If you’re looking to escape into nature around Nashville, you don’t have to go far. This is Beaman Park.
“This is a wonderful place to feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere just 15 minutes from downtown Nashville,” offers Heather Gallagher, Director of Beaman Park.
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Pristine springs, crystal-clear streams and cascades, forested slopes, diverse vegetation, and incredible wildlife await visitors year-round. Even in the absence of foliage, wintertime visits make for stunning tree-top views at the Nature Center and accompanying treetop boardwalk.
The entire park, which rests in northwestern Davidson County, is an excellent example of what happens when a city embraces nature as something that’s all around us—we’re all part of nature—and not just the idea of wilderness, or parks that only exist out in the wilderness.
‘Beaman Park is a very special part of the western Highland Rim community’
“Beaman Park is a very special part of the western Highland Rim community,” Dir. Gallagher continues. “Even though it doesn’t seem that way, Beaman Park is actually located within the Metro Davidson County Nashville area. We are a Metro park! We’re 2,370 acres of pristine wilderness and primitive trails.”
Having such pristine nature so close by is imperative for our wellbeing. In 2016, TennGreen Land Conservancy transferred 13 acres of significant, forested land to expand Beaman for this and many other reasons.
In 2013, a small tract of privately-held land adjoining the park became available for purchase. The owner had intentions to subdivide the land and build private homes. But TennGreen would recongize the importance of this tract to Beaman Park and approached the landowners to request that they consider a sale.
After careful negotiations, coupled with the landowners’ understanding of the significance of the land, TennGreen purchased the property. It was then sold at a reduced price in May 2016 to Metro Nashville Parks and Recreation to expand Beaman.
But there’s still much more to be done.
Nashville’s Highland Rim Forest
Beaman is part of the grand Nashville Highland Rim Forest, which wraps around the north, west, and south portions of the circular basin (above) that Nashville bustles within.
The western portion contains four of Nashville’s most popular parks – Warner, Bells Bend, Radnor, and Beaman (below).
“Beaman Park is so special because—this is it. If you look at a map of Davidson County, and I encourage you to do so if you haven’t lately, you will notice that this is the only wild land that’s left in Davidson County,” Gallagher notes.
In all, our Highland Rim forest is one of the largest intact woodlands in Tennessee, and it is home to rare species that need our help.
“Beaman Park showcases orchids! Beaman showcases dwarf-crested irises and other wildflowers you can’t anywhere in Davidson County except for here on the western Highland Rim,” Beaman’s director adds.
It is up to us to protect these life-giving lands. Currently, TennGreen is deeply invested protecting as many large corridors of the Highland Rim as possible. If successful, Nashville would have one of the largest urban forests in the country and be far better for it. As would Beaman Park.
If you own large tracts of land on the Highland Rim and have interest in conservation options, please contact our experts at land@tenngreen.org or visit our Protect Your Land page.