365 Things to Do in Memphis #74: Walk Through the Old Forest
365 Things to Do in Memphis #74: Walk Through the Old Forest
An old-growth forest in the middle of the city? Only in Memphis.
An old-growth forest in the middle of the city? Only in Memphis.
Assignment #74 in the 365 Things to Do in Memphis is to take a walk through one of the last remaining old growth forests in Tennessee.
The Old Forest is a 172-acre wooded area located in Overton Park. It has paved and unpaved trails and it's so quiet, you'll forget you're close to East Parkway, Poplar Avenue, and the bustle of the city.
The Overton park old forest trails are also Reason #28 to Love Memphis. read more here.
The Old Forest Trail at Overton Park is one of my personal favorite places in the entire city, and somewhere I have spent a lot of time, so I'm happy to recommend it to you!

Paved trail through Overton Park's Old Forest
Holly Whitfield
Rainbow Lake at Overton Park
Holly Whitfield
Overton Park Trail Entrance
Holly Whitfield
Unpaved trails run through the Old Forest
Bicycle gate entrance to Overton Park trails.
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Andy
Now's a great time to do it. It's not too hot and things are blooming. The Overton Park Conservancy has already made a difference in the Old Forest, clearing out a lot of non-native, invasive plants. You can see further into the forest with a lot of the privet cleared out.
March 19, 2012 7:55am
PatrickGSR94
My wife and I did this on Saturday. Great weather for a little hiking through the woods - cloudy and cool, and even a little drizzle at times. It was wonderful, and even more so as I did it barefoot! Parking, however, was another story. Every single road in Overton was lined on both sides with cars from people going to the zoo, apparently because of Spring Break. I heard of people hiking a mile to get to the entrance, and some waiting 2 hours for tickets! We had to park by the playground over off East Parkway. But all in all it was a wonderful and relaxing experience.
March 19, 2012 1:26pm
Mary Tooman
I have been through memphis several times but never got to stop and explore but hope to if I win the contest.
February 14, 2021 3:43pm
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