Choose Cedars of Lebanon for an easy cedar-glade walk, or give the waterfalls at Cummins Falls and Fall Creek Falls a full day. Montgomery Bell offers forest and lakes without the longer drive, while Dunbar Cave adds a seasonal underground visit best arranged in advance.
These five state parks suit separate outings by car from Nashville, with a return to the city the same day. The shorter trips leave room for a walk and a break, while the waterfall trips demand more time and, for the Cummins Falls gorge, more strenuous walking.
Five parks compared
| Criterion | Cedars of Lebanon | Montgomery Bell | Dunbar Cave | Cummins Falls | Fall Creek Falls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outward drive | about 39 minutesBest | about three quarters of an hour | about three quarters of an hour | about an hour and a half | about 2 hours |
| Outward distance | about 31 milesBest | about 34 miles | about 47 miles | about 82 miles | about 128 miles |
| Main attraction | Limestone cedar glades | Forest and lakes | Seasonal cave tour | Waterfall and river gorge | Waterfall overlook |
| Walking effort | Easy glade trail | Moderate, uneven trails | Cave mobility restrictions | Strenuous gorge or overlook | Overlook, optional base hike |
| Including visit and return | Half day, extendable | Half day, extendable | Half day if tour fits | Full day | Full day |
| Outdoor or signature-visit admission | Free day-use entry | — | Free outdoors, paid tour | Gorge permit required | — |
The drives start at the Nashville Visitor Center on Broadway and end at the park offices for Cedars of Lebanon and Montgomery Bell, the Dunbar Cave visitor centre, the Cummins Falls trailhead and the Fall Creek Falls overlook. Allow separately for your visit and the drive back.
Cedars suits easier walking, Montgomery Bell suits woodland trails, and Dunbar suits a reserved cave visit. For waterfalls, Cummins offers a demanding river-level outing, while Fall Creek Falls lets you prioritise the view from above.
Cedars of Lebanon State Park
Cedars of Lebanon State Park is the choice for open limestone glades among the woodland. These clearings give the walk a different focus from a continuous forest trail: look at the exposed rock and the low vegetation rather than treating the gaps between trees as places to hurry through.
The Cedar Glades Trail is the easy walking option for this landscape. Make it a half-day outing with a break before driving back to Nashville, or allow a full day if you want to add other trails. Wear shoes suitable for natural surfaces.
Brian Stansberry · CC BY 3.0 · Edited
Arrive at the park office, then keep the amount of walking matched to your available daylight. Day-use entry is free, although separately charged activities or facilities can add to the cost. Outdoor day-use access runs from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, so finish your walks within that daylight window.
- Name
- Cedars of Lebanon State Park
- Location
- 328 Cedar Forest Rd, Lebanon, TN 37090 Maps
- Site
- tnstateparks.com
- Hours
- 8am–4:30pm
Montgomery Bell State Park
Montgomery Bell State Park combines forest trails with lakes, making it a useful alternative to a glade walk. Choose a short walk and a waterside break for a half day, including the return to Nashville. A full day gives you room for more woodland walking without making the lake stop an afterthought.
The Wildcat to Ore Pit route is moderately difficult, with a natural dirt surface, roots and rocks. Its rolling, uneven ground is not especially steep, but it demands more attention underfoot than a flat, paved path. Effort varies with the portions of the Wildcat and Ore Pit trails you combine, so choose the walk to suit your party rather than assuming every combination feels the same.
Drive to the Montgomery Bell park office to begin the visit. Keep the return journey in mind when deciding how much walking to add, especially when weather or shorter daylight makes a long trail less appealing. You can still enjoy the forest-and-lake combination without committing to the longest walk.
Dunbar Cave State Park
Dunbar Cave State Park pairs an underground visit with the Short Loop Trail for a half-day outing from Nashville, provided your reserved tour fits. Build the drive around the cave reservation, then leave room for the outdoor walk and return journey. Arrive at the Dunbar Cave visitor centre rather than treating the cave entrance as your driving destination.
Outdoor access is free, while the guided cave tour requires a paid ticket. Departure times vary by date and tour type, so the selected tour, rather than a single daily departure pattern, determines when you need to arrive.
Cave tours are not suitable for visitors with mobility challenges and are not wheelchair accessible. The wheelchair-friendly visitor centre offers a virtual-reality tour instead, giving you an alternative to entering the cave. Choose that option when the cave’s access restrictions would exclude someone in your party, and do not assume the outdoor trail has the same accessibility as the centre.
Joe Mojohovits at English Wikipedia · Public domain · Edited
Cummins Falls State Park
Cummins Falls State Park suits a full-day waterfall outing, with two quite different ways to visit. Choose the overlook if you want the waterfall view without the strenuous gorge descent. The gorge takes you down towards the river and waterfall base, so it is a different commitment from looking into the gorge from above.
Brian Stansberry · CC BY 3.0 · Edited
Arrive at the main trail access, then choose the walk that suits your party. The Gorge Trail descends steeply over rocky, uneven ground and requires multiple stream crossings. You may need to wade, and water levels and currents affect the difficulty. Wear footwear that stays secure on wet, uneven surfaces, and leave enough energy for the climb back rather than judging the outing by the descent alone.
A Gorge Access Permit is required for the gorge and waterfall base. You can buy it online or at the park visitor centre. Buy online in advance because daily numbers are limited, and make the overlook your alternative if the gorge visit cannot go ahead.
- Summer park hours
- 8am–6pm
- Winter park hours
- 8am–4:30pm
Fit the walk inside the park’s seasonal opening window, allowing for the drive back to Nashville. An early arrival leaves more room for a break and an unhurried climb out.
Fall Creek Falls State Park
Fall Creek Falls State Park is the full-day choice for waterfalls, wooded gorges and forest, with the main waterfall overlook as your priority. Start with the view from above rather than making a hike to the base essential. That keeps the outing worthwhile when you have limited walking capacity or less time at the park.
RL0919 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Edited
Drive to the Fall Creek Falls overlook to begin the visit. The Base of Falls hike is an optional addition if you want more walking, not a requirement for seeing the waterfall. Decide whether to add it after enjoying the overlook, with the return to Nashville still ahead.
Allow a full day even if you keep the walking modest. Leave daylight for the drive back rather than adding another trail late in the visit, and give the waterfall stop time to be enjoyed before setting off.
Sources & fact-checking
Checks against the sources below cover: fares and charges, services, and opening hours.
- Tours at Dunbar Cave | Tennessee State Parks
- Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) / Tennessee State Parks — service
- Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) — service
- Dunbar Cave Accessibility | Tennessee State Parks
- Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (Tennessee State Parks) — opening hours
- Cummins Falls Hiking — Tennessee State Parks
- Frequently Asked Questions | Tennessee State Parks
