The 7 Best Road Trips From Nashville To See Fall Foliage
By Meghan Kraft|Published October 10, 2018
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Meghan Kraft
Author
Meghan Kraft loves to travel the world, but she makes her home right here in Nashville, Tennessee. She holds a degree in English, and has worked in the digital marketing realm with companies such as Apartments.com, USA Today and HarperCollins Publishing.
There’s no denying that Nashville and the surrounding areas are absolutely stunning any time of the year, but when the leaves of the densely forested hills start to change colors, the beauty gets elevated to another level. There are so many great places to see the changing colors, but we’ve compiled a list of the best of the best, whether you only have a few hours or a full day to explore the beauty of Nashville’s fall foliage. No matter what road you take, you’re surely in for a stunning display.
Starting with the closest to the city center, Percy Warner Park is full of hilly, wooded roads that are absolutely magical when the leaves are changing. This is a perfect option if you don't have a full day to take a trip.
While Percy Warner will likely be crowded with leaf peepers, Peeler Park will not be. Located at the end of Neely's Bend in Madison, the drive out here is like a rural oasis in the city, and the park is absolutely stunning as well.
Moving out from the city, Natchez Trace Parkway is a scenic drive any time of the year, but especially during the fall months. Be sure to stop at the iconic bridge outside of Leipers Fork for a view like this one.
Center Hill Lake is a little over an hour outside of Nashville, but the shoreline is completely undeveloped, offering beautiful displays of fall colors right on the water. There are also plenty of state parks nearby if you want to get out and hike!
Land Between The Lakes refers to the strip of land between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, which straddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border. It's a beautiful area and is usually not crowded at all, making this a great quiet trip to see some beautiful changing colors.
Fall Creek Falls is about two hours outside of Nashville and is likely to be pretty busy, so we recommend leaving early for this one. You can drive to the parking lot near the top of the falls and take a very short walk down to the observation deck to see the falls surrounded in fall colors.
This one might require some hiking for the full effect, but the Tennessee River Gorge isn't called the Grand Canyon of Tennessee for no reason. You can get a good view from the car by driving on I-24 from Nashville to Chattanooga, or you can get out and walk the Pot Point Loop (shown here) for stunning vistas of the gorge.
After all that exploring, you’ll need to refuel. We recommend this little-known spot that just opened but is already known as one of the best burger spots in the city.
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