Last Updated on January 12, 2025 by Tori Pines
Nashville, Tennessee might be known for its music, but there’s so much more to it than the music and lights. And when you’re done exploring the streets of Nashville, start exploring the trails instead. After several years living here, we’ve had the chance to explore tons of hiking trails in Nashville.
I have found the best trails in the area and want to share them with you to help you plan your next adventure. Most of these trails are within 20 minutes of the city, and most are dog-friendly as well. Because why bother hiking if your furry friend can’t tag along too!?
We have enjoyed a variety of difficulties and types of trails and I will include many different types. But unfortunately, to get the mountain views or waterfalls you will have to venture a few hours outside of the city. So these hikes mostly feature lakes and rivers, because that’s what the Nashville area hikes have to offer.
And it’s important to note, all of these trails are completely free and do not require any passes to enter!
This post may contain affiliate links for activities, destinations and products that I love, and think you will too!
Map of the Best Hiking Trails in Nashville
Things You’ll Need for the Hike
Hiking Clothes
High quality hiking clothes can do wonders for your comfort and safety on the trails. You don’t need a lot of variety, but one or two sets of high quality clothes will do the trick.
My go-to for hiking clothes is KÜHL. They offer durable, light-weight, moisture-wicking hiking clothes that are comfortable and cute! I may not have my hair or nails done but I always want to wear cute clothes, so I don’t take this lightly!
Some of my favorite pieces by them are the Freeflex Roll-up pants, the Haven Joggers and the Petra Turtleneck. And when it’s cold, you have to have the Spyfire Parka and the Merino Beanie to stay warm on the trails!
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Hiking Boots
I didn’t want to spend an arm and a leg on my hiking boots, but I also knew I needed something super comfortable, sturdy and reliable. So I bought these Columbia boots and they are amazing. Everything I needed at a great price!
And yes, I do think you need boots instead of sneakers. Many of these trails are super rocky and full of tree roots, so if you’re anything like me, rolling your ankle will happen without the support of hiking boots! I wear mine every single time except for the paved trails.
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Water
The most obvious thing you need to bring along with you on these hiking trails in Nashville is water. But I think what you bring the water in is equally important!
I live by my water bladder so that I can quickly and easily drink as I hike without having to stop and get the water out of my bag.
However, if you prefer to have a traditional water bottle, I also love my Corkcicle Water Bottle Sling to wear and keep my water close by.
Sunscreen
Many of these hiking trails in Nashville have lots of tree coverage which will help keep you safe from the sun, but you should definitely still wear sunscreen on those sunny summer days! I personally buy Sun Bum or Blue Lizard as they are also reef safe for all of your Hawaiian adventures!
AllTrails
If you don’t have it already, what are you waiting for? Get the AllTrails app! It’s free, allows you to search nearby trails, gives you recent reviews, and will help you follow along the trail as you go to ensure you never get lost.
The AllTrails+ membership is also worth looking into as you can download the maps so that even when you lose service you will always stay on track.
The Best Hiking Trails in Nashville
1. Ganier Ridge and South Cove Loop
Location: Radnor Lake State Park
Length: 5.4 Miles
Elevation Gain: 787 Feet
Difficulty: Moderate
AllTrails Link: Ganier Ridge and South Cove Loop
My absolute favorite park on this list is Radnor Lake State Park for a few different reasons! It has two awesome hiking trails in Nashville that circle the lake, a paved and a dirt option. It also has tons of cool wildlife, plenty of parking and is about 15 minutes from downtown!
The longer of the two trails is the Ganier Ridge and South Cove Loop trail. It’s one of the longer trails on this list and has a good amount of elevation gain. But it’s very undulating and weaves in with the other trail around the lake. Sadly, this is the only trail on the list that is not dog-friendly.
2. Radnor Lake Trail
Location: Radnor Lake State Park
Length: 2.7 Miles
Elevation Gain: 121 Feet
Difficulty: Easy
AllTrails Link: Radnor Lake Trail
Radnor Lake Trail is another awesome option for hiking trails in Nashville. It also circles Radnor Lake, but this trail is much shorter, is paved and allows pups! Since it’s paved this is an awesome family-friendly option, you can even bring the stroller if you’d like!
Like I mentioned above, this trail is great because there’s lots of wildlife Especially during Spring in Nashville! We have seen turkeys, deer, and otters here, which is a pretty fun bonus! It’s also close to the city and easy to get to.
3. Warner Woods Loop
Location: Percy Warner Park
Length: 2.9 Miles
Elevation Gain: 541 Feet
Difficulty: Moderate
AllTrails Link: Warner Woods Loop
Probably the most well-known park in Nashville is Percy Warner Park. And the Warner Woods Loop trail starts at the gorgeous and picturesque staircase shown above. This is one of the shorter options of the hiking trails in Nashville, but still has a fair amount of elevation gain.
We loved hiking this trail in May; the weather was beautiful. It was warm but the entire trail is shaded once you get up the stairs which keeps it cool. It’s pet friendly and only takes about an hour and a half to complete! As you can see, our pups loved it!
I think this hike is a great option for a date in Nashville. It’s a beautiful location, not too long and close to the city. A perfect option for newly dating or long married couples to enjoy!
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4. Percy Warner Paved Trail
Location: Percy Warner Park
Length: 6.1 Miles
Elevation Gain: 593 Feet
Difficulty: Moderate
AllTrails Link: Percy Warner Paved Trail
Starting at the same spot as the one before, the Percy Warner Paved trail is another great family-friendly option on the list of hiking trails in Nashville since you can take strollers here.
This is also a great choice for biking since it is one of the longer trails on the list!
And like the hiking trail listed above, this one also starts at the long beautiful staircase.
5. Mossy Ridge Trail Loop
Location: Percy Warner Park
Length: 5.3 Miles
Elevation Gain: 810 Feet
Difficulty: Moderate
AllTrails Link: Mossy Ridge Trail Loop
The Mossy Ridge Trail Loop is also located in Percy Warner Park, but you access it from a different entrance than the others. It has the most elevation gain of all the hiking trails in Nashville that I’ve included on the list so will offer the best workout and is a great option for anyone training for a hike. I enjoyed doing this one when I was training for the Inca Trail. It’s not that intense though, don’t worry!
Mossy Ridge Trail Loop can connect to the other trails in the park, so you can mix it up and make different routes if you’d like. It’s dog-friendly and will take about 2.5 hours to complete,
6. Harpeth Woods Trail
Location: Edwin Warner Park
Length: 2.5 Miles
Elevation Gain: 341 Feet
Difficulty: Moderate
AllTrails Link: Harpeth Woods Trail
Just across the street from Percy Warner Park is Edwin Warner Park, another great option for hiking trails in Nashville. One of the best trails here is the Harpeth Woods Trail. This was the first trail we hiked after moving to Nashville a few years ago, so it holds a special place in our hearts.
There’s plenty of parking here and nice facilities if you need to use the bathroom. There’s even a dog park! This trail is one of the easiest, most relaxing options on the list with only 2.5 miles and 341 feet of elevation gain. A great option for any hiker!
7. Day Loop Trail
Location: Long Hunter State Park
Length: 3.7 Miles
Elevation Gain: 262 Feet
Difficulty: Moderate
AllTrails Link: Day Loop Trail
Long Hunter State Park is located about 30 minutes east of Nashville but is worth the drive, as it has some of the best hiking trails in Nashville! It’s located on Percy Priest lake, and has great water views!
The Day Loop Trail is rated the #1 hiking trail in Nashville on AllTrails, and it’s one of our favorites too! We live on this side of town so we especially love how close to home it is.
This hiking trail is dog-friendly, low elevation gain and has great stops at the lake. So pack a picnic lunch and sit on the rocks to enjoy the view!
8. Couchville Lake Loop Trail
Location: Long Hunter State Park
Length: 2.2 Miles
Elevation Gain: 36 Feet
Difficulty: Easy
AllTrails Link: Couchville Lake Loop Trail
The Couchville Lake Loop Trail is another one of our favorite hiking trails in Nashville, and one that we do often. It’s another paved trail, so feel free to bring strollers!
This trail is a great one when you just want a leisurely stroll. It’s only 2 miles long, has basically no elevation gain and is paved, so it’s the ultimate relaxing hike! We have a tradition of doing this trail on holidays. Walk off all that turkey!
Another plus, this trail has some Letterboxes. If you’re not familiar with what those are, you can learn all about Letterboxing here!
9. Stones River Greenway
Location: Hermitage Public Use Area
Length: 5.7 Miles
Elevation Gain: 219 Feet
Difficulty: Easy
AllTrails Link: Stones River Greenway
Another amazing paved hiking trail in Nashville is the Stones River Greenway. It connects to the longer Two Rivers Greenway, a 23 mile paved trail that runs east of town.
The Stones River Greenway portion of the trail is by far one of the most gorgeous in Nashville, especially in the fall. Explore this hiking trail in Nashville while the leaves are changing colors for the best scenery.
When we first moved to Nashville we lived in the apartment complex that connected to this trail so the dogs and I would run on this trail daily. The picturesque old bridges, river views and fall foliage made going on runs here so relaxing.
10. Shelby Bottoms Greenway Trail
Location: Shelby Bottoms Park
Length: 8.1 Miles
Elevation Gain: 88 Feet
Difficulty: Easy
AllTrails Link: Shelby Bottoms Greenway Trail
The closest trail to downtown on my list of hiking trails in Nashville is the Shelby Bottoms Greenway Trail. This is another section of the Two Rivers Greenway mentioned above, and this section is the closest part to downtown Nashville.
It’s another great paved trail, perfect for runners, strollers, bikers and more. It’s also awesome how close to the city it is; just 3 miles from downtown!
11. Westhaven West Slope and East Slope Trail
Location: Franklin, TN
Length: 4.4 Miles
Elevation Gain: 748 Feet
Difficulty: Moderate
AllTrails Link: Westhaven West Slope and East Slope Trail
This hiking trail is further from Nashville, located in Franklin, TN, about 30 minutes from downtown. The trail is located in a super nice neighborhood, so just be respectful of the residents when you’re parking and getting in/out of your car.
The trail itself is really fun! There’s lots of ups and downs to get some good elevation gain. And in the middle there’s a tree with swings, which is so cool to find on a hiking trail. We encountered a good amount of little flies, because there’s water nearby, so just be sure to wear some bug spray.
And while AllTrails says it’s only 4.4 miles, it’s definitely longer, about 5 miles total!
12. High Ridge Trail and Shoreline Trail Loop
Location: Bledsoe Creek State Park
Length: 2.8 Miles
Elevation Gain: 278 Feet
Difficulty: Moderate
AllTrails Link: High Ridge Trail and Shoreline Trail Loop
About 45 minutes drive north east of Nashville is Bledsoe Creek State Park. The park is home to some nice hiking trails and camping! The High Ridge Trail and Shoreline Loop is an awesome, relatively easy trail with beautiful water views and some unique elements.
We hiked this one recently with our baby in tow and it was pretty manageable to do with her. We stopped at some benches along the water to feed her which was a nice plus! There’s a small parking lot and nice visitors center and bathrooms.
13. Valley View Loop
Location: Barfield Crescent Park
Length: 3.0 Miles
Elevation Gain: 406 Feet
Difficulty: Easy
AllTrails Link: Valley View Loop
South of Nashville, in Murfreesboro, is another one of the easy trails on the list. This is definitely one of the prettiest options on my list of hiking trails in Nashville with some lookouts and wildlife! We thoroughly enjoyed hiking this trail as I was training for the Inca Trail.
A nice plus about Barfield Crescent Park is that there are tons of trails that you can branch off to create your own hike. Make it as long or short as you’d like!
We have explored most of the parks in the Nashville area and they are all wonderfully maintained! We are lucky to have so many wonderful hiking trails in Nashville, and I hope you get out and explore some of them too! So once you’ve had enough of the Nashville bar scene, exploring Broadway and listening to live music, pick a trail and get exploring!
