What a gorgeous park! Crooked Branch is located at the beginning of the greenway, but it's its own, defined park. That said, it's very large and with this being the season of the Blair Witch and all, I wouldn't suggest coming here alone. You're going to need friends* to throw at her while you make your getaway. It's all about planning ahead.
Even though you have to drive through a neighborhood to get here, this is, in no way, a neighborhood park. This is a destination park and, no matter where you live in the metro, it's worth your while to drive out and see it. Once you park, you can follow the trail to the right and just start walking. Besides noticing how lush the grounds are, I was struck by the diversity of tree/plant life. I also saw a number of bird species. This is a very well planned park. It's meant for exploration but with all the nooks, crannies, twists, and turns, unfortunately with the way of the world, it isn't responsible to go too deep into the park by oneself. There are just too many opportunities for something bad to happen. Plus, you could, very easily, walk out of the park proper and into the greenway causing you to set out on a journey much much longer than you anticipated.
Once you've walked a fair amount of the trail, double back to take in the pond that's dead center of the green space. What did I tell you? Well planned. As I ventured around the park, I kept thinking what a perfect park for autumn. I firmly believe that the fall is the prettiest time of year in Middle Tennessee and places like Crooked Branch just back that assertion up. I'd, gladly, come back here for some more exploration, bird watching and picture taking... but only in the brightest light of day and with a squad. I'm curious, not stupid. It sure is pretty, though.
*Cannon fodder. Potato, potahtoe. read more