Outdoor Activities Nashville: Summer Escapes

Nashville's summer heat is in full swing, and with the mercury hitting 95°F on Thursday, locals are scrambling for ways to cool off without staying stuck inside. The good news: the city's parks, waterways and greenways offer a half-dozen ways to beat the heat this July.

Paddle the Cumberland, hike the ridges

The Cumberland River is the obvious starting point. Kayak and paddleboard rentals at the Nashville Adventure Science Center's dock start at $35 for a two-hour session, and the river's current keeps things moving even on still days. Since the city opened the Riverfront Park paddle-craft launch in 2023, weekday traffic has doubled, according to Metro Parks data. Locals should aim for early morning or dusk-the sun bakes the exposed stretches between the Shelby Street and Jefferson Street bridges by 11 a.m.

For hikers, Radnor Lake State Park remains the closest wilderness within city limits. The park's 1,332 acres see about 1,200 visitors on a typical Saturday, but the 3.2-mile Ganier Ridge Trail stays cooler under the oak-hickory canopy. Entrance is free, but parking fills by 8 a.m. on weekends. The park ranger station reports that the 600-acre lake's water temperature is currently 82°F, warm enough for a post-hike dip if you don't mind the leeches.

Greenways for runners and riders

The Shelby Bottoms Greenway, running 5.1 miles from Shelby Park to the Stones River, is Nashville's busiest paved trail. Metro Parks logged 340,000 users on that stretch in June alone, a 12% jump from last year. The trail connects to the 2.5-mile Stones River Greenway, which dead-ends at the Percy Priest Dam-a popular spot for sunset photos. Cyclists can rent bikes from the Nashville B-cycle station at the Shelby Park boathouse for $8 per hour, but bring your own lock; the station's dock has a habit of running out of spaces by noon.

If you want to get out of the city entirely, the 1,200-acre Beaman Park Nature Center in Joelton is worth the 20-minute drive north. The park's 14 miles of trails include the 2.5-mile Lick Creek Falls Loop, which ends at a 12-foot waterfall that actually flows year-round. The Metro Parks naturalist program runs free guided hikes there every Saturday at 10 a.m. through August 15, and the center's butterfly garden draws monarchs through mid-October.

For a quick fix, Centennial Park's walking loop is exactly one mile and circles the Parthenon. The park's 75-year-old dogwood trees provide patchy shade, and the benches near the lawn bowling green are usually empty on weekday afternoons. Metro Parks plans to install six new water-bottle refill stations there by August 1, replacing the old fountains that have been broken since June.

The bottom line: Nashville's outdoors are busier than ever. With the city's population now topping 850,000, the green spaces get squeezed. But the options remain good-if you get there early enough.