Harpeth River State Park: Hidden Lake

The day after Thanksgiving was sunny and relatively warm in middle Tennessee - a great day for yard work! Chewing up leaves isn't as much fun as hiking, so the easy decision was made to get the enjoyable stuff out of they way early and hope there wouldn't be enough time for the leaves.

We ventured to the Hidden Lake section of Harpeth River State Park, which is just off McCrory Lane and across the river from the Middle Tennessee Veterans Cemetery. This is a small tract of land with only a couple miles of trails, but it is rich in history and has some gorgeous scenery to boot.

Once home to a rock quarry, the land was later transformed into a swimming hole as part of a larger resort featuring a lodge and an outdoor dance floor. Farming is also part of the area's history; a dilapidated chicken coop remains partially intact near one of the trails.

Looking down at the old swimming hole

 

Showing off some moves on dance floor atop bluff

 

Veterans Cemetery as viewed from bluff

 

Traveling up an abandoned stone staircase

 

We spent more time here than would usually be necessary in exploring two miles of trails, largely because it was so pretty and interesting that none of us seemed to be in a hurry. We climbed a rock formation for the fun of it; watched woodpeckers ply their trade on two separate occasions; and enjoyed a snack by the water's edge, imagining what it would have been like to have been splashing around here in the 1930s. By the time it was over, we had worked up an appetite for the leftover turkey in the refrigerator at home. And there was still plenty of daylight available to address all those leaves in the yard.

 

 

 

Hidden Lake

 

One more look at Hidden Lake