In looking for new and different places to hike in the heart of Tennessee, we found this area…read morelisted on the State of Tennessee's website. Aside from the trail information from AllTrails and REI's Hiking Project, I stumbled across an old YouTube video explaining a lot of what makes this nature area so unique.
No waterfalls or significant elevation gain, but Flat Rock is rather unusual in that you'll find cedar glades, prairies, and woodlands...all in one place!
Additionally, it houses lots of rare plants, some endemic to Tennessee and others only to Flat Rock itself - such as the Nashville Breadroot or Nashville Mustard, neither of which grow anywhere else in the world.
This nature area totals 846 acres and not all of it is open to the public. However, they do welcome the public to hike their 3.5(ish) mile trail system between sunrise and sunset, year round.
Since habitats like these are so rare, and something is in bloom almost all year long, we decided we should hike this one.
We had read the trail isn't easy to follow at times...and found they weren't kidding! The hike starts out with very clear and intentional brown arrow markers. As we got into areas with the older, blue markers, we discovered the trail can become rather obscure. To add to the adventure, some of the blue trail marker paint has worn off, likely due to time and weather conditions. One tree in particular had the tiniest blue line left which I thankfully saw just as I started to wonder if we were moving in the right direction.
Aside from constantly looking for markers, we were also using a GPS tracking map. Unfortunately, the online trail maps for Flat Rock have not been updated with the latest trail changes. While the map still provided a good direction of where we needed to go, on our return we scaled through thick brush thinking we had to shimmy around a downed tree. Turns out, the tree is there on purpose and we just needed to follow the markers around one more loop to get back to the trailhead.
Ugh.
If I can say anything about the hike as a whole, the scenery constantly changes -- from woodlands, to prairie, then back again. So no boredom there.
Although, the stress of almost losing the trail a few times sucked. I also missed having some sort of stream to greet me. The whole hike was dry and it was a 90+ degree day.
At the end of it, I was ready to get in the vehicle and GO. But in hindsight, I think I'd hike this trail again...in the spring or fall that is!
In summary, I do recommend hiking this trail at least once.
Please note there is only a parking lot and a trail, nothing else; no restrooms and no running water. You will need to bring everything you need -- including drinking water. Also, please remember many of the plants in this area are very rare. Stay on the trail (unlike us getting lost), be careful where you walk, don't pick any of the grasses or flowers: practice Leave No Trace principles. (This has been your PSA for the day. Thank you.)