Day trips from Nashville · Hiking
Devil’s Backbone
78 miles from downtown Nashville · about 1 hour 30 minutes
Devil’s Backbone State Natural Area, Lewis County, near Hohenwald, TN
Devil’s Backbone is 950 acres of steep ridge and hollow beside the Natchez Trace Parkway near Hohenwald, with a three-mile loop trail through mature hardwood forest. It is quiet in a way that few places this close to Nashville still are.
- Size
- 950 acres
- Trail
- About 3 miles, moderately strenuous
- Elevation change
- About 200 feet
Permits, fees and access
Free, with parking available. Leashed dogs are allowed. No hunting, fishing or camping.
One thing to know first
There is no water, no facilities and no reliable cell service. It is lightly used, which is the appeal and also the risk. Take what you need with you.
Access rules, fees and closures verified August 15, 2026 against the agency that manages this place. They change, sometimes without notice. Check before you drive.
The neighborhoods closest to it
If this is the kind of Saturday you want a short drive from your front door, these are the parts of Middle Tennessee that put you nearest to it.
I keep this list because it is genuinely how people spend weekends here, and because almost every guide to it is out of date. If you are weighing a move to Middle Tennessee and want to know which part of it puts you closest to the things you actually like, ask me. No pitch.