Cummins Falls State Park is located 10 miles north of the town of Cookeville, in Central Tennessee…read more Can you go swimming at Cummins Falls??? Of course you can! It's a 1 mile hike down to the bottom of a gorge to reach a swimming hole Travel and Leisure Magazine rates...as one of the "10 Best in the United States"! It's $7 to gain access to the gorge. You can purchase passes online ahead of time at tnstateparks.com. Or, you can buy passes inside the Visitor Center the day of, but they allot only 200 tickets per day so depending upon the time of year, passes can sell out quickly especially during peak summers. Now...there is a waterfall overlook to check out but I think it'd be more worthwhile to get to Cummins Falls ASAP before the crowds arrive and you can always visit the lookout on the return trip back up towards the trailhead. Once you reach the river area, it's 6/10th's of a mile remaining until you arrive at the falls. Also, make sure to hang towards the left while hiking beside the river and (imo) it's imperative to be wearing water shoes as the creek is filled with sharp rocks and water levels reaching shin high. While hiking to Cummins Falls, you really get a sense for being in the heart of nature. I enjoyed the setting. Approaching the falls, it's 75 feet of cascading waters flowing down the cliffside and ideal for swimming. Best of all, visitors can climb the rocks and explore at their leisure making for an adventurous experience. Of course, it's a rite of passage to finish the experience in style by going swimming. The park opens at 8am. I'd suggest arriving as early as possible before it gets busy. The park closes at 6pm but there's a clearly stated sign that visitors must exit the gorge area by 5pm. One extra note...lifeguards are on duty at Cummins Falls throughout the day. When returning back up towards the trailhead, now head over to the lookout platform getting to admire Cummins Falls from high above. It makes for a photogenic perspective and is a clear reminder of why the great outdoors can be so special. Right nearby Cummins Falls SP are more local waterfalls to check out including...Fall Creek Falls, Burgess Falls, Ozone Falls, Virgin Falls, Piney Falls and Stinging Fork Falls, just to name a few.

Highly recommend so beautiful here. We hiked here from the water side. I guess some other easier…read moreway was shut down. They do not allow people to go here at certain times so make sure to check before you go. It is a major hike so being lots of water and charge your battery for pics

I love walking the trails at Bledsoe Park - they are clean and safe with great views - I don't…read moreremember the names of the trees or plants but my hiking buddy is good with them. It was great to reach the water and see the greenery that is tied to the lake

This park is set up great, BUT before 7:30am we had dump trucks driving by shaking our camper, a…read moretrack hoe and a Jack hammer operating within 100 yards of our camper- again BEFORE 7:30am. The park is clean and set up perfectly (would love septic hookup) but we've always loved staying here but this extreme noise was a bit much. I felt sorry for the people next to us who had small children. We were here to help a family member who was recovering from an hospital stay and we were very tired. We've not encountered this during any other visits at the park.

Good playground. Kept the 4th grader occupied for 30 minutes. Entry was not well marked.read more

This park was the perfect pit stop for a long car ride with kids! First off, the park is huge and…read morehas a variety of features which was nice! We were able to have a picnic and let the kids burn off some energy before getting back in the car for another 5-6 hours. There weren't any sporting events going on while we visited so the park was pretty empty, but I could see it getting crowded with sporting events going on. Pros: The playground was huge and had plenty of play structures to keep the kids entertained for a while. Lots of cute picnic spots overlooking the pond. Plenty of parking. Easy access to I-65. Cons: It was very hot and shade at the playground was limited, but there was plenty of shade by the pond and other locations throughout the park. No bathrooms that we saw, only portable toilets. Lots of ducks and geese looking for food.

Mary's Magical Place is playground witchcraft…read more I've got a 10-year-old and a 3-year-old, and somehow both of them have a blast here, which feels illegal. Big, open, clean, and handicap accessible so everyone can get in on the chaos. I'm a playground inspector and know the installer, who does excellent work. You can tell this place was built right. Great park. Five stars. My kids burn energy and I get to pretend I'm supervising.

This park is AWESOME!…read more For crawling babies, walking toddlers and older siblings there is something for everyone. It's also inclusive for kids in a wheelchair or needing additional assistance. There are several musical play opportunities that really interest all ages. Plenty of shaded areas for parents to sit and watch their kids explore, picnic tables in the shade, etc. We spent a couple of hours there with a 1 year old and definitely explored the whole park. One warning, always check the back and seats of the different swings as some of them get hot in different places. There is a roller hockey rink and skate park there as well. My daughter really enjoyed roller skating in the rink. The whole park was very clean, and well maintained. Can't wait to go there again.

The Stone River Greenway can be accessed by several trailheads in the Donelson/Hermitage area. The…read moremost popular access points are along Lebanon Pike. I made my way onto the Greenway via the Kohl's trailhead, which is an entrance found at the back end of the Kohl's department store parking lot. It's not glamorous, but gets the job done. At this entry point you are directed under, around and onto the Bob Sheehan Memorial Bridge. As you walk this path, you are next to the Stones River, as well as Lebanon Pike. Once you get beyond the immediate area, you finally hit the trails. The trails are a collection of pathways from wide roads between the river and neighborhoods, to slimmer walkways in the woods. There is not one identity for the trails here, and they seem kind of pathed together. But even so, they get the job done for those who enjoy walking, jogging or biking. Additionally, Ravenwood Park can be found just a half mile or so down the trail from the Kohl's trailhead. While I didn't not explore this park, it too has an interesting history. There is a lot of construction happening along large stretches of the trails, mostly that of new neighborhoods. This takes away from the nature aspect of the greenway, but I get it... Overall, the Stones River Greenway Trails get the job done. I prefer other stretches of the greenway such as those near Two Rivers, but when in the area or just needing a change of scenery, this portion of the trail is a decent option.

Nice little hike on a paved trail. We saw lots of deer! Great parking at the old lodge right off…read morethe road.

Long Hunter State Park is such a gem. I ran the Couchville Loop, which is about a 2-mile loop, and…read moreit was perfect for an easy, scenic run. The trail is mostly flat with just a few small hills, so it feels very accessible for people of all ages and fitness levels. The views of the lake are beautiful, and the bridges you get to walk or run over add a really nice touch. I went in January when it was cooler, and it was not crowded at all, super peaceful and relaxing. Parking was free, which is always a win, and there are bathrooms and a water bottle refill station on site. There's also a park ranger station and a boardwalk that goes out to the lake (though it was closed when I went). Other visitors mentioned they sometimes see wild turkeys and other animals along the trail. No wildlife sightings for me this time, but still an amazing experience. If you're looking for a scenic, low-stress running or walking spot, this place is absolutely worth a visit!

Love this trail, a nice 2 mile loop trail around the lake. It's an easy trail and I get to bring…read moremy dog.

Positive: Beautiful bridge with great history. A quant spot to relax with park bench on the side. A…read morelittle adventure to walk down to the river. Bridge great for picture taking. Not busy at all. Negative: Might not want to go too late at night. Homeless obviously live there and wash their clothes. You find their clothes hanging all over and some vehicles park below bridge. There was one car that looked like they were packing up their kayak, but another two cars of people hanging out looking like they were up to no good in the woods, but did eventually leave. Overall: I will visit this spot many times in the future. It's peaceful and wonderful just walking the bridge overlooking the view.

Just stopped by the other day to see what the park was like and also take some pictures of the…read morebeautiful snow we've gotten recently! It's quite a nice little park with a pedestrian bridge going over the Barren River. It seems to be situated along part of the city-wide bike trail, so I'm excited for warmer weather to take the bikes out for a spin and stop back by! I'm happy to see BG making efforts to have and maintain these parks for the community. Worth a stop by if you're passing through and need to stretch your legs or live nearby and need a break!

I love Cane Creek! Great walking trails? Beautiful lake to walk around! Excellent choice for a week…read moreday hike or the paddle boats are fun in the summer! Bring some bread and feed the ducks! Enjoy the weather and the beauty of nature that God gave us!

Great place to walk, bike, canoe or otherwise enjoy the outdoors. Not too far from anywhere in…read morethe city. Leaves are starting to change from the recent cold spell but today it has warmed up nicely!!

We are visiting from out of town and searched Yelp for a playground close to our hotel. This is…read moreabout 3 miles from the interstate. There are some rocks to climb which my boys loved. There also is a very nice and accessible playground with things to climb on and instruments to play. There are lots of different structures to keep the kids entertained. There also are a few covered shelters for picnics. Very clean and safe.

Cute little park with basketball court, playground, and picnic areas. Connected to a golf course…read morebut does not appear to be a private park.

Such a beautiful and clean dog park. Love the agility equipment they have and the under ground…read moretunnel for the dogs.

awesome dog park lots of space and agility equipment for them to play on and run around. Well…read moremaintained and lots of bags and a trash stations. Stopped by on a road trip and would stop by again!