Outdoors

While the landscape of Middle Tennessee is often rolling countryside, the northern and eastern regions tend to have more hills than the western side of the state.   The State of Tennessee boasts over fifty state parks, many of which are located in Middle Tennessee or are a day trip away.  In the Nashville area (Davidson County), Metro Parks offers a vast system of parks, recreational facilities, and nature centers, including thousands of acres of walking and biking trails, horse trails, athletic fields, picnic shelters, golf courses and scenic views.  In Davidson County alone, there are 190 miles of greenway trails. With such significant green space, it can be easy to forget you are in an urban city.The waterways in Middle Tennessee are just as plentiful, providing fishing, boating and other water recreation. Nashville is located on the Cumberland River, and within half an hour from Nashville are the 14,000-acre J. Percy Priest Lake and the 22,500-acre Old Hickory Lake, as well as numerous smaller lakes and tributaries. Located within just a few minutes of downtown, The Nashville Zoo, can be enjoyed year-round, as well.