Next weekend in Nashville (Ashland City, Ridgetop: house, live, mall)

[IrishCoffee]

Hello Nashville!

I will be visiting later in the week and I have really enjoyed this forum for info. I am on a fact finding mission to see if my relocation here would be as great as I imagine. Need to know where I can walk 4 miles each day.
I walk on the beach every day so challenging terrain is welcome.
Should I bring my hiking boots?

[alleycat]

You could try Warner Park (it's a huge city park with varied terrain), Centennial Park (mostly level) or the Radnor Lake area. You could also walk downtown if you were so inclined, Nashville is built on hills so a walk from the Farmer's Market/Bicentennial Mall to the Capital to the War Memorial Plaza to Broadway to Riverfront Park and back to the Mall might be an interesting walk plus you'd see parts of downtown. There's a few greenbelts around town near the river.

Here's a link to the state parks in Middle Tennssee that list hiking as part of the recreational activities: Tennessee Vacation - Hiking
The Cumberland River Trail listed in Ashland City is about 30 minutes away from Nashville but is an interesting walk; it was an old railroad track that was abandoned.

[IrishCoffee]

Thanks AC - sounds great- I will be in town 5 days, I'll pick a different walk each day. One more question as a solo traveler are there any parks or areas I should be wary of?

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by IrishCoffee

Thanks AC - sounds great- I will be in town 5 days, I'll pick a different walk each day. One more question as a solo traveler are there any parks or areas I should be wary of?

No, I don't think so, especially during the day. About the only problem I hear of in any of the parks is people having sex in them. Any of the largest city parks would be possible walking areas.

You could also walk about the Vanderbilt/Hillsboro Village area. The Natchez Trace Parkway run by the National Park Service is an interesting drive . . . and has bike routes if you wanted to try that. Due to the drought we've had the foliage isn't as pretty this year but you'll still see some color around town next week.

[mad fiddler]

Beaman Park in Joelton has some great trails. We went hiking yesterday on the Ridgetop Trail which is about four and a half miles round trip. There's a shorter trail, as well, that goes down to a creek, then follows it before heading back up again.

The foliage is beautiful right now.

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by mad fiddler

Beaman Park in Joelton has some great trails. We went hiking yesterday on the Ridgetop Trail which is about four and a half miles round trip. There's a shorter trail, as well, that goes down to a creek, then follows it before heading back up again.

The foliage is beautiful right now.

That's one of the greenbelts I mentioned. I haven't been to Beaman but it looks nice from the pictures I've seen. Does it go around Marrowbone Lake as well?

Not too far from there is a house where Jesse James lived for a while. Funny, I think there's a bank in front of the house now.

[mad fiddler]

Originally Posted by alleycat

That's one of the greenbelts I mentioned. I haven't been to Beaman but it looks nice from the pictures I've seen. Does it go around Marrowbone Lake as well?

Marrowbone Lake is north of Beaman Park.

Here's more info about the park:
Friends of Beaman Park

[alleycat]

If you decide you want to try the downtown walk, let me know, and I'll give you a couple of routes that will take you by some of the more interesting downtown areas and keep you from having to cross too many of the busier streets. You could do a "north of Broadway" walk (all the street have "N" in their name), and/or a "south of Broadway" walk around the new symphony hall.

[IrishCoffee]

Originally Posted by alleycat

If you decide you want to try the downtown walk, let me know, and I'll give you a couple of routes that will take you by some of the more interesting downtown areas and keep you from having to cross too many of the busier streets. You could do a "north of Broadway" walk (all the street have "N" in their name), and/or a "south of Broadway" walk around the new symphony hall.

Please and thank you that would be great- it's great to get advice from the
cognoscenti.