Did you make a New Year’s resolution to get outside more? Are you tackling the 1,000 hours outside challenge? Or are you already a nature lover and looking for unique ways to explore Nashville’s green spaces? One of my favorite things about living in Nashville is how easy it is to connect with nature. From volunteering to group hikes and fishing, here are some ideas for getting outside in Nashville.
🚮 Outdoor Volunteer Opportunities
- Keep an eye on Hands On Nashville’s volunteer calendar for outdoor activities, like weeding community gardens, cleaning up litter, or helping out at local festivals. You can also search “Environment & Sustainability” to narrow down the results.
- Our Parks and Recreation events page also lists volunteer opportunities at local parks.
- Join your favorite park’s “Friends of” group, like Friends of Warner Parks, Friends of Shelby Park & Bottoms, and Friends of Radnor Lake.
👭 Join a Group
- Head back over to the Parks and Recreation events page to find guided group hikes.
- Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary often has group hikes.
- Join Nashville Hiking Meetup, The Official Nashville Hiking Group, or Trail Sisters.
- Join a running club.
- Or maybe bicycling clubs are more your speed.
- Artist? Join The Chestnut Group for plein air painting.
🐅 Get a Membership
Hiking, running, and bicycling not your thing? Then get a membership to one of these outdoor activities.
- The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere. This is my most-used membership.
- Cheekwood Estate & Gardens. From sculpture art walks to gorgeous gardens, this is an amazing place to visit regularly.
- Like a challenge? Go ziplining and climbing at The Adventure Park.
- Explore Arrington Vineyards while enjoying wine.
🐟 Go Fishing
Shelby Park stocks Lake Sevier with rainbow trout, and Marrowbone Lake in Joelton is a very cool spot to cast your line that’s off the beaten path. Make sure to grab a fishing license first.
🧺 Other Unique Ideas
- Take advantage of restaurant patios to eat outside. Or get that food to go and have a picnic in a park! Hey, I know it’s still cold, but that’s what coats are for.
- Start a garden. Nashville Public Library lets you check out seeds!
- Have kids? Find new playgrounds to explore.
- Once you start birdwatching, you can’t stop, and Nashville’s a great place for it. Consider keeping a journal to track all the birds you see.
- Check off your exercising and nature goals with outdoor Tai Chi!
- Shop at places where you can stroll outside, like 12 South, Hillsboro Village, Sylvan Park on Charlotte Pike, Fatherland District, or the Hill Center in Green Hills.
🌳 What are your favorite outdoor activities?
