Clarksville Greenway

The Clarksville Greenway is 4.6 miles long, with the trailhead/parking lot at about the mid point. Earlier in the spring we took the trail to the right, this trip we headed left. This part of the trail features some interesting rock formations, layers of rock formed over time with round stones embedded in the layers, we decided they look like potatoes in a field. There are pastoral scenes with old fences and barns, dogwood trees, lots of birds and squirrels. But the main feature on this part of the trail is the pedestrian bridge, you are literally walking in the treetops!

"The bridge is designed to look like a railroad bridge, in tribute to the Rails to Trails theme of the Greenway. Key features of the bridge are its wooden walkway and decorative rail ties along its full length. Named in honor of Raymond C. Hand, father of Charles Hand and the founder of what is today the Hand Family Beverage Company, the six-hundred foot bridge extends the Greenway’s Pollard Road trail by 1.25 miles." ~ Business & Heritage Clarksville

happy earth day

Thanks Mother Earth 

for your trees and flowers and wildlife, 

and for trails for us to get back to nature!

~photos Clarksville Greenway rails-to-trails, Clarksville, TN - 21 April 2013

under the bluffs

Cumberland River Bicentennial Trail, Ashland City, Tennessee. 

We walked about 4-1/2 miles of the 8 miles of converted rails-to-trails along the Cumberland River. The rock bluffs climb high on one side, the river/lake on the other side. We didn't see much wildlife, but lots of wildflowers and even found a geocache! 

following the train

Clarksville Greenway, a Rails to Trails project, is a 4.6 mile trail built on a former railroad, a multi-use asphalt trail for walking, running, biking.

The trail winds through rock outcroppings and overlooks the river, a quiet walk with lots of wildlife. It is so peaceful you can imagine the sound of the train echoing through the valley.

We discovered this on Sunday afternoon. The trail access parking lot is near the midpoint of the trail, 2 miles to the left and 2.6 miles to the right. There are mile markers every quarter mile. We walked 2.25 miles before long {and 2.25 miles back}, enjoying the scenery and being outside on a rare warm day. We spotted 3 deer, a huge brown owl, groundhogs, red headed woodpeckers, squirrels, cardinals, and lots of other birds, kids in strollers, kids and parents on bikes, joggers, and a few dogs.

A couple of places the old wooden train trestles had been removed and the trail went down into a small valley and up the other side. If I was a bike rider, I would be the one pushing at  that point.

Looking forward to going back again!

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., whose mission it is to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people.