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!

We are lucky here in the Nashville, Tennessee area. We are surrounded by great rivers and lakes – which translates into great opportunities to kayak and canoe – pretty much right out our backdoor.

This week was ideal on the Harpeth River. This historic river is a tributary of the mighty Cumberland River which flows through the heart of Nashville all the way to the Mississippi River.

The water level on the Harpeth this past week was ideal. We’ve had some rain in the past few days that helped to keep the water level near perfect for paddling.

After renting a canoe at Canoe Music City in Kingston Springs (there are several places on Highway 70 that offer canoe and kayak rentals, plus transportation to and from the river) we shuttled our car to the take out at Harris Street Bridge, and dropped off with the canoe at the Narrows of the Harpeth State Park put in.

Going paddling during the week is an excellent option if you can swing it. There were some people on the water, but for the most part it was a very peaceful paddle.

The Harpeth River teems with wildlife. As we paddled along in our canoe we saw huge fish swimming in the shallows, turtles sunning themselves on rocks and branches, and a duckling swam out to us and paddled along for a while!

The day was quite warm, but its almost always cooler on the water. Huge trees hang over the Harpeth offering great amounts of shade just when you need it. The paddling was easy (we had an experienced boat pilot steering), and the current was extremely helpful in moving us along.

At this level, many beach areas exist along the river. It’s great to just pull over and dig out the cooler for some cold drinks and snacks along the way. But the river has its deep parts too, which are easily spotted – just look for rope swings hanging from the trees!

There were some trees down in the water from recent storms, but nothing to impede the way downstream. I had to jump out a couple of times and help the boat over some shallow bits, but we did have three people in the boat. In a canoe the more people you have the lower you sit in the water. Had we been in kayaks, we would have glided right over those spots.

If you’re looking for a place to paddle, kayak or canoe in the Nashville or Middle Tennessee area, it doesn’t get much better than the Harpeth. Once you’re on the water, the rest of the world slips away and you enter a part of nature that has remained virtually untouched for hundreds of years. The Harpeth is a beautiful river and a treasure for locals and visitors alike.

For more information about Tennessee’s Harpeth River, please visit: Harpeth River Watershed website or the Narrows of the Harpeth State Park website.

For more places to paddle, kayak and canoe in Tennessee, see our Places to Paddle in Tennessee page.

To find other places to paddle, kayak and canoe all over the USA, go to our Places to Paddle page and click on any state, or check out nationwide kayak, canoe and paddle events and races on our Paddling Events and Races page.

If you would like us to post your favorite place to paddle, kayak or canoe or your favorite paddling event or race, please use our handy contact form to send us the details.