1 Edwin Warner Park: Cane Connector Trail
The trail combines portions of Edwin Warner and Percy Warner Parks. Views from the five bridges that cross Vaughn’s Creek provide good photo ops. Portions of the trail follow sections of the Natchez Trace, which went from Nashville to Natchez, Mississippi.
Start: Cane Connector Trail trailhead, at the kiosk behind the Warner Park Nature Center
Distance: 2.0-mile out-and-back
Approximate hiking time: 1.5 hours
Trail surface: Dirt, rock
Best season: Year-round
Other trail users: Dog walkers
Canine compatibility: Leashed dogs permitted
Fees and permits: None required
Schedule: Dawn to dusk
Maps: USGS: Bellevue; trail maps and brochures available at the Warner Park Nature Center
Trail contact: Warner Park Nature Center, 7311 Highway 100, Nashville 37221; (615) 352-6299; www.nashville.gov/parks/wpnc
Other: Restrooms and water available at the Warner Park Nature Center. There is no potable water or restrooms on the trail.
Finding the trailhead: From the south side of Nashville, take I-40 West toward Memphis and go 9.2 miles. Take TN 251, exit 99, and turn left onto Old Hickory Boulevard/TN 251. Continue to follow Old Hickory Boulevard for 3.8 miles. Turn left onto TN 100 and follow it 0.6 mile to 7311 (TN 100). Turn into Edwin Warner Park and proceed to the nature center. DeLorme Tennessee Atlas & Gazetteer: Page 53 C5. GPS: N36 03.653 / W86 54.321
The Hike
The out-and-back Cane Connector Trail is truly a connector trail. It connects to the 4.5-mile Mossy Ridge Loop and the 2.0-mile Warner Woods Trail, thereby connecting the entire Warner Park Trail system. The trail is flat and 7 feet wide and has good tree cover.
Start the hike at the kiosk at the rear of the nature center in Edwin Warner Park. Head south, crossing the bridge over Vaughn’s Creek. The creek may be dry, depending on the amount of rainfall and season of the year.
Follow the trail and cross a bridge on the left. Notice the variety of hardwood trees, including oak, beech, and maples. Cross Old Hickory Boulevard. Use caution, as this is a very busy highway with cars traveling at 45 miles per hour. Almost immediately go up five steps and cross another bridge. In the fall leaves will cover the trail; watch for tree roots on the trail. Bear slightly left and cross another bridge.
Pass a building about 300 feet on the left, which houses the Bob Brown Field Station. Continue until you reach a T. The left branch leads to the field station. Take the right branch, making a hard right, and take five steps up to cross another bridge. Take a hard left at the end of the bridge. The creek is now on the left but is not visible. Watch for butterflies, especially in the spring and fall. They tend to congregate around small pools of water. The trail flattens and heads slightly down. The creek and woods furnish ideal habitat for a variety of birds and animals, including deer. Look for deer and raccoon tracks.
Reach an asphalt park road and cross it to pick up the trail marked by a candy–striped post. In the fall, look for acorns and hickory nuts on the trail. They are a little difficult to open, but they are tasty and good to eat; take a few home and try them. In the spring and fall, spider webs may cross the trail.
Continue north, following the candy–striped blazes. The trail slopes slightly up. Look for several large shagbark hickory trees. Reach the T, which is the end of the trail. Here the Cane Connector Trail links up to Mossy Ridge Loop and the Warner Woods Trail. Folks that still have a lot of energy may want to take one of these. If not, backtrack to the trailhead.
Miles and Directions
0.0Start at the Cane Connector Trail trailhead, at the kiosk at the rear of the nature center in Edwin Warner Park. The trail is identified with red-and-white-striped blazes.
0.1Within 200 feet cross the bridge over Vaughn’s Creek and make a hard right into the woods. Follow the trail as it crosses Old Hickory Boulevard into Percy Warner Park. Use caution!
0.15 Continue following the trail in a northeast direction. Make a hard right immediately before crossing another bridge over Vaughn’s Creek. At the end of the bridge, make a hard left.
0.3 Bear left and go a short distance to another bridge. A building that houses the Bob Brown Field Station can be seen about 300 feet away on the left.
0.4Make a hard right, heading east. There is an opening to the creek on the right. Take the short out-and-back to explore the creek. Return to the trail as it bears slightly left. Reach a T; take the right branch, and immediately make a hard right and cross another bridge.
0.6Pass a candy-striped trail marker and reach an asphalt park road. Use caution and cross the road to the trail on the opposite side. Head north, going into the woods.
0.8Continue heading north until you reach an asphalt park road. Use caution in crossing the road and go up five wooden steps to the trail as it enters the woods.
1.0Reach a T, which is the end of the Cane Connector Trail. Both branches of the T lead to the 4.5-mile Mossy Ridge Loop, and the left branch leads to the 2.0-mile Warner Woods Trail. Backtrack to the trailhead, or extend the hike.
2.0Arrive back at the trailhead.