Top Six Outdoor Adventures in Middle Tennessee

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Too hot to get outside? Never. In fact, now’s the time to put those vacation days to use and weekend warrior your way through the heat. For a guide to the best places to swim, dive, float, or hike, we called on adventure expert and photographer Josh Ness—aka, The Explorer Dad. He founded an Instagram community full of fellow explorers (follow along at Nashville Explorers Club), and we’ve been living vicariously ever since. Here, he offers up eye candy from his top six spots for seeking excitement—and refreshment—in Middle Tennessee.

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Cummins Falls

Cummins Falls is a local favorite swimming hole (complete with waterfalls) and just the spot to spend a summer day. About an hour and a half drive gets you to Cookeville, which boasts a beautiful, 75-foot cascading waterfall. A medium difficulty, three-mile round-trip, hike winds you down the side of the gorge before guiding you across the river a couple times, so you better bring some comfortable, water-friendly shoes. We recommend you show up when the park opens, or on a weekday, to beat the crowds and take a moment to enjoy the beauty of the area.

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Greeter Falls

Greeter Falls is, in my opinion, one of the best-kept secrets when it comes to local waterfalls. There's a fairly easy one-mile hike to the falls, plus a spiral staircase that gets you to a quiet basin, which opens up a 50-foot fall that creates a pool perfect for floating around on. Greeter Falls is an hour-and-a-half away from Nashville and is part of South Cumberland State Park. Grab a few friends and floats, and hang out on the water for the day. If you're brave enough, there's a 20-foot jump off to the sidejust make sure the water's up high enough!

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Harpeth River

If you're looking for a local 'cabrewing” spot (canoeing and brewing), head over to the Harpeth River, where hundreds of locals spend their summer weekends. Canoeing the Harpeth River begins in Kingston Springs, about 30 minutes west of Nashville. The adventure lasts for nine miles, at least three hours, but you can spend all day making stops to hang out in the sun. We recommend making reservations and stopping at the Narrows of the Harpeth to explore the cave or hike to the top of the bluff. Be sure to bring plenty of food and water for your adventure.

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Ocoee River

The Ocoee River offers an experience like no other. Known for its whitewater kayaking and rafting, as well as the 1996 Summer Olympics events, the Ocoee offers a summer adventure that satisfies all of my adrenaline needs. With more than 20 class-three and class-four rapids peppered throughout the river, it's easy to see why people travel from all over the world to spend some time here. We advise making a trip of it and grabbing a cabin in the area (it's three hours away from Nashville) and doing both the middle and the upper, where you'd spend more than four hours on the river, traveling 10 miles through all of the rapids.

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Percy Priest

Percy Priest Lake is the closest place (besides your friend's pool) to stay cool through these long, hot Nashville summers. The lake is a favorite boating spot, where many locals spend the weekend soaking up the sun with friends. If you do end up boating, be sure to check out Hole in the Wall Island, where you can climb the side of the island up to a 40-foot cliff jumpor, if you're not up for it, you can watch other people take the leap. The lake also features some great campsites, like Seven Points, where you can set up a tent and take a swim in the lake. If you want to hike in the area, be sure to check out the Couchville Lake trail, a two-mile loop around a small lake next to Percy Priest.

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Radnor Lake

Radnor Lake offers the best hike in Nashville, in my opinion, and makes you feel more in touch with the outdoors, thanks to its high volume of wildlife and the variety of plants. The 1.35-mile lake trail takes you along an old road and around the lake. We suggest getting there early to watch the sunrise and catch some fog on the water as the sun peeks in over the surrounding hills.