Radnor Lake State Natural Area
Encyclopedia
Radnor Lake State Natural Area is a popular state natural area in Nashville
, Tennessee
.
The 1,200+ acre (4.45 km²) nature preserve lies in the heart of Nashville, unusual for a major American city. Four unpaved trails wander through the woods surrounding the lake, where hikers enjoy wilderness native to Middle Tennessee
, including river otters, beavers, mink, muskrat, bobcat, coyote and the white-tailed deer
. The most popular trail is the paved road that runs along the water, where cars are no longer allowed. There is a visitor's center open daily.
Radnor Lake was created by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Company in 1914, and was initially used for watering steam locomotives and supplying the watering pens for shipped livestock. Afterwards, it became a local sportsman's club for L & N executives and guests. In 1962, the property was sold to be developed but initial work proved to be problematic and public pressure influenced the state to purchase the property in 1973 and create the State's first Natural Area.
Any hunting within the natural area is illegal.
Radnor Lake State Natural Area is a Class II State Natural Area, meaning it is a day use area only, and there is no camping or picnicking allowed.
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
The 1,200+ acre (4.45 km²) nature preserve lies in the heart of Nashville, unusual for a major American city. Four unpaved trails wander through the woods surrounding the lake, where hikers enjoy wilderness native to Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee is a distinct portion of the state of Tennessee, delineated according to state law as the 41 counties in the Middle Grand Division of Tennessee....
, including river otters, beavers, mink, muskrat, bobcat, coyote and the white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
. The most popular trail is the paved road that runs along the water, where cars are no longer allowed. There is a visitor's center open daily.
Radnor Lake was created by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
Company in 1914, and was initially used for watering steam locomotives and supplying the watering pens for shipped livestock. Afterwards, it became a local sportsman's club for L & N executives and guests. In 1962, the property was sold to be developed but initial work proved to be problematic and public pressure influenced the state to purchase the property in 1973 and create the State's first Natural Area.