Cedars of Lebanon State Park sits seven miles south of downtown Lebanon and quietly ranks as one of the most ecologically unusual protected places in Middle Tennessee. It opened to the public in 1937 on land the federal government reclaimed during the Great Depression, and the 900-acre park is surrounded by a 9,420-acre state forest — so what looks like a single park on a map is actually a 10,000-acre chunk of intact cedar-glade wilderness right outside town.

Quick Facts

• Address: 328 Cedar Forest Rd., Lebanon, TN 37090
• Size: 900 acres (park); 9,420 acres (surrounding state forest)
• Established: 1937
• Admission: Free
• Hours: Park open 7 days/week, year-round (visitor center hours vary)
• Campsites: 117 with electric/water hookups
• Cabins: Available by reservation via tnstateparks.com
• Hiking: Roughly 8 miles across five named trails
• Disc Golf: 18-hole course, original design dates to 1977
• Designation: National Natural Landmark (1973); National Register of Historic Places (1995)
• Nature center: Dixon Merritt Nature Center (interpretive displays; CCC-era facility)
• Plant species: ~350 documented; 29 endemic to cedar glades
• Notable feature: Jackson Cave (~1,000 ft long) on the Dixon Merritt Trail

What Makes This Park Different

Most state parks in Tennessee are defined by a lake, a mountain, or a river. Cedars of Lebanon is defined by its soil — or more specifically, the lack of it.

The park protects one of the largest remaining stands of cedar glades in North America. A cedar glade is an ecosystem where limestone bedrock sits right at the surface. The soil is so thin that most trees can't establish, which leaves open pockets dominated by red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), prickly pear cactus, wildflowers, and grasses normally found in prairies, not Tennessee forests. The park harbors roughly 350 plant species, including 29 that are endemic to cedar glades — meaning they grow here and almost nowhere else.

Notable endemic plants:

• Tennessee Coneflower (Echinacea tennesseensis) — once federally endangered, now recovered largely thanks to protection at sites like this one.
• Limestone flame flower, Gattinger's Prairie Clover, Nashville Breadroot, Glade Phlox — all cedar-glade specialists that bloom through spring and summer.

The park was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1973 specifically for the cedar glades. In 1995, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Five Named Trails

Cedars of Lebanon has about 8 miles of maintained hiking trails across five routes. None are strenuous — this is limestone-plateau hiking, mostly flat, good for an hour or a half-day.

• Cedar Glades Trail — 0.5 miles. Self-guided interpretive loop. The best trail for understanding the ecosystem in under an hour. Start here on a first visit.
• Limestone Sinks Trail — 0.5 miles. Walks past sinkholes and geological features unique to the karst terrain.
• Dixon Merritt Trail — 0.5 miles. Leads to Jackson Cave, a roughly 1,000-foot-long cave on the park's grounds.
• Cedar Forest Trail — 2 miles. A longer loop through the mature cedar stands.
• Hidden Springs Trail — 5 miles. The longest option; takes a few hours at a relaxed pace.

Camping and Cabins

The campground has 117 sites, each with picnic tables, grills, and electric/water hookups. Two cabin types are available — sleeping two to five people — plus a group lodge with capacity of 80. Reservations go through reserve.tnstateparks.com.

The Disc Golf Course

The park's 18-hole disc golf course was designed in 1977, making it one of the older courses in the state and a minor legend among Middle Tennessee disc golfers. Free to play; no reservation required.

Other Amenities

• Dixon Merritt Nature Center — small museum covering cedar-glade ecology and CCC history
• 11 picnic shelters
• A splash pad (seasonal)
• Horseback riding trails (separate from hiking trails)
• A meeting hall available for rental

When to Go

Peak wildflower bloom runs mid-April through early June. This is when the cedar glades are most visually distinctive. Fall brings good hiking weather without the humidity. Winter is underrated — trails stay open and you'll often have the park almost to yourself.

Getting There from Each Wilson County Town

Nearby — What to Pair This With

• Downtown Lebanon Dining — seven minutes away, solid post-hike lunch options
• The Capitol Theatre, Lebanon — historic Public Square venue; pair a matinee with an afternoon hike
• Living in Lebanon, Tennessee — context if the park factored into a relocation decision
• Long Hunter State Park — water-based park on Percy Priest Lake; worth seeing both
• Wilson County Fair — the Ag Center is close; stack a morning hike with an evening at the fair

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cedars of Lebanon State Park free? Yes. There is no admission fee. Camping, cabins, and facility rentals carry fees, but daily visits for hiking, picnicking, disc golf, and the nature center are free.

How long are the trails at Cedars of Lebanon? Roughly 8 miles total across five named trails. The shortest (Cedar Glades, Limestone Sinks, Dixon Merritt) are each 0.5 miles. The longest, Hidden Springs, is 5 miles.

Can you see the cedar glades year-round? Yes, but they're visually most striking from mid-April through early June when the endemic wildflowers bloom. The cedars themselves are evergreen.

Are pets allowed at Cedars of Lebanon? Pets are allowed on most Tennessee state park trails when leashed. Verify current park rules with the visitor center or tnstateparks.com before a visit.

What is Jackson Cave? Jackson Cave is an approximately 1,000-foot-long cave on the park grounds, reached via the half-mile Dixon Merritt Trail. Access to caves in Tennessee state parks is often restricted for bat-conservation reasons — verify current access rules at the visitor center.

Can you swim at Cedars of Lebanon? There's a seasonal splash pad at the park, but no lake or swimming pool. For lake swimming in Wilson County, Old Hickory Lake and J. Percy Priest Lake are both within a short drive.

Is the disc golf course open to the public? Yes — free to play, no reservation. The 18-hole course dates to 1977.

Is this the same Lebanon as in Ohio or New Hampshire? No. Cedars of Lebanon State Park is in Lebanon, Tennessee (Wilson County). Address: 328 Cedar Forest Rd., Lebanon, TN 37090.

A Local's Take

Most people who move to Lebanon from out of state are coming from places where you can't be at a national-level natural landmark in fifteen minutes. A 900-acre park, with another 9,000 acres of state forest around it, within the Lebanon city limits for all practical purposes — that's rare for a town of 44,000 people in the Nashville metro.

If you're visiting Wilson County for the first time, give the park a morning. Start at the nature center, walk the Cedar Glades Trail, grab lunch at the Public Square on the way back. That's a tighter, more honest tour of what Lebanon feels like than any listing flyer.

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Written by Jacob Armbrester, Real Estate Broker with Compass. Published 2026-04-18. Last updated 2026-04-18.