A quiet park perfect for peaceful wandering with a variety of trails to choose from.

Bells Bend is an 808-acre lesser-known and visited park on the outskirts of Nashville - in fact, there was no one else there when we visited on a weekday.  Here’s why my family loved it:

1. The entrance has a large (fake) boulder with climbing holds for older kids
2. The outdoor center has a sweet front porch with a large green area in the back with tons of room for kids to run around on; there’s also picnic tables and a nice swinging bench (to the side) – Note: Outdoor Center was closed when we visited so I did not go inside
3. Lots of very flat, open-spaced looped trails so you can ‘choose your own adventure’ and go long or short distances
4. Nice, old barn about half a mile straight behind the visitor center with a beautiful shade, trees, and picnic tables (if you want to walk a little before picnicking)
5. A couple of the trails skirt the Cumberland River and there are few places you can scoot through the woods and take a peek
6. Tons of wildflowers, butterflies, and white-tailed deer when we visited in October.

Tips:

• There are two entrances; the second one heads to the visitor center.
• Trails are not very well marked; grab a map or use GPS or AllTrails.
• Port-a-potties in the parking lot out front.
• Not many trees aside from the ones near the barn.
• Dogs must be on a leash.
• No bikes on trails.