Top 6 Outdoor Activities in Nashville

Nashville, Tennessee, has attractions of all kinds, from the nightlife every night to their delicious hot chicken. And due to their warmer climate, they have a bunch of outdoor activities that you can enjoy all year round!

From outdoor adventures, camping, and hikes to Nashville’s best open-air parties, here are some of the best outdoor activities Nashville has to offer:

1. Go to a Tennessee Titans game

The Tennessee Titans are a National Football Team that’s based out of Nashville. From September to February, you can watch NFL games all season long, but there’s no better way to watch the Titans than in the packed crowd at the Nissan Stadium. It’s located right next to downtown Nashville, just on the other side of the Cumberland River.

Tailgating begins all around the stadium hours before the game itself starts. You can go with a group of friends, or just make some new ones while you’re there! You can expect everyone who’s tailgating to be drinking, grilling food, and playing sholf—a traditional Titans tailgating game that’s a combination of golf and shuffleboard. Here is the ultimate Tennessee Titans tailgating guide.

When it comes to buying a ticket, there’s really no bad seat in the Nissan Stadium—and that’s coming from someone who sat in Section 303, Row X…

Even if you’re not a big football fan, you can still go and enjoy the overall experience. Or, you can head to the Nissan Stadium for a concert or other live event throughout the rest of the year!

2. Take a hike

Even though Nashville is a city, it has quite a few hikes nearby for some outdoor fun. However, we aren’t talking about massive hikes like in the Great Smoky Mountains along the Tennessee/North Carolina border. The hikes around Nashville are much more…horizontal. But they’re also so beautiful! They’re made up of long trails and loops weaving around lakes and waterfalls. And since Tennessee doesn’t get much snow, you can do these hikes all year round.

I recommend taking your dog with you on your adventure, since the trails aren’t too steep. If you don’t have a dog, you can always borrow one!

But really. The Nashville Humane Society allows visitors to take a dog out for a few hours on a “Doggie Date” so they can get some fresh air and fun time with a human. It’s a great way to give back to the community, and it guarantees you’ll have the perfect hiking buddy for your outdoor activities!

Looking for a place to chow down after your outdoor adventure? Check out our picks for the best dog-friendly restaurants in Nashville.

3. Get spooked on a Haunted Pub Crawl

Do you like learning about a city’s haunted past? Then you’ll love Nashville, because it has quite the history. Sign up for a Ghost City Tour to hear all about it! Choose from a variety of their tours to learn about the sinister past of the Music City.

Personally, I went on the Seeking Spirits Haunted Pub Crawl and absolutely loved it. We walked all around downtown to see historic haunted locations, stopping at pubs like Alley Taps and Skull’s Rainbow Room to enjoy our own spirits. The tour guide was knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and even showed us photos of ghosts that he and other spectators had seen over the years.

Rumor has it that at Alley Taps, you can see a ghost in the mirror of the women’s bathroom. I took a photo while I was there, and I think there’s something spooky looking in the towel dispenser…

4. Cruise around in a party bus or bike 

If you’ve been on Broadway in the peak of summer, then you’ve seen the many types of “transportainment” vehicles carting around parties. These are the open-roof buses complete with DJs, dance floors, fridges, and more that will drive you all over Nashville so you and friends can drink from bar to bar without having to drive.

Just gather 10 to 40 friends (depending on the vehicle), bring all the drinks you want, and you’ll have a responsible designated driver to cruise around with while you party it up.

If you have a smaller group and feel like exercising while you go out on the town, you can rent a party bike instead. You and your friends can drink, pedal, and party while a driver/DJ steers the vehicle for you. You bring the drinks, and they provide the party!

5. Walk along the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge

There are a few bridges in Nashville, but there’s one in particular that gets a lot of attention. The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge connects downtown to East Nashville and allows people to walk from Broadway to the Nissan Stadium or vice versa.

Locals and tourists alike enjoy walking along this bridge to get a great view of the city, the stadium, and the Cumberland River. It’s the perfect spot for a photo op, whether it’s day or night. Just watch out for the scooters that come zipping by in the middle of the bridge!

The bridge can be a little tricky to find, but the entrance from downtown is located on Second Ave., just between Broadway and Demonbreun Street. It takes you all the way to Second Street on the other side of the river—about a half-mile walk. Look to your left and you’ll see the Nissan Stadium right there!

Thinking about making Nashville home? Here are 10 things you need to know before moving to Nashville.

6. Explore the Music City Walk of Fame

Many folks in Nashville love to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and for good reason. It’s famous for its grandiose exhibits and many floors filled with country history. But if you have extra time, take a look around outside for another walk through history. 

Just across the street from the museum is the one-of-a-kind Music City Walk of Fame. Much like Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, this walk of fame features granite stars embedded in the pavement for country music icons like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Reba McEntire.

However, this walk of fame isn’t only for country stars. It honors all those who make, create, record, perform, and present music to and for the world. So, don’t be surprised when you see names like Jimi Hendrix, Amy Grant, and Kings of Leon. After you snap some pics, head a block over to Broadway and enjoy live music on the countless rooftop bars!

No matter the time of year, you can always find something fun to do outside in Nashville. If it’s really cold, you can take a long drive outside the city to tour the Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, TN, or walk along the Skybridge in Gatlinburg.

Wherever you go, I recommend staying with Landing—the modern company providing furnished, luxury apartments in Nashville and 375 other cities throughout the U.S. Check out Landing’s fully furnished apartments today for a comfortable place to come home to after a long day of exploring.