Written by Rick Glass
Clarksville, TN – The kids, have you climbing the walls? Have you had just about all you can take of Cousin Eddie and his family? The Holidays are a wonderful time, granted, but sometimes there can be too much of a good thing.
After a while, the dogs, cats, in-laws, and out-laws can wear on you. So where can you get away from all the stress and do something good for your health at the same time? Take a Hike!
Clarksville has a great variety of parks and trails to enjoy locally, and there is even more scenery to explore just an hour or two car ride away.
The oldest of Clarksville’s three main hiking parks is Dunbar Cave State Park on Dunbar Cave Road, located next to Swan Lake Golf Course. Established in 1973, Dunbars’ history goes back much further than that. Thousands of years, by Mississippian indigenous peoples who left drawings in the cave itself that you can see on the guided tours.
Home to big band dances, hot springs, a large swimming pool, and a hotel in the past, Dunbar Cave offers up a little over 3 miles of hiking trails for visitors. Full and recovery loops are available, and the trails are all fairly easy.
Since various developments surround the park, it is a sanctuary for deer, and nearby Swan Lake is home to numerous bird species. Owls seem to be especially fond of the layout. Equally interesting and informative is the New Year’s Day hike covering the history of the land and its surroundings.
In the Southern part of the city, just off the 41-A Bypass down from the busy retail center intersection at Madison Street, you’ll find Rotary Park. Rotary is a 111-acre park with trails blazed into undeveloped woodlands and an additional 25 acres of open space area.
Rotary boasts over 5 miles of walkable trails, a creek that runs through the majority of the park, a playground, disc golf course, and the amazing new Wade Bourne Nature Center. Entry to the park is also available from Old Ashland City Road, where there is an amphitheater to enjoy various activities.
An ADA walkway is also available in the middle section of the park, and picnic shelters and tables are located next to the creek for birthday parties and family gatherings.
Make sure you look for the old tobacco barn deep in the Back 40, and be sure to check out the Montgomery County Parks & Recreation website and Facebook page for all the cool programs and events they present.
The baby of the local park scene is The Clarksville Greenway. A collaboration of the “Rails to Trails” program, the Greenway follows the path of an abandoned railroad track turned into hiking, biking, and running space. There are three different entry points: the Pollard Road trailhead, Heritage Soccer Park, and just off Peachers Mill Road.
With a reclaimed rail bed being replaced by asphalt, it has a smoother, rock-free surface prized by runners and skateboarders as well. Varying from slightly inclined to some steep hills, the trail will take you down to the Red River, where plans to build a bridge across the water on the old concrete trestles.
Walking the entire length totals a little more than nine miles, but you have opportunities to do shorter excursions.
The Greenway trail picks up on the other side of the river on the newly opened upland section. Park in the lot next to Action Air on Kraft Street, and you can continue your walk down the rest of the trail, under the Red River bridge, and up to McGregor Park along Riverside Drive.
If you cross over the pedestrian bridge on Riverside and go behind the hotel, you can reach the upland spur that terminates in the Dog Hill neighborhood, which is also a lovely place for a leisurely walk.
If you want to take a short trip out of town, drive about 45 minutes south on Hwy 41-A and pass through Pleasant View. Just a little way off the main road to your right is Beaman Park. Near Joelton, Beaman is a 1,678-acre park in Davidson County. With ridges and hollows, Beaman offers mini trails and 7-1/2 and 15-mile routes that will definitely give you a good workout. There’s a nature center and beautiful scenery everywhere you look.
Finally, another very nice park to visit nearby is Montgomery Bell State Park in Burns, Dickson County. About 45 minutes away, Montgomery Bell features 3 lakes, a great selection of hiking trails, a large camping area with utility hookups, kayaking (with rentals), archery, a nature center, and is the home to three Tennessee Raptors.
Informative shows and presentations are held at the center, and the park is a great place for viewing spring flowers and fall colors. And it’s where they filmed part of the iconic movie “Ernest Goes to Camp”!
So, get out of the house and let your crew burn off some energy as they work through their holiday cabin fever. You’ll get some exercise see some beautiful sights, and you might even make the kids tired enough to nod off early by enjoying Tennessee’s natural beauty.
Take a Hike!
