Nashville: Radnor Lake & Percy Warner Park

Nashville's two great natural areas sit within 12 miles of downtown. Radnor Lake State Natural Area — 1,200 acres of mature second-growth forest around a glacially formed lake — is one of the few urban wildlife refuges in the eastern United States where great blue herons, ospreys, river otters, white-tailed deer, and bobcats are routinely spotted year-round. The 6.8-mile Outer Loop Trail follows the lake shoreline and the surrounding ridgeline, with views over the water from the elevated sections and the birding-heavy lakeside from the lower trail. Eight miles northwest, Percy Warner Park encompasses 3,500 acres of second-growth hardwood forest — Nashville's largest natural area — with 11 miles of multiuse trails including the Mossy Ridge Trail, one of the better ridge hikes accessible from any American city. The Loveless Cafe on Highway 100, three minutes from Percy Warner's entrance, is the most historically embedded lunch stop in Nashville and has served biscuits, country ham, and fried chicken from the same building since 1951.