A unique riding experience for bikers, skaters, and scooters.

Watkins Park is a small park right outside of downtown Nashville. It’s located right across the street from Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School, and its parking lot is adjacent to the Watkins Community Center. The park is home to a small playground, swings, tennis courts, and a small splash park that runs from Memorial Day through to Labor Day. The newest addition to the park is the Watkins Pump Track.   

A pump track is a continuous loop of “berms” and “rollers” (various sized mounds of earth) that create a unique experience for biking and skating. While this pump track was designed for mountain bikes, I’ve seen scooters, skateboards, and other wheels enjoying this experience that may seem out of the ordinary to many people. Due to the unique setup of the course, it offers a challenge and a workout for advanced riders and a new experience for kids and beginners. The pump track opened in February 2021, so it has recently been quite busy at all hours with everyone from kids to adults riding. It seems like this will continue to be a popular spot, so I would try and go early to avoid crowds and to allow your small children to have the space they need to ride comfortably in order to get the hang of it.  The more advanced riders enjoy this park and have been kind to let kids participate and ride, but if it’s extra busy, there can often be more waiting than riding if you don't catch it at a good time.  

The fact that it is on the grounds of a community center is great since you can access the restrooms on-site since you'll likely be spending a good amount of time exploring this fun destination.

This park is right outside of downtown Nashville, so enjoy exploring other areas nearby by checking out Frankie Pierce Park, which is a quick two minutes down the street, Kossie Gardner, Sr. Park, and Bicentennial Park all conveniently located.