Old Hickory Lake Nature Trail Distance and Configuration: 1.5-mile triple loop Difficulty: Easy Scenery: Pine and hardwood forest, willow swamp, pond Exposure: Nearly all shady Traffic: Some Trail Surface: Asphalt, pine needles, boardwalks Hiking Time: 1 hour Access: No fees or permits required Maps: USGS Goodlettsville ; at trailhead Pets: On leash only Facilities: Restrooms at nearby swim beach Contact: 615-736-7161; www.lrn.usace.army.mil/Locations/Lakes/Old HickoryLake/Recreation/Trails.aspx Location: Old Hickory In Brief This easy walk, suitable for young children, uses a combination of three miniloops to explore the woods near Old Hickory Lake Dam. The loops traverse pine woods and go over boardwalks, culminating in a trip to a pond with a viewing platform.
Description This trail is actually part of the Nashville Greenway system, though only a portion of the path is paved. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built it in the mid-1970s. The mounds you see in the area are part of the dredging material left from the erection of nearby Old Hickory Dam, which was finished in 1954. The forest has reclaimed the area, with the help of some loblolly pines planted in the 1960s. The loblolly pine is not native to Middle Tennessee (it grows in a belt from east Texas to Florida and north to eastern Virginia) and is among the fastest-growing Southern pines. The pine''s rapid growth makes it popular for planting and cultivation for pulpwood and lumber.
Even by pine standards, the loblolly has especially fragrant needles. The manner in which nature repairs itself is called plant succession. For example, an area is cleared and then covered with fill. Later, plants that thrive in the sun, such as blackberries, begin to grow. These species provide shade for young plants and trees that can''t tolerate open sun. The trees then grow and ultimately return the forest to its former state. Leave the parking area and soon enter Woodland Loop. Circle through loblolly pines, passing beneath a power line.
A viewing blind is to your left. Quietly head over to the fence and peer through the boards, where a deer or squirrel may be stirring. Reach a long boardwalk that winds over a wetland. To protect them from drainage and development, wetlands have come under increasing protection over the years. Wetlands are natural filters for water as it seeps into the earth and also foster wildlife and insects, especially mosquitoes. Leave the Woodland Loop at 0.4 mile, near the main paved path. Return to the woods, now on the Willow Swamp Loop.
Soon reach another boardwalk. Willow trees thrive where drainage is poor, claiming their special niche in the web of life. Sycamore trees also grow along the wetter margins. In summer, the swamp emits the pungent odor of decay. Return to the paved part of the trail, but soon turn away on the Wildlife Loop. This trail curves beneath the tall pines--notice the blackened trunks of trees here. Low-level, low-intensity forest fires often sweep through pine woods. To thrive and ultimately survive, a pine forest needs periodic fire.
Some species of pine, such as Florida''s sand pine, need fire to open their cones. Soon you''ll emerge at a pond, where a little viewing platform allows you to peer into the water. Life at the pond varies season to season. During winter, a time of hibernation, frogs and turtles lie buried in the soil beneath the pond, and toads, snakes, and salamanders will be under old stumps and logs. Spring, though, is much more alive. Birds are singing. Ducks may be swimming. Turtles are out, enjoying the sun atop old logs.
In summer, the pond may be abuzz with dragonflies chasing mosquitoes. If you come here in the evening, crickets by the thousands will be humming in harmony, and lightning bugs will be flickering off and on. Fall is when the pond will be at its lowest. Decaying leaves will be floating on the surface, later to enhance the nutrients of the pond. And marsh plants around the pond move in as the water shallows. Follow the paved path from the viewing platform to the main paved Nature Corridor. If you go to the right, the trail soon dead-ends, but you can circle the pond on an informal path. To the left, the paved trail leads through the woods past more wetlands.
Enjoy this last relaxing stroll before reaching the trailhead. Nearby Activities Old Hickory Beach is open in the warm season, is a year-round boat launch, and has picnic areas and a playground. For more information, call 615-822-4846. GPS Trailhead Coordinates: N36° 17.708'' W86° 39.413'' From Exit 92 on I-65, north of downtown Nashville, take TN 45 4 miles east to Robinson Road, which is just after the bridge crossing the Cumberland River. Turn left on Bridgeway Avenue and follow it 0.5 mile to Swinging Bridge Road.
Turn left on Swing- ing Bridge Road and follow it 1.2 miles to Cinder Road. Turn right on Cinder Road and follow it 0.8 mile to reach Old Hickory Lake. Turn left at the sign for Old Hickory Lake Nature Trail, which will be on your left at 0.4 mile.