Stones, W.Fk.
Barfield Crescent Road to Nice Mill Dam
| Difficulty | II(III) |
| Length | 17.8 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | West Fork Stones River at Murfreesboro, Tn |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 82 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | February 11, 2015 |
River Description
This long stretch is flatwater, punctuated by numerous shoals, a few ledge/waves, and a couple dams. Caution may be required around dams as they may form uniform hydraulics at many flows. (Scout, and be prepared to portage.) Various alternate access points allow trips of varying lengths. As well, the best feature(s) may readily be done as park-and-play.
River Features
Put In
Cason Trail Park
A (very minor) shoals may exist as you come into this park. This may serve well as alternate access for shorter trips.
Harkers Hole
Good flow for this feature is 300 CFS to about 650 CFS, and it can be surfed up to 2000 CFS (6 to 7 feet). This is a fun place to practice, but beware it will try to flip you at higher water levels. When it does, tuck up tight, its a little shallow, and head-busting rocks do wash out of the feature from time to time during high flows. (When the water goes down, the locals go back and put the rocks back.) Go give it a try and tell us what you think on our Nashville Whitewater Facebook page.
This is easy to do as a PnP. Go to the liquor store/ tobacco outlet at 2122 N Thompson Lane and park out back. Walk down the hill to the Greenway and go left. In about twenty yards you will see Harker’s Crossing Plaque, follow trail behind that to waters edge. Launch your boat and paddle around the trees to Harkers hole. To take out, paddle down to the wooden dock and get out there.
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportRan on 3/27/2020, water level 650 cfs.
Put in at parkway dams (mile 7.95), both were runnable. Top dam is about 8 feet tall and is run via series of ledges on the left side. Scout river left on greenway. Drops are fairly straightforward though there is a fairly retentive hole at the bottom. Whatever level you run this at, be wary of the potential for dam hydraulics nearby. Other than that, this drop is probably class III. The second dam is about a 3 foot drop and at this water level a large, 10-foot wide tongue provided sufficient flow to avoid any hazard of entrapment in dam hydraulics. Probably a class I at this level. Also scoutable river left. See pictures for First Parkway Dam rapid and Nice Mill Dam rapid.
We ran about 2.5 additional miles with one notable ledge (class I or I+, near the Bark Park) as well as Harker's Hole. Other than that not too much to note although it's a surprisingly nice and isolated river for being in an urban area. Saw several kingfishers and herons.
We took out at a greenway trailhead and headed a few miles downstream to run the bypass at the Nice Mill Dam. At this level, the 8-10 foot dam can be bypassed via a large, gently sloping tongue on far river right. Be aware that running too far to the left on this tongue might get you caught in a really nasty looking hole which may in turn move you into the dam hydraulic.
After the tongue, a nice playful class II hole/wave follows about 100 feet downstream. This rapid offers great park and play opportunities and at this level was surfable.
Philip Byard at Harkers Hole.
The top dam of the two Parkway Dams (mile 7.95). The left ledges are roughly a class III at 650 cfs and can be run. Scout is easy and advisable.
The river right tongue bypass of the Nice Mill Dam. Not pictured is a class II wave/hole about 100 feet below. A really nasty hole forms on the left side of the tongue.
Nice Mill Dam. Dangerous but beautiful.