BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – If you have a mountain bike hanging in your garage, it’s time to pull it down, check the tires, and attach the bike rack to your vehicle. That’s because at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 27, the City of Brentwood will officially open its new mountain bike trail system at Smith Park.

“We’ve been working on this project for the last three years, meeting with city officials and clearing trails, and now we’re excited for the mountain biking community to ride this course,” Matt Robertson, with Bike Walk Brentwood, said.

On April 27, Bike Walk Brentwood, the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association, Middle Tennessee Chapter (SORBAMidTN), and the City will host a grand opening ceremony at the entrance to the new trail. The event is open to the public, and visitors are asked to park to the left of the Ravenswood Mansion, near the soccer fields.

In 2021, Bike Walk Brentwood, Brentwood Green Space and SORBAMIDTN approached the City about creating a mountain bike trail through the undeveloped portion of Smith Park. The City has made bicycle and pedestrian pathways a priority over the years, with the Brentwood Board of Commissioners creating an ad hoc committee in 2015 to examine expanding these venues. The City agreed to support the project, and the organizations hired Rock Solid Trail Contracting, a professional design firm, to develop a trail plan. 

On Feb. 27, 2023, the Board of Commissioners formalized its partnership with SORBAMIDTN and granted the non-profit permission to begin construction on the new trials. The association has worked on several other mountain bike trails in the region, including courses at Nashville’s Percy Warner Park, Franklin’s Wilkins Branch Mountain Bike Park, and White Bluff’s Montgomery Bell State Park.

Through this new partnership, SORBAMIDTN built the first 2.5 miles of the trail, with the City overseeing the development of 4.5 additional miles in the back of the park. In addition to serving the Brentwood community, the resulting seven-mile trail now provides local high school and middle school mountain bike teams with a place to practice.

Earlier this year, SORBAMIDTN reached out to the City’s Historic Commission to help give the new trails historic names. Now, riders will pedal through “Noble’s Corner,” up a flowing trail called “Boiling Spring Schoolmarm,” and later take a short trail with a stream crossing – “Kittie’s Crossing” – named after an enslaved woman named Kittie Sneed.

“We wanted to respect the history of this area when naming these trails,” Robertson said.

On March 11, the City Commission also adopted a set of rules specifically for the mountain bike trails. Those rules specify:

• Use of trails is at users’ own risk.
• Helmets are required.
• Stay on designated trails, no trespassing on private property.
• Follow directional markers, do not cut switchbacks.
• No hiking, walking, or trail running.
• No pets.
• No littering – leave no trace.
• Do not remove plants, leaves, or disturb wildlife.
• No use of trails after dark.
• Trails are for Bicycles and Class 1 pedal assisted ebikes only (see chart posted at kiosk).
• Report any trail maintenance issues to SORBA Mid-TN.