Enjoy Night Kayaking, Fine Dining, Shopping, Hiking, Comfy Hotels

Plan your summer fun now in Nashville’s Big Back Yard. Just south of Music City, a dozen small towns and a bucket load of fun are ready to be explored. Nashville’s Big Back Yard, including The Shoals of North Alabama, is worth a day trip, a long weekend, or your best summer vacation yet.

The Commodore Hotel brings a new adventure this year, the captivating experience of night kayaking. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind guided trip on Linden’s beautiful Buffalo River. You will glide along the easy-flowing Buffalo on a single or tandem kayak illuminated with stunning luminescence. 

Music is in the Back Yard DNA

The Shoals region is the Hit Recording Capital of the World, so touring the iconic Fame and Muscle Shoals Sound Studios is a must. Countless seminal recordings were made here by music royalty – The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, and Jason Isbell, to name a few. 

One of the hottest music venues in Nashville’s Big Back Yard is Fox & Locke in Leiper’s Fork. Songwriters, artists and visitors come from around the world to have this authentic experience, featuring intimate roots, Americana, country and rock ‘n’ roll shows. Thursday Night Open Mic Night is the stuff of legend. 

Fish Wilson Lake or The Tennessee River

Wilson Lake along the Tennessee River is fierce when it comes to fishing. Largemouth bass weighing more than seven pounds, smallmouth bass over five pounds and blue catfish that tip the scales at more than 50 pounds are frequently caught here. 

Clifton, Tennessee, is nestled along the Tennessee River with an estimated 320 species of fish. The Clifton Marina provides full access to amenities for Tennessee River fishermen, boaters, and RV campers, including shoreline RV campsites. 

Hike to Beautiful Jackson or Fall Hollow Falls along the Natchez Trace Parkway

One of America’s oldest roads, the Natchez Trace Parkway, one of the most frequently visited sites in the National Park Service, offers two awe-inspiring waterfalls in Tennessee. Jackson Falls is located at milepost 404.7, while Fall Hollow Falls is at 391.9 in Hohenwald. 

Golf the Robert Trent Jones Trail in North Alabama

The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals is home to two 18-hole championship courses and lies between the Wheeler and Wilson dams on the Tennessee River. This course was the first on the RTJ Trail to break 8,000 yards. 

Fine Dining and Local Faire in the Big Back Yard

In Florence, Ala., dining options are plentiful. Odette’s and the Marriott’s 360 Grille are world-class. In Leiper’s Fork, Tenn., don’t miss 1892. The small town of Mount Pleasant offers Mt. Pleasant Grille, where the locals eat. 

Where to Stay in Nashville’s Big Back Yard

Gun Runner
The Stricklin
Marriott Shoals
Commodore Hotel
Pot n Kettle Cottages
Sweeney Cottage