Promoting the development and enjoyment of Tennessee trails.
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Larkspur Conservation at Taylor Hollow
February 24 @ 8:15 am
Taylor Hollow is a 172 acre mixed mesophytic forest and one of the most biodiverse areas in the south. Larkspur Conservation has created a nature preserve on the former farm of Dr. Russell Ward using a portion of the property for low-impact, environmentally friendly natural burial. This type of preservation of undisturbed areas for this use is becoming popular and common, especially because it will ensure no future “development” or other type of abuse of the land. We will see some graves along the trails. No markers are allowed except some with just name and dates on natural Tennessee stone. A small marker also allows people to visit the grave of a loved one via GPS.
I encourage you to Google “Larkspur Conservation at Taylor Hollow” to learn more about the area and the details of natural burial. There you will see several web sites giving details.
The trails are smooth except for a few roots, and a few gentle hills. There are some lovely views from the ridges, especially with the leaves now gone. The roads up to the trailhead are fine. We are asked to be careful and stay on the trails which are well marked. No dogs allowed. There is wildlife with the possible sighting of deer and other animals. The hike will be 1-1/2 to 2 hours – only about 3 miles – at a comfortable pace.
There is limited parking space available at the trailhead, so most of us should plan on carpooling from Tollgate Medical Plaza (1106 Elliston Way, Thompson’s Station 37179), if possible. The full name of the area is: “Larkspur Conservation at Taylor Hollow”.
If you put that address in Google Maps, you will see the directions to the trailhead. There is no address/house number there. We plan to leave Tollgate at 8:30 AM. Travel time, with a bathroom break, should be about one hour and 45 minutes, arriving at the trailhead at about 10:15 AM.
On the way home, we plan to stop for lunch at “Swaney Swift on The Square” (118 N. Water Ave. in Gallatin). It’s a nice little restaurant. After lunch, we could then take Hwy 109 S to I-840 W for the return to Tollgate Medical Center.
If you have any questions or wish to sign up for the hike, please contact Gary Patterson at gkp505@gmail.com, or call 210.722.9526.