park 2910 Hobson Pike, Hermitage TN (30 minute drive) The park is along the shores of the 14,000 acre J. Percy Priest Lake. Two boat ramps are inside the park to access the lake. J. Percy Priest Lake is a popular fishing lake. The Jones Mill mountain bike trail is one of several bike trails at the park. Eight hiking trails of all levels weave throughout the park. Swimming is permitted at the Bryan Grove section of the park. Long Hunter State Park is a pet-friendly park. 

• 11) Old Stone Fort State Park 732 Stone Fort Drive, Manchester, TN (1 hour drive) The 876 acre park has a 9 hole golf course on the Tennessee Golf Trail, bordering the scenic Duck River. The park is a 2,000 year old American Indian ceremonial site and historic museum. Camping, picnic areas and easy hiking trails are at the park.

The Best 9 Small Parks In and Around Nashville:

• 12) Cedar Hill Park 860 W Old Hickory Blvd, Madison, TN Just north of Nashville, this tranquil park has a duck pond, jogging paths, picnic areas, ball fields and a children’s playground. Play disc golf at this beautiful park.

• 13) Crockett Park 9025 Crockett Park, Brentwood, TN A local’s favorite! Crockett Park has tennis courts, an amphitheater, disc golf and fun children’s playgrounds. A nice shaded park with flat jogging trails along a creek near Nashville neighborhoods.

• 14) Fannie Mae Dees Park 240 Blackmore Avenue, Nashville, TN A really cool children’s playground with mystical dragon sculptures.

• 15) Granny White Park 610 Granny White Pike, Brentwood, TN Walking and jogging trails partially shaded, tennis courts, ball fields and a nice children’s playground.

• 16) Percy Warner Park 2500 Old Hickory Blvd, Nashville, TN One of the best parks in Nashville, Percy Warner Park has great hiking and biking trails of all levels and the size of the park makes it easy to get lost. Be sure to bring GPS and trail maps. Dogs and horses are allowed on the trails.

• 17) Richland Creek Greenway 4601 Murphy Road, Nashville TN Crosses over the Ridgeland Creek and is a beautiful walking and biking trail system. The greenway passes by a golf course, a boot camp and borders a quick moving creek.

• 18) Riverfront Park 100 1st Avenue North, Nashville TN In the heart of downtown Nashville, this is a great place to watch boat traffic on the Cumberland River, the Dragon Boat Races, musical concerts and the 4th of July celebrations.

• 19) Sevier Park 3000 Granny White Park, Nashville, TN Open green space with beautiful tree canopies and rolling hills. Nice biking trails, tennis courts, basketball courts, soccer field, picnic pavilion and children’s playground.

• 20) Shelby Park 1601 Davidson Street, Nashville, TN One of Nashville’s best parks, Shelby Park has two golf courses, a dog park, ball fields, ponds and children’s playgrounds. The perfect place for long easy bike rides and walks. The Shelby Bottoms greenway, part of the park system, is Nashville’s famous greenway along the Cumberland River, ideal for cyclists.

Tennessee is one of the lowest cost of living states in the Southeast for retirement. If you are looking for Nashville neighborhoods, ask us to share our favorites. This is how we help folks in the real estate market. You may not know, we personally visit each and every master planned community we recommend. 

We're happy to share a list of the best hotels, restaurants and things happening in the area, all to make your visit more enjoyable. Write us at info@communityfinder.com