Dog-friendly, near you

Dog-friendly hikes near Nashville

Looking for somewhere to hike with your dog around Nashville? Here are the 34 closest places where a leashed dog is welcome, pulled from every national forest, park, BLM area, wildlife refuge, state park, and dog beach we have verified, and sorted by rough distance from downtown.

Each one is checked for its own dog rule, so you can see at a glance where dogs are fully welcome and where a few limits apply. Distances are a straight-line estimate, so real drive times will run a bit longer.

34 places within ~150 miles, nearest first
TNDog-friendly

Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
In town · State park
STRIDog-friendly

Stones River National Battlefield

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
28 miles away · National place
FODODog-friendly

Fort Donelson National Battlefield

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
64 miles away · National place
TNDog-friendly

Rock Island State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
69 miles away · State park
TNDog-friendly

Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
72 miles away · Wildlife refuge
TNLimited access

Cummins Falls State Park

Partly. Dogs are welcome in most of the park, but not down in the gorge or at the waterfall itself.
73 miles away · State park
KYLimited access

Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area

Dogs are welcome across this 170,000-acre inland peninsula between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, but they must be leashed at all times, not just in developed areas. E-collars do not count as a leash.
79 miles away · National forest
MACADog-friendly

Mammoth Cave

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
81 miles away · National park
TNDog-friendly

Fall Creek Falls State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
87 miles away · State park
KYDog-friendly

Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
91 miles away · State park
KYDog-friendly

Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
99 miles away · Wildlife refuge
RUCADog-friendly

Russell Cave National Monument

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
99 miles away · National place
ALDog-friendly

Monte Sano State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
99 miles away · State park
KYDog-friendly

Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
101 miles away · State park
ALDog-friendly

Joe Wheeler State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
103 miles away · State park
ALDog-friendly

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
108 miles away · Wildlife refuge
KYDog-friendly

Lake Cumberland State Resort Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
109 miles away · State park
ABLIDog-friendly

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
111 miles away · National place
GADog-friendly

Cloudland Canyon State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
117 miles away · State park
OBEDDog-friendly

Obed Wild & Scenic River

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
120 miles away · National place
CHCHDog-friendly

Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
122 miles away · National place
ALDog-friendly

Lake Guntersville State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
124 miles away · State park
BISODog-friendly

Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
124 miles away · National place
TNDog-friendly

Frozen Head State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
126 miles away · State park
MISPDog-friendly

Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
127 miles away · National place
ALDog-friendly

DeSoto State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
132 miles away · State park
MSDog-friendly

Tishomingo State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
134 miles away · State park
KYDog-friendly

My Old Kentucky Home State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
135 miles away · State park
LIBODog-friendly

Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
135 miles away · National place
LIRIDog-friendly

Little River Canyon National Preserve

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
137 miles away · National place
TNDog-friendly

Cherokee National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
142 miles away · National forest
KYLimited access

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park

Mostly. Dogs are welcome on a leash, but a few named trails and one whole side of the park are off-limits.
143 miles away · State park
ILDog-friendly

Shawnee National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
145 miles away · National forest
TNDog-friendly

Reelfoot Lake State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
148 miles away · State park
Planning a bigger trip? See the full TN dog trail guide for every dog-friendly park and trail in the state.

Common questions

Where can I hike with my dog near Nashville?

There are 34 verified spots within about a 150-mile radius of Nashville where leashed dogs are welcome, including national forests, state parks, and in some cases dog beaches. The closest ones are listed above, nearest first.

Are there dog-friendly trails close to Nashville?

Yes. State parks and national forests near Nashville are usually the most reliable, since most welcome a leashed dog on the trails. The list above ranks them by distance so you can find the nearest.