Chapter Fifteen
Ropes, vineyards, caves, mountain lodges. Half-day to full-weekend moves outside town.
Free nature center on the East Nashville greenway — trails, exhibits, and bottomland along the Cumberland.
The nature center anchoring Shelby Bottoms — hundreds of acres of bottomland forest, wetlands, and meadows along the Cumberland River in East Nashville. Free hands-on exhibits, naturalist programs, and direct access to miles of paved and unpaved greenway trails for walking, running, and biking.
Multi-level ropes course, ~25 min south.
Multi-level ropes course and adventure tower in Franklin, about 25 minutes south. Half-day commitment.
Zip lining ~30 min west.
Zip lining and outdoor courses, about 30 minutes west of town.
Kix Brooks's vineyard. Picnic. Lawn. Live music on weekends.
Kix Brooks's vineyard south of Franklin, about 40 minutes from downtown. Bring a picnic, sit on the lawn, listen to live music on weekends.
A Smoky Mountain lodge — out of the way, worth the drive.
A mountain lodge tucked in the Great Smoky Mountains with 160+ five-star reviews. It's well out of the way from Nashville, but special enough to make the list.
True off-leash dog park + bar + cafe in The Nations. Humans enter free.
Nashville's dedicated off-leash dog park + bar + cafe combo. Full indoor and outdoor facility designed for dogs and their humans to socialize together. Weather-friendly spaces with heating and air-conditioning. Bar and cafe service on-site; humans enter free. Hosts events like trivia, live entertainment, and more. Strong emphasis on dogs as family in a supervised off-leash environment.