Trails that you can ride out your back door? Middle Tennessee

[Georgia Martin]

Where are they? I just found a job in Smyrna and I have an hour drive North (West) on I24.. I am now living in Hillsboro near the Airforce base.  But, I see a move in the future.  would like to find a place that I can just hop on and go!!

 

thought who better to ask than you all to keep your eyes and ears open for me.

[Jackie Allen]

where on Jefferson pike are the trails? are they marked?

[joelpcox]

Georgia,
I live in Smyrna and have always lived in this area. As others have said, Twin Forks is probably the best place to ride in the immediate area. I am trying to ride there as often as I can lately (wife is pregnant, so I am trying to go too far away).

I have only rode the East Fork. I think there are basically 3 access points for that trail: Nice's Mill, East Fork, and the Walter Hill Dam. Others may be able to correct me on that information. Let me know if you need directions. I have only fished, not rode in the West Fork (behind Nissan). Can anyone tell me where to park to ride the West Fork (at the boat ramp on Florence?)?

If you are looking for something close, the only other public place to ride around here that I know of is Cedars of Lebanon. I wouldn't give that a strong recommendation. Rough, rocky, muddy, and pretty much not anything special as far as scenery goes.

I live about four miles from Tridon Dr. out Almaville Rd. off Rocky Fork. I ride around home a lot. I heard there is a trail somewhere off my road (Briley) that runs all the way to Independant Hill, but I haven't tried it yet. Does anyone here know about it? We are surrounded by over 1000 acres of woods so I know there has to be a trail in there somewhere. I just haven't been able to find it yet.

Let me know if you and you friends want to get together for a ride sometime. I usually have a friend with me who rides my other horse.
Thanks,
jpc

[Ed Elam]

I parked at Nice Mill several years ago with a four horse bumper pull, when I returned, I had a citation on my window. I went to the Resource Manager, and he agreed it was wrong to site me, but there is not good trailer parking in that lot. You might be able to talk to the people that own the large farm right next to the parking lot. It used to called Arrowhead farm, I think, Debbie Klugie used to live there, but I don't have contact info. You can ride to Nice Mill from East Fork, it can be confusing riding around the soy bean fields, but there is a trail. I made a map, and still have it somewhere. The trail along the west fork is good trail, and does climb the only hill in the area, as I said, you can see part of Smyrna, and the Nissan water tank, as I recall, and there is a nice lunch spot on top of the hill.

[Georgia Martin]

Thanks Joel and Ed. your area sounds like some possibilities for looking for a place to live and ride and being able to ride out your back door. Ya gatta find that trail by your house and maybe we can get some permission to ride on whomever's land it is. I may take a drive out your way and look around. From Tridon do I go east on Almaville or West (past McD's) and then I just find rocky Fork out that way about 4 miles or so?

We will let you know if we are riding over that way..my friends said we might try it. They rode there years ago and said it was really mudding and wet.. not sure where they were on that trail.

Thanks for the info everyone!! keep it coming! :)

[Georgia Martin]

By the way, congrats on the new baby.. hope he or she gets here soon and wish you well.

Georgia

[Ed Elam]

You should come up to Big South Fork! Talk about riding out the back door! From my house, and the campground, I have access to over 200 miles of trail maintained by the National Park Service, paid for by YOUR tax dollar! plus at least another 100 miles not in the park, or on maps. We ride out in the fall, cover 2 states, four counties, cross the eastern/central time zone twice, cross the Big South Fork river at least two times, and never ride the same trail twice, over 80 miles in four days.

[joelpcox]

Georgia - You go west out Almaville about 2-3 miles. Then right on Rocky Fork. I live off Briley (1st st. on left). Thanks. Our baby is due March 31, so not too much longer to wait. We are very excited about our little girl!

Ed - My biggest personal horse goal is to ride and camp at BSF. Remind me again which camp is yours?? Right now my biggest obstacle is really having someone to ride with. My wife doesn't ride even when she is not pregnant and my normal riding partner is moving away. I would love to come to your place, especially on one of those several day long trips that rides between camps. Please keep me informed of what you've got coming up.

Thanks to both of you and I hope to ride with you someday.

[Ed Elam]

I own Saddle Valley Campground, Just outside the park on the west side. It's a 15 minute ride from your campsite to the main trail head on the west side, Cumberland Valley trail head, not named for Cumberland Valley, but a sawmill company of that name that used to be in the area. We also have access to the park in 4 other directions, and different trails. I'll post some information in a message on your page.

Saddle Valley Campground
350 Dewey Burks Rs
Jamestown TN 38556

www.saddlevalleycampground.com

[Georgia Martin]

Very cool on the baby.. maybe she will be really special and share my birthday March 27th.. you are going to love an March born personality.. be prepared for independent and a mind of her own. :) Can't wait to hear when she is born no matter what day. Very happy for you both.

Ed, that sounds like a wonderful place to live,, but I think it is closer to Knoxville, am I right.. way to far to drive to work.. you are a lucky person to have all that out your back door.

how far is Jamestown from Smryna?

[joelpcox]

It is a 2 hour drive from Smyrna to Jamestown - 1 hour on interstate, 1 hour on highways.

[Georgia Martin]

Thanks Linda and Jessica,
Appreciate the information on Norene, never heard tell of it and why I posted this request as we have only been in Tenn. 2 yrs now.
If you see any places for sale in your area, please let me know and we will take a trip up there and check out the area.. may do that anyway after work one night. If I can get out early.

What county is Norene in?

Georgia

[Linda & Jessica]

You will find we are a suburb of Watertown. It's about 20 minutes to get there though. We just have a Watertown mailing address. If you do make it out this way, give me a shout and I'll try to meet with you and show you the sights. There are a couple farms up for sale now, I think, and school in Wilson Co. is out in about 7 weeks, so I feel sure things will start showing up on the market pretty soon now. There's not much out here but I love it like that so it works for me.