Audubon Park
Run the perimeter of the park for a good 5k workout. Many races are run around the perimeter of the park. Begin at the intersection of Park Avenue and Goodlett. Run North on Goodlett, turn right on Southern (you'll run past Leftwich and Oak Court Mall), right again on Perkins and then right again on Park. You can park at the parking lot on the West side of the park. You can also park at the driving range (on Perkins across from Theater Memphis) and run the perimeter of the park.
Arkabutla Lake
Just south of Memphis, off I-55 and Scenic Loop 304, Coldwater, MS
3-mile and 5-mile loops of wide single track on a well-marked course. Not too technical, not many hills. Just a couple of gentle rises and a couple of short, steep bumps in the road. This trail never gets overgrown and bugs are not overly annoying.
Free, open daily from dawn to dusk.
Trail head: Across the little wooden bridge at the far end of the picnic area.
Directions:
From Memphis: Head south on I-55.
Go to the second Hernando exit (not the North Hernando-Nesbit exit), turn right.
Pass the courthouse and continue west on 304.
Go ~10 miles until you reach the big intersection at Eudora (strip mall/gas station on the left),turn left.
Follow this road until it dead ends, turn left.
Park entrance is about 1/2 mile down this road.
Continue on until this road ends, turn right.
Follow road around toward the spillway.
Just before you get to the spillway, turn right.
Park in the picnic area at the end of this road.
Bobby K. Flaherty Municipal Center
Near the new Appling baseball field next to the Bartlett Rec Center and Police Station. The Gazelles power walkers meet at this park to walk. It has lights for nighttime running or walking. The BRC will allow you to use their restrooms when they are open. The short loop is 1.25 miles and the long loop - across the street and back is 1.55 miles.
Freeman Park
2629 Bartlett Blvd., Bartlett, TN 38134, 901-385-5590
Directions:
(Google Maps)
From I-240 East/I-40 East, exit at Sycamore View Road (becomes Bartlett Boulevard). Park entrance is on your left just past Magnolia Woods Drive.
Features:
- Running/Hiking/Walking/Biking/Recreation
- Open daily, 6am-11pm
- Free to the public
- Wheelchair accessible
- Kid-friendly
W. J. Freeman Park was dedicated in 1985 to honor W. J. Freeman, long time public servant, alderman, and resident. The park's 100 sprawling acres features a running/walking path that circles the entire park, four tennis courts, baseball fields, a small playground, soccer fields, and open areas for relaxing or whatever comes to mind.
Herb Parsons State Park
Running/Hiking/Walking/Biking
- Open daily, dawn to dusk
- Free
- Kid-friendly
Fisherville Rd, north of Raleigh-LaGrange, south of Macon Road, Collierville, TN
Approximately 7.5 miles of single track technical trail with lots of ups and downs.
Free, open daily from dawn to dusk
Trail head: To run clockwise, enter behind the archery range on the north side of the park. Easy-to-follow trail includes one short stretch down a blacktop road then reentry into the woods about 50 yards down.
The trail starts on the levee on the right side of the park looking at the lake. It is a single-track trail that is very tight in places and very technical. The trail will stay pretty muddy after a good rain. There is a word of caution to stay on the trail and not wander off onto the archery range for obvious reasons. The trail is easy to follow in most places, you will leave the woods one time back onto the blacktop take a left here go 40 or 50 yards and reenter the woods.
Trail length is 6 miles approximately, single-track
Directions: Herb Parsons State Park is east of Fisherville, TN (intersection of Macon Rd. & Collierville-Arlington Rd) between the Shelby County/Fayette County Line and State Route 196. From Memphis: Take Walnut Grove Road east until it dead ends. Turn right onto Houston Levee Road. Turn left onto Pisgah. Take slight left onto Macon Road/TN 193. Turn right (south) onto Fisherville Lake Road at small State Park and proceed 1 mile to Herb Parsons State Park.
Lakeland Trails
I.H. Managerial Park, 4501 Canada Road, Lakeland, TN 38002
Running/Hiking/Walking/Biking
Approximately 3.5 miles of technical single-track divided into three trails (yellow/red/blue). Good hill practice and lots of technical twists and turns. Rolling hills are available within this park. Trail sections are slightly hard to connect but proper signs will be placed soon. You will not believe that this kind of elevation change is available in the Memphis area.
- Open daily, dawn to dusk
- Free
- Kid-friendly
Directions: From Memphis: I-40 to exit 20, Canada Road. Turn left away from the outlet mall and continue approximately 2 miles. Park entrance is on the left across from the First Baptist Church-Lakeland.
Location MapOverton Park
1928 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN 38104, 901-274-6046
Imagine an old-growth forest smack in the middle of a bustling, metropolitan area. Overton Park, more than 90 years old, offers mature nature trails, jogging trails, bike paths, picnic facilities and playgrounds. Overton Park is home to the Memphis College of Art, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis Zoo and Overton Park Shell. Appropriately named since rainbows are known to dip in its waters, Rainbow Lake, a constructed lake, adds to the scenic beauty.
Also of interest in the park are the World War I Dough Boy statue and the statue of Edward Hull Crump, former mayor of Memphis. Golfers enjoy the public golf course on south side of the park, and beauty admirers soak in the well-maintained, seasonal flowers. Plan to combine a day at Overton Park with a visit to Brooks Museum, the zoo, or the gallery at Memphis College of Art. Restrooms and water fountains are near the playgrounds.
Single-track and crushed asphalt trails in an old growth forest smack dab in the middle of Memphis. It is highly recommended that you run in pairs.
- Free, open dawn to 9pm
- Historical pick
- Kid-friendly
- Group-friendly
- Wheelchair accessible
Trail head: Many ways to get on trails. Just look for the paths off the asphalt roads that circle the park's interior.
Directions: From I-40: Take I-40 West to Sam Cooper Blvd. Travel until Sam Cooper Boulevard dead ends at East Parkway and turn left. Turn right onto Poplar Avenue. Park entrance is on the right.
Shelby Farms
Walnut Grove Road, Memphis, TN,Memphis, TN 38134
Phone: 901-382-0235
Website: Shelby Farms
Running/Hiking/Walking/Biking
Multiple trail choices of varying length and difficulty.
Shelby Farms is a wonderful place to take the family for fun and relaxation. Just east of Memphis in Shelby County, the 4,500 acres park holds claim to being the largest urban park in the United States. Several opportunities for recreation are available. Some of these include walking, running, hiking, biking, roller blading, fishing, sailing, and horseback riding. The Lucius E. Burch Jr. State Natural Area comprises much of the area south of the main Shelby Farms area. The area extends from Germantown Road all the way to I-40, excluding a small section just south of the Walnut Grove Bridge. It's made up of 1,000 acres of bottomland hardwood forest and wetlands.
- Open daily, dawn to dusk
- Free
- Wheelchair accessible
- Kid-friendly
Tour de Wolf Trail
Approximately 6.8 miles of single-track and fireroad dirt path (loop). Rolling terrain. This trail is primarily for off-road biking through some of the park's wooded areas and open fields. Its rolling terrain has a few climbs and some fast descents, making it a great course for all skill levels. Start below the Visitors center just off Farm Rd. Ride up the rangers' road to the top of the hill then just follow the signs.
Trail head: From the Visitor's Center, follow the ranger's road to the top of the hill. Enter trail on the right.Wolf River Trails
Free, open daily from dawn to dusk.
Directions: From Memphis: Go east on Walnut Grove. Parking is available at Patriot Lake, the Shelby Farms Visitor's Center, the BMX/Soccer fields, under the Walnut Grove bridge, and the gravel parking lot on Germantown Road. Be advised: Cars are broken into regularly at the above locations. Don't leave anything of value in your car.
Chickasaw Lake Trail
A 3-mile, multi-use paved trail (loop). This 8' wide paved loop that takes you past the bison range, over and around Chickasaw Lake, along Mullin Station road, thru the playground area and past Pine Lake before returning you back to the Visitor Center. The scenery is great and the travel is gentle with a few hills. There are benches conveniently located along the trail, each offering some great scenery.
World Police and Fire Games 10k Trail
A 10K, off-road & paved path trail (loop). This trail was used for the World Police and Fire Games.
Yellow Trail
Approximately 4 miles of single-track dirt point-to-point alongside the Wolf River. Relatively flat terrain.
This trail winds through the woods of the Lucius E. Burch Natural Area along the Wolf River and ends at a parking lot just off Germantown Parkway.
Trail head: Exit the main park entrance, go across Farm Road and follow Silo Road (fireroad) for about 1/2 mile to the trailhead just under and past the Walnut Grove Road Bridge. Go through gate heading east and take trail to the right. Trail ends at Germantown Parkway.
Trail head: From parking lot at Germantown Parkway. Go through gate heading west, follow path through field, into woods, across bridge to top of "hill." Turn left.
Blue Trail
A 4-mile, single track dirt path (point-to-point) that parallels the Yellow Trail above.
Exit the main park entrance, go across Farm Road and follow Silo Road (fireroad) for about 1/2 mile to the trailhead just under and past the Walnut Grove Road Bridge. This trail winds through the wetlands of the Lucius E. Burch Natural Area. It ends at a parking lot just off Germantown Parkway.
The Blue Trail is low-land, heavily wooded and can be impassable during the rainy season.
Trail head: Under the Walnut Grove Road Bridge. Go through gate heading east and take trail to the far left. Trail ends at Germantown Parkway.
Trail head: From parking lot at Germantown Parkway. Go through gate heading west, follow path through field, into woods, across bridge to top of "hill". Don't turn, just keep going.
White Trail
This goes to Grey's Creek. Approximately 4 miles of single-track point-to-point. From the parking lot off Germantown Parkway, go towards the Wolf River and follow the path left, go across the creek and under the bridge.
The trail can be hard to follow in places and is almost non-existent for the last half mile or so.Trail head: From the gravel parking lot at Germantown Parkway, follow the gravel toward the Wolf River, follow the path to the left, cross the creek, go under the bridge. Trail is on the right. Trail ends at Grey's Creek (Houston Levee).
North Trail
Approximately 4 miles of single-track that meanders alongside the Wolf River. Also includes a 3-mile "blue" loop that circles back to the start.
Trail head: Along the gravel access road (Silo Road) near the Walnut Grove Bridge. From under the bridge, walk up about 25 yards on the access road toward Shelby Farms, enter trail on the left. Or, walk up about 50 yards and enter there, also to the left (north). Trail ends at Summer Avenue.
South Trail
A 4-mile, multi-use point-to-point paved trail. This trail is located on the South side of Walnut Grove road within the Lucius E. Burch Natural Area. The path takes you east toward Germantown Road through the farmland of Agricenter International and behind Duck's Unlimited national headquarters. The trail ends at a parking lot adjacent to the Wolf River, just off Germantown Parkway.
Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park
910 Riddick Road, Millington, TN 38053
Information: 901-876-5215
Cabin reservations: 800-471-5293
Web Site
Bordering on the mighty Mississippi River, two-thirds of this 13,467-acre park is bottomland hardwood forests of large oak, cypress and tupelo. The park also contains two lakes and many miles of hiking trails. The Meeman Museum and Nature Center is named for Edward J. Meeman, courageous conservation editor of Scripps-Howard newspapers who helped establish this park and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park maintains a boat ramp on the Mississippi River. Deer, turkey, beaver and some 200 species of birds are abundant.
Running/Hiking/Walking
Approximately 20 miles of single-track and gravel roads. Excellent hill practice. Some areas are off limits during hunting season. Single-track gets overgrown and buggy in the summer months.
Free, open daily from dawn to dusk.
Directions:
Visitor Center Entrance: From Interstate 40, take exit 3, Watkins. Go north on Watkins for approximately 14 miles until the road dead-ends at Locke Cuba Road. Turn left and travel one mile to a four-way stop. (Shelby Forest General Store is on northwest corner.) Turn right onto Bluff Road. Park entrance is approximately one mile down, on the left.
South Entrance: From Interstate 40, take exit 3, Watkins. Go north on Watkins, crossing Frayser Boulevard and Highway 51. Turn left on Sylvan Road, then right on Benjestown Road. Park entrance is on the left directly across from U.A. Moore Shelby County Park.
The Memphis Runners Track Club (a non-profit organization) is proud to partner with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in helping to promote awareness of our beautiful state park within such close proximity to Memphis. Each year we sponsor this endeavor by hosting three events; the Tennessee State Parks Running Tour Hill & Dale 8 Mile Race and the two MRTC Road Race Series 10 Milers.
Stanky Creek
Memphis-Arlington & Yale Road, Bartlett, TN 38135
Approximately 10 miles of tight, technical, single-track. Roller coaster hills. Three separate loops allow runs of various lengths, but intersections are not well marked.
Free, open daily dawn to dusk.
Trail head: Across from driveway in parking lot.
Directions:
From I-40, take exit 12, Sycamore View. Go north on Sycamore View which will change names to Bartlett Boulevard. Go approximately 3 miles to Yale Road, turn left (west). Proceed to the first flashing red light. Parking lot is 100 yards ahead on the right.
Mostly single track, rolling hills. Comprised of 3 separate loops that can be ridden together to make an 8-mile trail. This trail has the best variety of all trails in the Memphis area. There is tight single track, rolling hills, fast open trail sections, jumps, log crossings, creek crossings, and bridges of all shapes and size. Beginners will get plenty out of the main loop and novice/expert riders can crank it up on the front sections. Most of the trail is suitable for year round use and does well even after heavy rain. The only complaint is that there are no signs or markers at the major intersections. Work is in progress to install signs at these locations.
This trail is open to the public. If you ride here please consider other users and those who constructed the trail. Don't shortcut the trail or wide ride around mud, it only hurts the trail and increases trail maintenance. No motorized traffic is allowed on the trail.
This trail system and property is under the care of the Shelby County Conservation Board. It was nicknamed the "Stank" because of a foul odor that emanates from a large creek that flows through the park. In 1997 the SCCB allowed MRC to build bike/running trails on this property. Originally the trail was a 4-mile loop, which is still considered the "main" loop at the Stank. The smaller center and front loops were added over the next year. Construction is under way now to add small additions to the trail. MRC and other local mountain bike groups perform maintenance and trail building chores at the Stank.
