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Trail Conditions |
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Too wet to ride?
Visit the Bike Trails section of the NMB Message Board for user supported updates about local trail conditions. Feel free to post trail conditions any time you ride.
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Nashville Weather |
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Trail "Quick Links" |
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Stay updated: |
You can find, and help us keep trail information updated on the Bike Trails section of the NMB Message Board. You'll find info about trail maintenance days, trail conditions, reroutes, and more. As trails change throughout the year it's easy to get behind with website updates!
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Nashville Bike Trails: |
The Nashville area is filled with great mountain biking trails for everyone to ride. There are some smooth, fast, flowing trails, and for the more adventurous type, a few trails filled with rocks, roots, and drops. Finding a trail to suit your riding style is always easy in the Nashville area.
For a comprehensive guide of all the trails in the Southeast region, visit www.SORBAChattanooga.org.
Nashville Area Trails Listing:
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Longhunter State Park
The beginner section is newly opened with 2.8 miles of trail. It is mostly flat with no technical areas making for a fast trail. In the future will be an intermediate loop and a trials section, with a more advanced technical loop in the works.
Longhunter Trail Map (Topographic)
Longhunter Trail Map (Aerial View)
Directions
From I-40 East - Take I-40 East to Mt Juliet road, exit 226-a. Turn right (south) and go about 4 miles. Turn Left at the brown Bryant Grove sign and go to the end. **Turn Left on Couchville Pike and turn off Couchville pike at the Bryant Grove sign. The trailhead is right after the 10 MPH sign, there is parking on the shoulder just around the corner.
From I-24, south of Nashville - Take I-24 to the Old Hickory Blvd exit (NOT Bell Rd.) and go toward Starwood. OHB turns into Hobson Pike after Mufreesboro Rd. Take Hobson and follow the signs to the Bryant Grove section of Long Hunter. (**above, turn right on Counchville Pike, then follow the rest.)
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Chickasaw Trace
(Info from www.ColumbiaCyclingClub.com)
Chickasaw is suitable for all levels of Mountain Bike riders - from expert racers to 5-year-olds. Several sections of trail have been identified with the signs being constructed and installed through an Eagle Scout project. The trail is a 7.75-mile serpentine loop.
If ridden in a clockwise direction from the trailhead at the MTB parking lot, the initial four miles are relatively flat and follow Knob Creek and the Duck River. Upon entering the "Trail of Tears", the final four miles become very difficult, also known as "technical" among Mountain Bike enthusiasts. The course is designed with several entry/exit points so that a rider can pick the parts of the trail that suits him or her.
Chickasaw Trail Map - PDF Format, 515 Kb.
Maps of the course are also available at Columbia Cycling Club's sign located at the Mountain Bike parking field.
Directions
Columbia residents: Chickasaw Park is located on Route 7 in Columbia, TN, almost two miles past the intersection of Route 7 (Santa Fe Pike) and Industrial Park Road.
From I-65: take Exit 46 and go west on 412. Continue on 412 for 11 miles and exit right on Route 7 and right again at the end of the exit toward Dickson. Entrance to the park is approximately 4 miles on the left.
From I-40: take Exit 172. Go south on Hwy 46 that eventually becomes Route 7. Stay on Rt. 7 south for approximately 20 miles. The park is on the right just after the village of Athendale.
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Montgomery Bell
(Info from Bob Slayden)
The Montgomery Bell mountain bike trails consists of about 21 miles of trail with 2-3 miles more to be built before completion. The trail is located in a dedicated section of the park, on the north side of Highway 70. The trail is open only to mountain bikes.
The trail is divided into basically two sections; the east section with the easier trails (trail colors white, blue and red), and the west section (trail colors green and yellow) for advanced riders. The entire system is singletrack that winds through mature upland hardwood forest interspersed with large pine groves. The area is bisected by a large spring-fed creek. Many of the trails wind along this creek providing for a scenic natural experience. Started in 1997, the trail has been designed and built by volunteers with mountain biking as its sole purpose.
The White Trail is the easiest, and was built first. The turns tend to be tighter, but the trail has a nice flow and rhythm. One of the White Trails follows the creek and is particularly scenic during the spring. The 5.0 miles of White Trail is built mostly on flatter terrain. Some sections are through dense, almost dark, pine thickets. The trails in this part are cushioned with pine needles. Notice the old Price Cemetery with many graves dating to the mid-1800’s.
The Red Trail should be considered a connector trail to the Blue, Green and Yellow Trails. The (2.8 mile) Red trail is a perimeter trail along the north east end of the system, and then cuts through the middle of the park, accessing the other parts of the system. The perimeter section is particularly fast and flowing, both directions. All parts of the red are pretty fast, and carry a lot of traffic. The Red meanders up and down some medium length grades.
The Blue Trail is the medium difficulty trail in the eastern end of the system. There are about 6 miles of Blue Trail. The Blue provides a great workout as it climbs out of and falls back into the valley. The climbs are moderate, but repetitive. The Blue loops away from the Red Trail in six places and also weaves a track across the south side of the system.
The Advanced Green Trail is also called the Downhill (one-way) and the Downhill Extension. This section is 3.6 miles long. You enter the Downhill section from “four-Points” at the southeast end of the system. The Downhill is a mile long straight run along the side of Highway 70, but is isolated and hidden in the trees. It is fast and flowing. The high speed descent into the power line cut, if run with no brakes, will bring you back up the other side with only a few pedal strokes. The continuation of the Green, into the “Extension” takes the difficulty level up a few notches. The first encounter is Tommy’s Revenge, a now-bridged steep ravine. Riders will find it exciting to descend into the hollow, cross the perfectly swayed-back bridge, and be propelled back up almost to the top of the other approach. The mogul section offers 5-6 different lines through some existing steep hand dug pot holes. A return trail allows multiple runs, if desired. The remainder of the Green can be described as a series of fast descents and climbs into and out of a series of hollows, most of which can be run with no brakes.
The Yellow Trail, still unfinished as of May, 2005, has about 3.6 miles complete. It is the most challenging because of the amount and repetition of the climbs. It has some steep gravity drops that need to be run without brakes, but are abrupt, and could cause endo’s for the less skilled. There is a fun “roller-coaster” section where the trail swoops into and out of the same small steep valley. There is one “table-top” type jump, that when run full speed can generate some good air time. Until complete, users can just turn around and run the trail in reverse, or jump over onto the end of the Green near the Western end of the system (use an old jeep road for this cross-over). About 2 more miles are to be built before completion.
In summary, this trail system offers something for everybody, lacking only the rocky sections that are found in some other middle Tennessee trails. The primary attribute of the Montgomery Bell System is the natural characteristics of the geology and soil. The rocky chert found just under the surface humus is extremely durable and fast draining. Erosion has been minimal on even the steep sections. Middle Tennessee riders have found that MB can be ridden when all other systems are too slick or muddy from rains. The trail is usually rideable even the next day after a rain. However, in the freeze-thaw conditions of deep winter, the trail system may be closed for a month or so. Call the State Park if unsure.
Montgomery Bell Trail Map - (Updated July 2006) PDF Format, 242 Kb. (Best if printed on Legal size paper)
Directions
From Nashville, go out I-40 west and get off at the Pasquo, Pegram, McCrory lane exit (next exit after Bellevue). Go north, to the right. Go about 1 mile to highway 70. Turn left (west). go thru Pegram, and keep on thru White Bluff on 70. About 1.5 miles out of White Bluff, look for Jones Creek Road on the right. Turn right and go past the Boat Factory, and look for trailhead parking lot on the right. Turn right on Bill Duke Rd and then immediately into the parking lot. This is about 20 minutes from the I-40 exit.
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Hamilton Creek
(Info from www.hamcreek.com)
There are two loops, the "lakeside" loop, which is approximately 3 miles long, with twists, turns, rocks, roots, and a few hills....and a longer, bit more intermediate/advanced 6.5 mile loop. Both trails are quite hilly, with plenty of layered rocks, roots to ride over, and a few trees to cross.
Hamilton Creek is considered one of the more "technical" trails here in Nashville. The longer trail is basically just more of what the shorter is, with a one longer climb, and a long downhill section with large rocks, roots, trees, etc...great for honing technical skills. The trail is closed when wet.
Hamilton Creek Trail Map - Trail Map - PDF Format, 1.8 MB.
Directions
From the Hickory Hollow Mall area, travel east on Bell Road past Anderson Road and Smith Springs. You'll take a right at the small BMX park sign. Then take the first right which leads to the parking area. The trail entrance is at the far right side of the lot. It may be best to park nearer to the parking lot entrance simply for a higher level of vehicle security.
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Lock 4
This 8.5 mile trail is considered a great scramble trail. Don't let the length scare you away. It's more of a riding trail than a technical trail. The singletrack is twisty and narrow at times with some 4X4 roads for high speed.
Yellow arrows mark the main trail. Since the park is on a peninsula, it's hard to get lost, although you may repeat parts of the trail if you don't pay attention. The trails are well maintained by the Lock 4 Trailblazers. Closed when wet.
Lock 4 Trail Map - GIF Format, 869 Kb.
Directions
From I-40 east of Nashville, take the Gallatin exit (State Road 109 north). Go Approx 10-11 miles. Just over Cumberland River Bridge, turn left on Peach Valley Rd. Go to the road's deadend and turn left on Lock 4 road. Follow to end of road, park at old silo.
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Fairview
Fairview is extremely fun to ride as it can be challenging and fast or easy and slow. You can tell this multi-use trail was created by Mountain bikers as the numerous bridge crossings, log stacks and other fun additions make this fun.
The only thing this trail lacks is a better map and clearly defined loop options. It seems 2 or 3 rides and you'll get it down.
Fairview Trail Map - PDF Format, 300 Kb.
Directions
From Nashville, take I-40 west to Hwy. 96. Go south to Hwy. 100 and drive west for 1.3 miles. Turn on Bowie Lake Drive. Parking and picnic areas are at the bottom of the hill. Trails usually close after rain. Call Bowie Nature Center at 615-799-2484 ext. 820 to see if trails are open.
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