Urban Hiking: Cumberland River Greeenway in 30 Minutes

With November comes the end of Daylight Saving Time and, for many folks, the beginning of the dark season requiring that headlights be on for both the morning and evening commutes. It's a real bummer being on the wrong side of the window, watching a gorgeous day flit by, teasing me all the while, before disappearing into the darkness just when I am finally able to come out and play. Fortunately enough for me, downtown Nashville has become a pretty walkable place, and I am able to get out and enjoy 30-minute lunchtime walks on a regular basis.

Signpost along the Cumberland River Greenway

Nashville's downtown is big enough for one to make many different 30-minute loops, providing sufficient variation so that the walks don't become boring or begin to seem too much like a chore. Nashville is small enough, too, so that one can see an impressive number of local attractions in the 30 minutes it takes to walk two miles or so.

One loop I've been frequenting the past several months incorporates part of the Downtown section of the Cumberland River Greenway. I've taken a liking to this particular loop in part because of the relative solitude found along this path. The portion of the greenway I've been utilizing won't find its way inside any of the glossy promotional products put out by the city. But that's another reason I like it so much: it's real.

I follow the greenway north, away from the touristy honky-tonks which set further south. I can make it as far as the concrete mixing plant before the slack in my leash runs out.

Lincoln Memorial

When I see Honest Abe's likeness beneath the Jefferson Street Bridge, I know it's time to make a uie. Now heading back toward the city center, the tops of the downtown buildings are visible above the tree line. Downtown seems to be oriented more to the south and west, so this could almost be considered a backyard view of the town.

Knocking on Nashville's Backdoor

I continue following the greenway south until I reach the downtown trailhead. From there, it's about five city blocks back to work.

Riverfront Condos are inside the structure on left

View from parking lot adjacent to greenway

LP Field as seen from underneath Woodland St. Bridge

The trailhead is directly across the river from the football field. In about five minutes I will be back on the job.

Alternative Route

Sometimes I will venture south, passing through Riverfront Park and across the Shelby Street Bridge to LP Field. Coming back, I may pass by the bars and honky-tonks of Lower Broad or 2nd Avenue. On other occasions I may instead stroll across the Schermerhorn Symphony Center plaza and through the Music City Walk of Fame Park to Bridgestone Arena, before cutting back north to close the loop.

Taking this southern loop one day last September, I was able to get an up-close look at the USS LST-325. This is a WWII-era tank landing ship of the U.S. Navy that landed troops at Normandy on D-Day June 6, 1944. This was very cool sight indeed, and I never would have experienced it if I hadn't gotten out and taken my 30-minute walk.

LST-325 docked at Riverfront Park

Cumberland River, Nashville TN