If you’ve walked along the Harpeth Woods Trail in Warner Parks, you’ve likely enjoyed the beauty of Vaughn’s Creek—its winding waters, lush tree canopy, and the glimpse it offers into Nashville’s natural and cultural history. But in recent years, this beloved stream has been under stress. Increasingly intense spring rains have caused erosion along the streambank, damaged sections of the Harpeth Woods Trail, and even threatened bridges that carry thousands of park visitors each year.
The Challenge
Heavy rainfall doesn’t just leave behind muddy boots. It erodes the streambank, washes away soil, and undermines the stability of trails and bridges. Along Vaughn’s Creek, these impacts have required frequent repairs—periodic filling and leveling of the Harpeth Woods Trail—and risk the loss of mature trees that hold the streambank in place.
Protecting this area has become an immediate priority for Friends of Warner Parks and our partners. Without intervention, the damage could accelerate, threatening infrastructure, recreational access, and the ecological health of the creek.
Our Approach
This year, our team began a unique stabilization effort to protect the trail, bridges, and streambank.
Stage One
Working with reclaimed materials from Lhoist North America mining company, we repurposed 50–60-year-old, 300-pound railroad rails and recycled conveyor belts. These materials were set into the ground and backfilled with rock and gravel, creating sturdy mounds along the creek’s riparian buffer. The goal is to slow and redirect water during floods, reduce erosion, and create a more stable foundation for the trail and streambank. This innovative, sustainable approach not only reuses materials that might otherwise go to waste, but also reflects the creative problem-solving required to manage water in a heavily used urban park.
Photos by Molly Elkins
What’s Next
Future stages of the project will include protection of the bridges, maintaining and improving habitat, and enhancing public access.
A Place Worth Protecting
This project along Vaughn’s Creek is about more than fixing erosion. It’s about keeping trails safe for hikers and runners, protecting bridges for years of use, and ensuring the creek remains a healthy home for trees, plants, and wildlife.
With a little creativity—and some very heavy reclaimed materials—we’re working to solve big problems in a sustainable way. Thanks to the hard work of our team and partners, Vaughn’s Creek will continue to be a place where people come to enjoy the quiet beauty of Warner Parks.
To support important conservation projects like this, consider making a donation to Friends of Warner Parks.
