Exploring Rotary Park in Clarksville, Tennessee

Rotary Park is a cute little park in Clarksville, Tennessee that is filled with hiking trails alongside a beautiful creek. I love to come visit here as it is filled with gorgeous scenery, flowing water, and several trails to explore. It’s not a very big park but it is perfect to get out and enjoy some time outdoors in this small little city.

Visiting Rotary Park in Clarksville, Tennessee

The first time I ever went to Rotary Park was a Sunday afternoon. Shortly after we moved back, my best friend Christina came over for the weekend to visit. I couldn’t believe that after living here for 4 years I never even knew this beautiful place existed.

We decided to start our hike by the trail head over by the pavilions. As we zig zagged our way down the hill we reached an open area which led us straight to the creek. This first part of the trail wasn’t too exciting to say the least.

We decided to go for a walk upstream. As we got our feet wet, we decided to play with our phones trying to capture every angle we could of the flowing water. The entire time the creek looked like it had tons of mini waterfalls. It was just layers on top of layers of rock where the water flowed dropping from one layer of stone to the other.

If it wasn’t the mini waterfalls, it was the many flowers, ferns, and various greenery found on the trail. We found some Oxeye Daisy, Tick Seed Sunflowers, Black Eyed Susan, Purpledisk Sunflower, and many more wild flowers. Did you know that Tennessee has 503 native wild flowers. You can view the entire list here.

I remember us walking through the creek and reaching this sunlit area. As I looked down to see what appeared to be a stick in the water, I came to realize it was a snake. It was a small water snake that was more afraid of us then what we were of it. I still took immediate precautions and made sure to keep my daughter’s at a safe distance till the snake swam out of the water and went out into the woods.

Third Time’s The Charm

A few weeks ago I decided to bring my grandmother here for a hike. This was our second trip to this park. She may be a great-grandmother to my babies but she loves to hike and go on nature trails. One of the best traits I have inherited. This was a fairly easy trail for her and she enjoyed all the scenery. She even told me the other day that we need to go back and do the other trails. I guess the third time’s the charm. Really looking forward to seeing this trail in the fall with all it’s Autumn beauty.

ABOUT THE PARK

Rotary park is a 111.3 acre nature park located in Clarksville, TN. This beautiful park has over 5 miles of hiking and biking trails. It also has a playground, a few pavilions, and a nice area to relax for a picnic. The park is open all year round so all the trails within the park will remain accessible to you at any time of the year. They also provide several different activity options.

Activities

• Hiking
• Biking
• Fishing
• Volleyball
• Disc Golf
• Events
• Walking
• Picnics

ON THE TRAIL

Along the trail you will find a creek with clear water and fishes. You can also find snakes like we did in the water so always keep an eye out for new friends. Wild flowers can also be found along the side of the trails. If you are lucky you may even spot a deer at the distance. This park looks absolutely beautiful in the fall. You can still find many wild flowers blooming within the dead leaves. It looks like a touch of color on a painting.

The flowing water is beautiful and very peaceful. During the several times we hiked this trail we never saw that many people on the trail. Mainly bikers and one or two hikers at the most during a good 2 hours we were there. The trails here are not like a ruck it, finish it quickly kind of trail. It is a short loop and coming here means I can take my sweet time taking pictures, pausing by the creek and soaking in all the tranquility, watch my daughters pick up rocks and sticks, and even enjoy a delicious snack like this one – This Bar Saves Lives.

Details

Distance: 4.9 mile loop

Elevation: 498 feet

Level: Easy – Good for all skill levels

Trails: over 5 miles of trails – There’s several trails available. The loop trail is 4.9 miles.

If you go to this link here and click on “Recordings” you can view the different trails previous hikers have taken. You do need the Pro feature in order to download the map and route though but it can give you an idea of the different trails you can find.

What To Bring

• Day pack
• Hydration – Reusable water bottles. I prefer using a Hydroflask cause it keeps my water nice and cold all day.
• Comfortable shoes – hiking boots or sneakers work best.
• Comfortable clothing – please dress according to the weather.
• Mosquito repellent – This is good to have during the warmer months.
• Snacks – Check out this post for some of my favorite kid snacks or this post for my favorite organic bars.
• Camera – I like to use my new Canon.

AMENITIES

• ADA accessible Trail
• 6 miles of Hiking/biking trails
• 3 pavilions
• Picnic Tables & grills
• Sand volleyball court
• 2 restroom buildings
• Large Playground Area
• Outdoor Excercise Area
• ADA accessible Amphitheater
• 25 acres of open space
• 1 horseshoe pit area
• 9 hole Disk Golf course

Regulations

Before going to Rotary Park there are a few simple regulations everyone should abide by.

Pack In, Pack Out!

Rotary Park is a trash free park and go by a Pack In Pack Out mentality. They have this posted on their website which is a little awesome to have cause they are promoting a good lifestyle that all of us should have when visiting the outdoors.

“In an effort to promote environmental stewardship, trash receptacles are no longer located throughout the park and park users must take out whatever is brought in with them. Families are still welcome and encouraged to picnic in the park, but they must be responsible for taking their trash with them when they leave. This keeps the park clean and the surroundings visual appealing for other visitors. This program has been a great success and has been adopted by other communities across the country.”

Now I’m not sure when this was posted cause when I last visited the park a few weeks ago there was trash receptacles. There’s only one by a sitting area and another one by the pavilions so they don’t have that many trash cans around the park but it is something you can use.

Always Follow Leave No Trace Principles When Exploring Outdoors

• Always plan ahead and be prepared.
• Travel and camp on durable surfaces.
• Dispose of waste properly.
• Leave what you find.
• Minimize campfire impacts.
• Respect wildlife.
• Be considerate of other visitors.

Pets

Pets are allowed at this park as long as you abide by their rules. Pet must be kept on a leash at all time. Owners must pick up their pet’s feces off the trail as well. I have seen feces on the trail and almost stepped on it. Please be courteous of others and responsible and clean up after your pet.

Rentals

You can also rent out pavilions where you can host birthday parties, small events, etc… Read more about reservations and rentals of the pavilions here.

More Information

You can also find more information about Rotary Park at Visit Clarksville TN or on their Facebook page here.

LOCATION

Rotary Park
Website: https://mcgtn.org/parks/parks-and-facilities/rotary

2308 Rotary Park Drive
Clarksville, TN

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfRotaryPark/

Clarksville Parks and Recreation Center

1030-B Cumberland Heights Rd.
Clarksville, TN 37040

Phone: (931) 648-5732
Fax: (931) 920-1832