Gallatin, TN Outdoor Activities

With Cumberland River Cruises, water travelers will enjoy scenic vistas of the Cumberland River and Old Hickory Lake from the deck of Discovery, a red-, white-, and blue-topped pontoon boat operated by Jesse Caskey. The company's river tours treat hungry eyes to the naturally lovely sights of nature, like a full moon’s reflection in the river’s shimmering looking glass, the beautiful reds and bruised pinks that suffuse Old Hickory Lake when the sun sets the horizon on fire, and—in autumn—a symphony of falling gold-red and butter-yellow leaves as majestic flocks of Major League Baseball teams fly south for the winter. Most tours operate from Thursday through Sunday and are tentatively scheduled for 3 p.m., 5 p.m., and 7 p.m., although schedules will vary based on sunset time. All tours include water and soft drinks.

Professional anger and guide Mike Davis picked up his first fishing pole in his hometown of Orlando, Florida, where the swampy surroundings provided ample opportunities for reeling in scaly specimens. After high school, Mike fulfilled his childhood dream of being a meteorologist before serving a combat tour in the Persian Gulf during Desert Storm, and once back in the States, he was selected as a member of the National Weather Service. While his head was in the clouds, his heart remained by the water, and he ultimately decided to make his passion for fishing his life's pursuit. Today, Mike resides in Nashville where he leads guided fishing tours on Old Hickory Lake, helping anglers of all ages and abilities catch bass, crappie, catfish, and the rare yet inedible rubber fish.

Calico Jacks Boat & RV Rentals supplies pontoons that skitter across Old Hickory Lake as well as motorboats and RVs that up the entertainment and convenience ante of outdoor getaways. The stable of land and water vehicles, available to rent or to buy, suits day trippers and serious boaters combing the water’s depths for first-edition copies of Moby Dick. After collaring a seaworthy boat, customers can venture out with a professional fishing guide to find an ideal angling spot.

Across Xtreme Paintball's two outdoor fields, colorful salvos paint the sky as opposing gunsmiths duke it out during simulated battles. Red-and-black inflatable cover peppers the speedball field, guarding teams from enemy fire. The warzone field sets the stage for intense scenarios such as capture the flag and team elimination, during which players attempt to mark each opposing paintballer or stick a Kick Me sign to their back. Both open-air arenas play host to casual paintball outings, special events, and league play.

Xtreme Paintball's safety-focused experts monitor each 3–10 minute skirmish. The staff also checks over equipment between each game, whether players rent their gear or airdrop it in from home.

Whether you bring a band of brothers or lone wolf it, Nashville Paintball organizes balanced teams prior to each battle, providing a chance to make friends as well as enemies. Nashville Paintball boasts four battle-ready fields laden with padded barriers, metal piping, abandoned automobiles, haunted hubcaps, and more. Take cover behind your favorite inanimate object and use it strategically throughout a full day of chromatic carnage, risking your honor and wardrobe for a chance at immortality.

Guns and Leather is as much an artists' studio as a shooting range. As onsite gunsmith for more than 30 years, Jeff Walle spends his days restoring and customizing firearms, sometimes machining a part for an antique rifle or working on an engraving.

Walle's respect for the tradition and history of firearms characterizes Guns and Leather, started by the Williams family as a humble 800-square-foot shop in 1999. By 2004, the Williams nearly tripled the size of their operation, moving to a 2,100-square-foot facility in Greenbrier. Today, they oversee a 75-foot indoor range split into five standard lanes with electric target retrieval and five computerized lanes with a Mancom system that can make targets pivot and moonwalk. They also supervise a 35-foot, 15-lane range in Hendersonville, which, like its predecessor, is outfitted with climate-control and air-filtration systems. Beyond supervising the ranges, the Williams also oversee a team of state licensed, NRA-compliant instructors that runs the Guns and Leather Shooting Academy, an instructional suite with courses tailored for everyone from everyday citizens to military personnel. To further demonstrate their commitment to responsible firearms practices, the Williams also coordinate a Junior Shooting Sports Program.