Nashville's Big Back Yard | Experience Tennessee

NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY | HOHENWALD, TN

MORRISON VISUALS

Back to the Land with Nashville's Big Back Yard

Just beyond the bright lights and busy streets of Music City, there’s a whole other side of Tennessee waiting to be explored. Nashville’s Big Back Yard is anchored by Leiper’s Fork to the north and The Shoals to the south, with a ribbon of amazing small town Tennessee unfolding in between along the Natchez Trace Parkway.

This page highlights the places and stories that make South Central Tennessee Nashville’s ultimate playground. Scenic backroads, legendary distilleries, outdoor adventures, festivals, historic downtowns, and local flavors you won’t find on Broadway all come together here. It’s the perfect starting point for day trips, weekend getaways, and “we should do this more often” kind of adventures.

Think of it as Music City’s backyard, bigger, quieter, and full of the kind of authentic experiences that make slowing down and taking the Trace part of the journey, not just the drive.

Muscle Shoals Exhibit Opens November 14th at Country Music Hall of Fame

See more of what makes Muscle Shoals special in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s next major exhibit, “Muscle Shoals: Low Rhythm Rising,” open November 14. The exhibit explores how this community developed a distinctive sound, became a global recording epicenter in the 1960s and 1970s, and continues to create inspiring music today. Don’t miss it!