Peeler Park

Name: Peeler Park

Address: 2043 Neelys Bend Rd, 37115

History: 4 out of 5

Walkability: 5 out of 5

Kid Like-ability- 1 out of 5

Date Night-ability- 4 out of 5

Charm: 4 out of 5

Established 1965, with 650 acres, Peeler Park has paved walking/jogging paths, hiking trails, horse trails, a model airplane field, and a boat launch. The paths cumulate in over 16 miles, so absolutely note the map.

The land was originally the farmland of E. N. Peeler and his family, and was purchased in 1963 by the parks board for $750 an acre. Originally the plan was to really develop the land and create a golf course, but a neighbor private golf course complained about the competition. Instead, it remained wild land. In 1969, the next door Sun Valley Swim Club was purchased and the land added to the existing land, bringing it to its total size that it is at today. They used the pool leftover from the swim club for about fifteen years, finally destroying it in the late 1980s. The land was contemplated for use for a landfill, as one was needed and Metro owned the land anyways, in the early 1990s. This idea was snuffed by annoyed locals in the area. After the landfill idea was dismissed, the boat launch was added for $250K. In the late 1990s, early 2000s, some Nashvillians tried to get the land declared a wildlife sanctuary, an effort that failed. When that failed, a different sect of Nashvillians tried again to get a golf course on the land again- another effort that failed. In 2009, another section of adjacent land- Taylor Farm- was purchased and added to the park land.

One of my favorite parts of this park, however, is the fact that the parking lot is stuffed with feral cats, that are apparently fed by the locals and are harmless. Watching them from a distance (although allergic to cats), I found myself charmed.