Marcella Vivrette Smith Park

Back in November I ventured out to Marcella Vivrette Smith Park, Brentwood’s largest park. I went once with the family, and a second time with just me and my faithful furry companion, Gus.  My first trip out with the family was more of a scouting trip as we hadn’t really done our research on trail length and difficulty, and our son complained of being “tired” after just a few feet of setting out on the trail.  We turned around shortly afterwards because there’s nothing that ruins a day faster than having to carry a whining, 40-pound child through the woods. 

On my second time out, I picked a crisp, sunny weekday and opted to hike the perimeter trail with Gus.  It’s a relatively short trail (a little over 2 miles), but is the perfect length for a quick escape to the woods with your dog.  It takes you through a nice mix of forest and fields, and if you take the strenuous spur to Enid’s Eryie Point trail, you are treated to a hilltop view of the surrounding valley.  Gus stopped to sniff at just about every tree so it really forced me to slow down and actually take in my surroundings, as opposed to just pushing through as I usually do when hiking.  After our slow, but rewarding journey we split a PB&J back at the trailhead.

Located off Wilson Pike, Smith Park is also home to historic Ravenswood mansion, built in 1825.  After my hike, I spent quite a bit of time exploring the grounds and imagining what Nashville and the surrounding area looked like in the early 1800s (much less traffic!).  To learn more about Marcella Vivrette Smith Park, visit the City of Brentwood’s webpage.