CHEATHAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Harpeth River State Park has become one of the most popular locations in Middle Tennessee for canoeing and kayaking.

Local canoe outfitters rent equipment and also give great advice on trips down the river.

But hiking on its scenic trails has attracted thousands of people for years, and those trails can lead you to some very interesting history.

"We've got six miles of hiking trails, all of which are very short, explained Bill Morton, Harpeth River State Park Manager. "But they offer spectacular views.  One of the best views in Middle Tennessee is right here at the Narrows of the Harpeth on the Bluff Trail.  We call it Table Top Rock straight up to the top.  But you can see the entire river valley below."

Along one of the trails is the well-known Montgomery Bell Tunnel, 290 feet long and built in 1818 by enslaved people for Montgomery Bell's iron forge operation.

There is also a Native American Mississippian mound complex dated between 900 and 1400 AD. Archaeologists believe this area had important political and ceremonial functions. The park offers guided tours to the site, which is called "Mound Bottom."

While we were on one of the trails, we ran into Steven Schnuelle and Lauren Workman, carrying a bouquet of flowers, who had just enjoyed a very special moment in their lives:

We asked, "What's the occasion?" Steven: "I proposed, and..." Lauren: "I said yes!"

The trail had been important to Lauren in high school, and Steven popped the question there!

"As high schoolers, we would just come up and camp or hang out, no parental supervision, come swim in the lake and the waterfall that's in the back," Workman said.  "Locals, we call it Table Top. And of course, we went hiking on it today, and I'm freaking out because there are flowers on that bench. 'I don't think we should go over there,' you know.  And he's like trying to scoot me along.  So, it was a great surprise.

So, along with canoeing, history, and hiking, there is even love in the air at Harpeth River State Park.

For more information on Harpeth River State Park, see their website.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/on-tour-middle-tn/harpeth-river-state-park-cheatham-county/