Kayak and Canoe the Harpeth River: Middle Tennessee’s HomeTown River with Scenic Beauty, Tons of Wildlife
This past weekend we finally got out on the water to kayak. The weather was awesome. The river was quick, but not too quick…the wildlife was abundant. As most paddling days go, it was a great one.
I think many people in the Nashville and Middle Tennessee area take the Harpeth for granted. When I got home from the river and was unloading my boat, several people asked where I’d gone paddling. When I told them, their reaction was, “The Harpeth? Why? Why not go down to the Duck River or the Buffalo? Take a trip to East Tennessee and paddle the Ocoee River – but the Harpeth? How boring.”
I don’t agree. The Harpeth River is my home town river. I like it because it is actually a very beautiful river with tons of wildlife – turtles, fish, heron, etc. Last year a little duckling paddled out from the brush as friends and I were canoeing. He paddled right alongside us for a few minutes – you gonna see that on some over-crowded river?
Another reason I like the Harpeth is that paddlers around Nashville have done such a great job getting and maintaining a multitude of put-ins and take-outs. This means that paddlers have many options for trip planning. You could kayak or canoe for 2 hours, 4 hours or more.
I’m posting some photos of our Harpeth trip courtesy of Bob Anderson. I think you’ll agree that our hometown river, The Harpeth is worth the trip!
If you have your own kayak or canoe, the Harpeth is a great choice as you can easily get in and out with a little transportation coordination. Most putins and takeouts have ample parking.
If you don’t yet have your own boat, there are several area outfitters ready to get you a kayak or canoe and then drop you off and pick you up. Most will even let you take your dog along, but read our How to Take Your Dog Kayaking before you give that a try if you’ve never done it before.
You can click here to read more about the Harpeth River and its history, plus see more photos.
We would love to hear about your favorite river to kayak or canoe, especially if it is your hometown river! Please use our Contact Page to tell us where your favorite river is and why you love it. We may post your story right here on BornToPaddle.com and/or add your river to our Place to Paddle page.
Happy paddling!
Subscribe to Kayak, Canoe, Races, Events by Email
