Recreation For All in Williamson County, TN

Regardless of age or ability, Williamson County offers ample ways to have fun and stay active.

By Cary Estes on November 15, 2023

Nathan Lambrecht

Physical fitness is not just for the physically fit in Williamson County, TN. That’s because the green spaces and sports facilities throughout the county are continually being renovated and repurposed to make them enjoyable for all residents, regardless of age or ability.

As a result, children with disabilities can have fun at several area parks and playgrounds that are all-inclusive. And for older adults with mobility issues, there are plenty of ways to remain active, including through the rapidly growing sport of pickleball.

“You don’t have to move as much in pickleball as you do in a lot of sports, so it allows people to play and excel without having to run a lot,” says Michael Moberly, president of the Music City Pickleball organization in Franklin. “Then there’s the social aspect of the game. You make tons of friends through pickleball. You chat, you play and then you get together afterward for lunch. It’s just a fun community.”

To meet the demand, the number of pickleball courts in Williamson County keeps increasing. Courts can be reserved at Academy Park in Franklin, Longview Recreation Center in Spring Hill and Brentwood Sports Complex. Courts are also available for walk-up use at recreation complexes in Fairview, Franklin and Nolensville, and Music City Pickleball offers memberships allowing access to courts at the Tennessee Orthopedic Alliance building.

“The pickleball scene is just exploding here,” Moberly says. “The parks and the rec centers are all being inundated with people wanting to play. We get requests weekly and sometimes daily from people looking to hold pickleball events.”

Nathan Lambrecht

Many Amenities in Williamson County, TN

Even if pickleball is not your dill, uh, deal, there are still numerous activities available throughout Williamson County, and plenty of places to do them. In Brentwood, for example, residents have long enjoyed the Olympic-sized swimming pool at the Indoor Sports Complex. Now the facility has added a 10,600-square-foot gymnasium, a 10,000-square-foot splash pad, a 2,200-square-foot fitness studio and, yes, four outdoor pickleball courts.

The Brentwood YMCA has a shiny new look, as well, thanks to a recent renovation that includes an outdoor aquatic center, an expanded wellness area with a 3,000-square-foot group exercise studio and a dedicated community wing providing space for people simply to gather and spend time together. In 2022, Brentwood opened the Miles Together Playground, the city’s first inclusive park. The $1 million project provides accessibility to children of all abilities and developmental stages, allowing them to safely play in the same space.

Brentwood is also in the process of turning 52 acres of farmland that the city purchased from the Sensing Family into Windy Hill Park, with plans to develop walking and bicycle trails and a playground among open fields.

“We listen to the residents tell us what they’re wanting, then we try to provide those amenities whenever we have the opportunity,” says Dave Bunt, Brentwood parks director.

Williamson County Parks and Recreation

Parks-a-Plenty in Williamson County, TN

Another inclusive park is under development in Franklin. Ellie G’s Dreamworld will be situated on 3 acres in the new Southeast Municipal Complex, along with five fields for football/lacrosse and miles of multiuse trails.

“We want to create a park where children and adults of all abilities can come and play together,” says Torrey Barnhill, executive director of Friends of Franklin Parks, which is supporting the park’s development. “It will be a destination where all families can come and enjoy the outdoor spaces and what they offer.”

Another project by Friends of Franklin Parks involves the preservation of historic structures at the 200-acre Park at Harlinsdale Farm, including a turn-of-the-century farmhouse and a large horse barn that’s been a part of the farm since the 1930s.

Once restored, the Hayes House will host events, house offices and a fine arts gallery, and be used for a variety of educational purposes.

Bowie Park in Fairview and Timberland Park in Franklin are two popular nature areas in Williamson County. Another great outdoor attraction is on the way with the expected opening this fall of Peacock Hill, a former residential property in College Grove that is being transformed into a 250-acre park with 5 miles of trails.

“Williamson County is just a wonderful place to live,” Barnhill says. “We have all these amazing places and great outdoor spaces that really enhance our quality of life.”