Hit the Road With the Best Scenic Drives Around Nashville

If you’re in Nashville and looking to get out of town, why not opt for a couple of days of exploring the countryside by car?

There’s no need to pack up and say goodbye to Nashville as there are some great day trips available that are just perfect as they offer the chance to head back to Nashville in the evening to rest up at your hotel before heading out again.

Natchez Trace Parkway

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile scenic drive through three states, approximating the ‘old Natchez Trace’ travel corridor used by Native Americans, European settlers, slave traders, and soldiers. Today, you can enjoy a scenic drive along as much, or as little of it, as you please.

Particularly recommended as a good option from Nashville is the 38-mile drive between Collinswood and Hohenwald as the tree-covered rolling hills are truly a sight to be enjoyed. If you enjoy checking out great food while exploring, why not schedule a stop at the famous Junkyard Dog Steakhouse, just a few miles from Hohenwald. 

Image via Flickr by TrailSeeds.com @trailseeds

Jack Trail

The Jack Trail combines the best of Tennessee with history, music, horses, and distilleries on one driving trail. It directs you to small towns to the south and east of Nashville, offering up horse farms, distilleries, great restaurants and more. In total, this is a 375-mile road trip but it is perfectly possible to pick shorter sections for easily manageable day trips.

One stunning stop on the trail is Radnor Lake State Park. The lake was created in 1913 by the L&N Railroad company as a water supply for its steam engines. In 1973, the lake was officially preserved as the state’s first natural area and protected ecosystem. It’s the perfect place for a short hike. This could easily be coupled with a drive to the award-winning Arrington Vineyards where you can taste stunning wines while revelling in the incredible views of the rolling hills of Tennessee’s wine country.

Antebellum Trail

The Tennessee Antebellum (pre-civil war) Trail is a 90-mile trail of historic homes in the heart of Tennessee that takes in more than 54 historic sites, plantations, and civil war battlefields.

The trail begins just outside Nashville and takes you through five communities and eight beautiful homes.  Again, it is perfectly possible to pick and choose in order to make this trail into accessible day trips if so desired.

Nashville To Land Between The Lakes

This is a slightly longer drive but still doable in a day and well worth it to see the country’s largest inland peninsula at 170,000 acres.

From Nashville to Land Between The Lakes is 110 miles via historic Clarksville. Along the way you can stop off to enjoy the Cumberland River as well as visit historic homes, or just drive straight through, simply enjoying the beautiful Tennessee scenery as you drive.

So, whether you’re up for a day of rolling hills and small town exploration, civil war history or even distilleries, you won’t be disappointed with all that Nashville’s surrounding areas have to offer.

Richard Collett