Big Marrowbone Creek
Abernathy Rd to Walmart Supercenter on Ashland City HWY 12
| Difficulty | I(II) |
| Length | 9.1 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | Sycamore Creek Near Ashland City, Tn |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 46 cfs |
| Reach Info Last Updated | February 6, 2025 |
River Description
This run has gradient of 12ft/mile 30 minutes from downtown Nashville with endless surf waves but is hard to catch with enough water. This is a beautiful class I (II) run with side stream waterfalls, overhanging moss covered cliffs on alternating sides, a covered bridge, fast current, endless surfing waves, and a couple of solid class II rapids in a semi wilderness setting.
River Features
Abernathy Rd Put-in
The best parking is river right in the dirt on either side of the 90 degree turn on Abernathy Rd. The area is rough so beware of break-ins. Under the bridge, there is a convenient concrete ledge that is wide and above the water. It makes for a great place to gear up and launch.
This satelite image is during very low water. You can see the hard slab creek bottom and the micro ledges that form the endless class I waves when the water is high.
Walmart Supercenter Take-Out
I always park behind Walmart in an official parking space near the loading docks and have never had any issues. The best place to exit the creek is next door at the pavilion by the creek behind Gateway Church. It is then an easy walk to your vehicle at Walmart.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportThese pictures are from a solo run I did in April 2015. I've run it several times since then. There is a USGS gauge on Sycamore Creek, which is the next stream to the north. I am still working on flows levels. I know when Sycamore is running 1,000 cfs and climbing, Big Marrowbone Creek is runnable. I pulled up old Sycamore guage data from April 2015. I am pretty sure my run in the pictures was Sunday afternoon on 04/19/15, when Sycamore was running 2,500 cfs.
Don't let the 9.3 miles discourage you. BMC has a surprising 12ft/mile gradient and current so you'll get to the take-out within 3 hours. This gem is like nothing else within 50 miles of Nashville. I would rate 30+ rapids Class I, another 5 Class I+, and 2-3 Class II.
Remember that first collapsing wave/hole you surfed and thought you were the best. The wave/hole was barely big enough to hold you, but you were its master. BMC has 30+ surfing wave/holes. It also has 'Porch Song,' a Class II directly under a homeowner's overhanging deck. A 1/2 mile downstream, you will pass under a covered bridge and enter 'The Flume,' a 300 yds rapid with a Class II part. The landowner stacked 100s of very large, flat rocks on the edge of river right for several hundred feet. This causes BMC to become 'channelized.' The current speeds up, the waves get taller, and several large wave/holes appear. A blast! When you are not surfing, the alternating overhanging moss covered cliffs are beautiful. Alot of side stream waterfalls as well.