Metro to Mountain Journal

Our weekly adventure took us to the Narrows of the Harpeth and the Brookmeade Greenway. We knew that the Narrows was a great place for canoeing, but did not know the area even had a trail. It was better than we expected.

The trailhead was located on Cedar Hill Road just before the Harris-Street Bridge. From the parking area the trail goes down toward the river and then begins its contour along the bank. The trail passes under the highway bridge and continues on a very scenic journey overlooking the river.

After .35 miles, at the only junction, we took the trail to the right which led to the tunnel and pool in an easy .2 miles. We stood in awe as we watched the water pour from the tunnel.

Back at the junction we next took the trail to the Narrow’s Ridge. What a great hike as we climbed steps and then along the ridge. Views of the same river on both sides of the ridge was definitely unique. After .25 miles we came to the Park boundary, indicated by a sign. There we turned around and retraced our steps to the trailhead.

Leaving the Harpeth we drove to the Brookmeade Greenway located off Interstate 40 and Charlotte Pike. The trailhead is located behind Bojangles Biscuits. At the trailhead there was plenty of parking, an elaborate deck, and an informative kiosk.

Descending on the paved path, the route outlined the Lowe’s Store parking area. A monstrous bridge crossed a drainage and the path then ended at a viewing deck overlooking the Cumberland River. The path was only .3 miles long.

A few notes...

• There were no facilities at the Narrows of the Harpeth.
• On the trail to the Tunnel, there was a very informative kiosk on the history of the area.
• The GPS recorded the total distance of the Narrows trails at 1.6 miles.
• The Narrows hike was very scenic and enjoyable.
• It was in the twenties on Sunday when we hiked the Narrows. We did see two other hikers. They thought the trail was the greatest. They also suggested doing the Hidden Lake Trail.
• Before going onto the ridge, signs warned hikers of the drop offs.
• The third trail leading from the junction went just a few feet to the Narrows of the Harpeth Road. It is a short distance (.2 miles) from the junction to the upriver side of the tunnel.
• The upriver side of the Narrows Tunnel is unmarked. It is at a large parking area with stairs leading to a viewing area.
• The Park Ranger who works at the Narrows offered to take us on a tour of the Indian Mounds. We had already planned on doing the Brookmeade path, so we stuck with our plans. I think we screwed up!
• The Brookmeade Greenway was was short.

We loved the Narrows of the Harpeth trails and would recommend it to anyone who wanted a short scenic hike.

The Brookmeade hike was short. I guess it is all depends on your perspective though. For example, a fitness walker was doing laps on the trail while we were there. It would be a great distance for a walk with children. And, the overlook would be a great place just to sit and watch the river go by. Maybe the path will continue down the river someday and make the path a little longer.

Happy frozen trails - it was really cold!