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After studying the works of Henry David Thoreau during my junior year of high school, our final assignment of the semester was to write a 10-page journal entry using a prompt from his most famous work, Walden. The requirements were simple: Meet at the Radnor Lake’s visitors center (around 20 minutes south of downtown Nashville) by eight o’clock in the morning, bring a spiral-bound notebook and pencil, and eat a filling breakfast (in the spirit of the assignment, McDonald’s wasn’t allowed). Hiking shoes were encouraged.

“Walden is a pond not an 85-acre lake,” I thought to myself as my car pool arrived at our destination. Cutting off the ignition, my friend Mark joked that Thoreau lived as a hermit in the middle of nowhere for two years. “Are we really taking life advice from this guy?” he asked.

Gravel and small branches crunched beneath our shoes as we approached our classmates who were already entering the park. Immediately, I could see why our English department had chosen this sanctuary for us to tap into our inner selves. Ducks waddled from the shoreline to plop into the lake. Birds warbled and swooped, while frogs called and croaked. It was tranquil, beautiful.

Jaded teenagers as we were, my friends and I reluctantly parted ways to give each other space for a few hours of solitude. Seated on a wooden bench next to one of the remote hiking trails, I cracked open my brand-new notebook and began to write. What did I see? What did I hear and feel? Timid at first but becoming bolder with each scribbled word, my brain unlocked and words flowed confidently and freely. For the first time in my life, I was given permission to write whatever I wanted, completely unstructured and unconfined. It was a mess of thoughts about going to college and wondering about my future, but no one cared about my chaotic words on paper. It was liberating, and I have carried this memory with me for over 20 years.

And now, when we convene for our high school reunion weekends every 10 years, we visit Radnor Lake. I see my classmates—along with deer, owls, hawks, and the usual ducks—and get to relive the moment when I was on the cusp of adulthood and exploring my written voice. Every time I go, I take in the same serenity and unadulterated beauty of the surrounding land and water. Radnor Lake will always center me despite the noise of the outside world, and it’s one of the first places that come to mind when I think of home.

Monroe County offers an incredible assortment of nature hikes for every experience level. Certain hikes have a peak season when it comes to the beauty of the surrounding nature, and the following trails are known to be a special treat during spring. Lace up your walking shoes, don a light jacket, and give these five hikes a try next time you visit Bloomington in the spring months.

Easy Hikes

Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve

Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve is one of seven public nature preserves owned & managed by Sycamore Land Trust in Monroe County. It's a wetland habitat comprised of 733 acres of protected land. The preserve is open to the public to explore from its 2.5-mile trail, which is mostly elevated plastic and wood boardwalk. The plastic portion of the boardwalk is accessible to those with limited mobility, and several observation decks are spread throughout the trail, allowing visitors to experience otherwise inaccessible areas of the habitat. The flat nature of this trail is what makes it ideal for all walks of life, including kids and leashed dogs.

Photo by Kyah Hiers

Spring is a special season at Beanblossom Bottoms for a few reasons: bald eagles are known to lay eggs and hatch out in March & April, frogs return from their winter hiatus to sing their throaty tune together in a loud chorus, and spring wildflowers & tree blooms begin to blossom in the wood boardwalk portion of the park. These nature phenomenas really emphasize the beauty of the season of rebirth in Bloomington.

Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve is open from dawn to dusk, seven days per week.

Latimer Woods

Latimer Woods is a small wooded park in the middle of Bloomington. The 10-acre plot is a bit of a hidden gem — it stands just across the street from the College Mall, but many don't realize that it's a public park with a .38-mile trail. The short trail winds through what was once Latimer Farm, and there are interpretive signs that detail the history of the property along the path. If you're a beginner hiker or you're hiking with small children, this would be a great trail for you to seek out. Dogs are also welcome, as long as they're on a leash.

The trailhead can be hard to find — it, along with parking, is located in The Stratum apartment complex. There's a designated area for visitor parking near Garage #32, where the trail begins.

Latimer Woods is open from dawn to dusk, seven days per week.

Moderate Hikes

Leonard Springs Nature Park

Leonard Springs Nature Park consists of 95.5 acres of land and a 1.1-mile trail that loops around the property. The path passes wetlands, an old reservoir, two caves, and several springs. Kids and leashed dogs are welcome, but be aware of the trail's steep forested slopes and metal-grate staircase — small dogs, in particular, may have trouble with the stairs.

Photo by Jerry Downs

The park is especially stunning during spring due to the abundance of blooming redbud trees and the lush greenery of the grass & budding trees. The old reservoir is a favorite area during the season due to the narrow creek that winds through its grassy clearing and the redbud trees that frame the open space.

Leonard Springs Nature Park is open from dawn to dusk, seven days per week.

Porter West Preserve

Porter West Preserve, another Sycamore Land Trust property, is a 188-acre nature preserve with a 2.6-mile moderate trail, open to the public for exploration. The preserve features a historic cemetery, four wildlife ponds, sandstone outcrops, several sinkholes, a spring, and an abundance of mature forestry. This trail is moderate enough for kids and leashed dogs to handle — its slight elevation is what classifies it as moderate. Other than some slopes, the Porter West Preserve is a fairly tame hike.

The diverse habitat is excellent for bird-watching, and we recommend traversing the trail during the season of rebirth so you can admire the carpet of spring wildflowers that covers the forest floor during the first few months of the year. Like Beanblossom Bottoms, Porter West is also known for its singing spring-time toads.

Porter West Preserve is open from dawn to dusk, seven days per week.

Rugged Hikes

Cedar Bluffs Nature Preserve

Cedar Bluffs Nature Preserve offers a unique perspective of nature in Monroe County — the 23-acre property features a 75-foot high limestone bluff and gnarled red cedars clinging to cliffs, displaying nature's will to survive in a harsh environment. We recommend visiting during spring so you can see the stunning juxtaposition of the property's spring wildflower-covered canyon, sharply contrasting with the gnarled bluffs. The lavish display is in a limestone rock-walled valley that also features a tributary stream of Clear Creek and other interesting rock formations.

Cedar Bluffs provides a marked hiking trail until you reach the banks of Clear Creek. At this point, hikers must cross a rocky shoreline (which can be extremely slippery when wet, so navigate with caution), then follow the unmarked-yet-heavily-used pathway up to the top of the bluff. The nature preserve recommends that you turn around and retrace your steps when you're ready to leave the bluff-top forest — you will be trespassing on private property if you walk down the hill from the bluff to the road. Due to these aforementioned challenges, the Cedar Bluffs hike is not friendly for small kids, dogs, or individuals with limited mobility.

Cedar Bluffs Nature Preserve is open from dawn to dusk, seven days per week.

Looking for more to do in Bloomington this spring? Check out the following:

There will soon be a more immersive way to enjoy the Tennessee mountains, as glamping property Bolt Farm Treehouse debuts five new mirrored cabins on its 55 acres outside of Chattanooga.

The cabins' mirrored-glass façades seamlessly immerse guests in the gorgeous scenery, while ensuring complete privacy since you can't see inside the cabins.

Each cabin sleeps two guests, and is equipped with a queen-size bed, air conditioning, heated floors, a desk, and rain showers. They also have high-speed Wi-Fi, an in-room movie theater, and a bluetooth record player, plus a stovetop, grill, pizza oven, mini fridge, French press, and other cooking equipment. But the highlight is definitely the private terrace with a hot tub, as well as Adirondack chairs, a bistro table, and a smokeless fire pit to enjoy while relaxing on Whitwell Mountain. The cabins were designed and built by ÖÖD, a Tallinn, Estonia-based company known for creating design-forward homes — including one outside Tulum, Mexico — that keep sustainability top of mind.

The cabins are the latest offering on the property owned by Seth Bolt, who built the Majestic Treehouse in Walhalla, South Carolina, with his father Larry Bolt in 2015 for the younger Bolt's honeymoon. "When we realized how magical the experience is and how good it is for the soul, we decided to open it to the public," he said of the property (which can be rented here).

During the pandemic, Seth Bolt and his wife, Tori, started looking at properties in an area that had piqued his interest while on tour, and they landed on the Whitwell Mountain area in May 2020. Now, their Tennessee site offers dome and tree house stays, the latter of which have been seen on Netflix's The World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals, in addition to the new mirror-like cabins.

The specialized accommodations help guests take advantage of the region, which is filled with opportunities for outdoor activities, including hiking, horseback riding, ATV tours, paragliding, paddleboarding, kayaking, fishing, and even pontoon boating on the Tennessee River. Bolt Farm Treehouse's property is also connected to a 5,000-acre nature preserve.

"Nature has this magical way of melting away stress, so it's worth the hard work of anchoring these mirrored structures atop giant rock faces and next to waterfalls," Tori Bolt said in a release sent to Travel + Leisure. "The visually stunning architecture blends perfectly with nature, providing a fully immersive experience like no other."

The cabins are available for weekday stays with a two-night minimum with check-ins on Mondays and Wednesdays, plus weekend stays with a three-night minimum with check-ins on Fridays. Nightly prices start at $395. Bookings can be made on the Bolt Farm Treehouse website starting tomorrow, Aug. 17, for stays beginning in mid-September — and the first 250 reservations will get 25 percent off.

"We can't wait for guests to enjoy elevated quality time in our new mountainside...cabins," Seth Bolt said in the release. "It's about reconnecting, laughing, and losing track of time on top of the world in a magical, inspiring, socially distanced environment."

All of the Bolt Farm Treehouse stays, including the domes, tree houses, and the new cabins, can be booked here.

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a honeymoon at Bolt Farm Treehouse.

Bolt Farm, a tree house hotel in Whitwell, Tennessee, was made famous thanks to its appearance on the Netflix series World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals. And it just unveiled four new Honeymoon Treehouses, which travelers can now book for stays beginning in March 2023.

“Inspired by our own honeymoon, our original Honeymoon Treehouse has always been our most popular accommodation. But unfortunately, it’s rarely available because it stays booked throughout the year,” Tori Bolt, who founded the tree house hotel with her husband, Seth, shared in a statement provided to Travel + Leisure. “After acquiring another 37 mountaintop acres, our first goal included replicating that original experience while also adding next-level touches from what we’ve learned over the years.”

In addition to the signature Bolt Farm outdoor shower, Bolt’s latest tree houses include hand-hammered, freestanding copper tubs for indoor bathing and alfresco hot tubs provided with every unit, which are well-positioned for taking in the exquisite view.

Each tree house floor plan also includes a private area for relaxing, quaint furnishings to heighten the romantic vibes, and a terrace complete with a canopy bed, a.k.a. the perfect spot to watch the sunset with your newly betrothed.

At the same time, Seth Bolt noted, “Our Honeymoon Treehouses aren’t just for newlyweds. They’re for anyone who wants to go big by investing in their relationship. Every detail is purposely designed around togetherness, providing couples with a sense of alignment. We want our visitors to leave feeling not only refreshed and renewed but closer and more bonded than ever. That feeling is what we received from our original Honeymoon Treehouse, and it brings us so much joy knowing that we can recreate that experience for more of our visitors.”

Reservations are now open for all of 2023. Learn more and make reservations at www.boltfarmtreehouse.com.

A trip through Astra Lumina is guaranteed to be unlike any hike you’ve ever been on. The trail is shrouded in darkness, transforming into a celestial pathway before your very eyes. As you hike through the Great Smoky Mountains, stars descend from the heavens, lights shoot up tree trunks, and astral song surrounds you.

This immersive nighttime adventure takes place nightly at Anakeesta, an adventure park in the Great Smoky Mountains of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, starting Oct. 21. The park’s natural setting sets the tone for a nighttime adventure that marries the wonder and beauty of nature with the enchantment of high-tech lights, projection, and sound.

At the start of the Astra Lumina journey, guests pass under the Astra Archway and enter a world where the stars descend from the sky in a beautiful symphony of light and sound. Hikers meander through a forest that is amplified by eight distinct astra zones, each more enchanting than the last. Highlights include the sound-laden Cosmic Choir, the visually stunning Stardust Rays and Stellar Visions, and the Celestial Trail. Before the hike is over, travelers will watch the regeneration of the stars and their return to the inky-black skies above.

Astra Lumina is the first experience of its kind in the U.S., but the Lumina Enchanted Night Walks have already taken off in 14 locations around the world, including in Europe and Japan. According to the website, “Each Lumina Night Walk is a luminous journey that reveals the exceptional beauty of a natural site. They use seamlessly integrated multimedia to immerse visitors of all ages into an imaginative world and to spark emotion.”

The nighttime adventures are created by Moment Factory, a Canada-based multimedia entertainment studio.

The Astra Lumina exhibit at Anakeesta opens on Oct. 21 and runs nightly from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The experience is an add-on to the multitudes of adventure found at Anakeesta, so park admission must be purchased. The online price for both park admission and Astra Lumina is $49.99 with reduced fares for children and seniors. Children ages 3 and under are free. Tickets are available now.

In addition to the new, after-dark Astra Lumina experience, Anakeesta is home to the longest treetop skywalk in North America, a mountain coaster, a zip line, a scenic chondola, and a handful of other adventures.