Nashville Outdoor Activities
Nashville Outdoor Activity Guide
With attractions such as the Grand Old Opry and several world-renowned art museums, Nashville has a lot of action going on indoors. But on days when thick, lush Tennessee landscape beckon residents outdoors, it’s good to know there is plenty to do once they get out there. From Nashville concerts and parks to tours of some of the city’s most popular and offbeat Nashville outdoor activities, the city provides a wealth of outdoor entertainment.
It’s difficult to talk about Nashville concerts that take place outdoors without mentioning Bonnaroo, the indie/rock/hip-hop music blowout that takes place every June in nearby Manchester, Tennessee. Now in its 10th year, Bonnaroo has become one of the must-see music festivals in the country. Elsewhere in Nashville, outdoor concert venues such as Fannie Mae Dee’s Park, Centennial Park, the Bicentennial Mall, and Public Square Plaza, all host free country, soul, jazz, pop, and classical concerts.
With more than 10,000 areas of land, the Nashville parks and recreation system has enough space to provide residents with room to run, bike, swim, golf, and hike. Nature centers at Beaman Park, Bells Bend, Shelby Bottoms, and Warner Park can make one appreciate the lush green spaces and further add discussions on the plant and wildlife that can be found.
Finally, bulk up knowledge of this great city with a tour. Foodies will love the Nashville Food Tour for an insider’s look at the city’s growing restaurant industry (yes, there will be samples), while the more adventurous will opt for one of the walking Nashville Ghost Tours. A great self-guided tour of the city will follow the circuit that leads from Printer’s Alley to the Riverfront, with stops that include Fort Nashborough, Gruhn Guitars, and the Wildhorse Saloon.
Check out the many concerts, tours, and parks in the area and enjoy the outdoors with the numerous Nashville outdoor activities.
Outdoor Activity Deals
Bob White Springs
Learn the basics of fly-fishing in three-hour lessons at springs with its own hatchery
Honeysuckle Hill Farm
- Coopertown
Guests in harnesses soar over ponds and creeks on eight ziplines and traverse bridges up to 100 ft. in the air
Juro Stables
- Mt. Juliet
Guided trail rides amble through forest and fields to uncover natural wonders at a pace that caters to riders’ experience levels
King's Creek Golf Club
- Spring Hill
Designed by Arnold Palmer, par 70 course seamlessly integrates three creeks, groves of trees, and bentgrass greens into 6,807-yard layout
Recommended Outdoor Activities by Groupon Customers
The peaks of the Organ Mountains rise above the Mesilla Valley, framing the immaculate greenery of Sonoma Ranch Golf Course's 18-hole, 7,028-yard layout. Designed by internationally renowned course architect Cal Olson, the course unfurls across the valley floor with undulating fairways, encroaching water hazards, and sprawling bunkers that force players to build sandcastle trebuchets to rescue errant golf balls. A lengthy course when played from the back tees, the grassy monolith also challenges players' short game with massive, bentgrass greens peppered with hard-to-read breaks. Clubbers can prepare for their pin-hunting voyage with a stint at the driving range or practice green, or stare down the treacherous fairways over a tasty nosh at the Sunset Grill, which overlooks the scenic expanse.
Course at a Glance:
- Designed by Cal Olson
- 18-hole, par 72 course
- Bentgrass greens
- Length of 7,028 yards from the farthest tees
- Course rating of 72.1 from the farthest tees
- Slope rating of 120 from the farthest tees
- Three tee options
Music City Riding Academy's 144-acre facility and nurturing staff keep horses and horse lovers happy with full boarding, pasture boarding, and riding lessons that include saddle-seat, hunt-seat, and Western techniques. Inside the facility's 150'x200' all-weather arena, horse shows and centaur battles entertain audiences. Knowledgeable instructors keep students safe during summer camps (May–August) and riding lessons, leading mounted participants along nearby trails in search of equestrian enlightenment.
The staff members at Segway of Nashville share their enthusiasm for the eco-friendly pedestrian device by leading tours and selling the Segway PT to interested gliders. Though the compact vehicle's gentle speed and acceptance on sidewalks is part of its draw, Segway team members also like to discuss the eco-friendly benefits they've discovered through various case studies. Since the two-wheelers are fueled by lithium-ion batteries, they don't pollute the environment or cause their drivers to waste money on candy and chips during each gas-station stop. The Segway of Nashville crew also sizes up customers, fitting them with the proper transporter for patrol work, factory jobs, or leisure outings.
Housed inside Bleachers Sports Grill, Fairways Indoor Golf's TruGolf simulators lure in club swingers year-round to play more than 80 courses regardless of real-world weather conditions. The simulator accurately re-creates famous haunts such as St. Andrews and Pebble Beach. As players launch tiny orbs toward the projector screen, the computer re-creates weather conditions, monitors club speed, and tracks balls on their virtual flights. Additionally, the system breaks down stats to help golfers to improve their game. The venue also plays host to events such as tournaments, and in between rounds players can call on Bleachers Sports Grill's kitchen for burgers and other classic grill fare.
When Franklin On Foot founder and guide Margie Thessin discusses the Civil War’s impact on Franklin, she shuns dry textbook summaries. Instead, she gathers groups before historic homes and battle sites, and she explains, “The war happened here. The people who lived here– this war was their 9/11. This was their Pearl Harbor.” Suddenly, she sees sets of eyes light up, as minds make the leap from musty tomes and texts to the people who lived¬—and fought and died—where they now stand 150 years ago.
To make history relevant, Ms. Thessin humanizes it, honing in on the famous and lesser-known people who shaped Franklin and the struggles they faced to do so. In that spirit, she seeks out guides who are not only passionate about history but possess a natural knack for storytelling.
In keeping with her commitment to orchestrate vivid tours, Ms. Thessin conducts them by bike or on foot. “You get so much from a place by walking it instead of looking out a window of a bus—you may as well fly at 32,000 feet,” she says. Small groups of sightseers stroll or if preferred, Charleston across the downtown area or expand their tour’s scope by cruising on one of Franklin On Foot’s 24-speed Fuji bikes.
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.
