Nashville Tree Foundation opened the Betty Brown Tree Trail and Arboretum in Summer 2015 in conjunction with the newly developed Riverfront Park and Ascend Amphitheater. Named after founding board member and first president, Betty Moorhead Brown (1939-2011), the trail is Nashville’s first downtown arboretum. With 263 trees representing 36 different species, it meanders along the perimeter of the park then loops through garden space.
Created in partnership with Metro Nashville Parks, the Tree Trail reflects Betty Brown’s formidable impact on Nashville’s urban tree canopy. Betty was also a visionary who helped redevelop the original Riverfront Park. She led the Nashville Tree Foundation as president from its founding in 1986, stepping down in 2010.
The Betty Brown Tree Trail and Arboretum was made possible by gifts in the name of Betty Brown to the Nashville Tree Foundation and by friends and family. A $250,000 grant gift – that includes monies in addition to funding from the USDA Forest Service and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry – also endows tree maintenance for at least 15 years post contractors’ warranty.
Location
Trailhead is located at the Riverview Gardens of the Park. Look for the signage at the red star on the map below.
