1. Cedars Of Lebanon State Park
City: Lebanon, TN
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (615) 443-2769, (800) 713-5180
Address: 328 Cedar Forest Rd.
Insider Pick:
Description: Cedars of Lebanon has 117 campsites, including 30 tent and pop-up sites, as well as an 80-person group lodge and 9 cabins. Campsites with water and electrical hookups are $30 a night; tent sites are $20. Amenities include hot showers and flush toilets, laundry, dump station, and a camp store that’s open in-season. Cabins are $75 to $115 a night, depending on whether you are staying on a weekend or midweek, and the size of the cabin. There is a 3-night minimum for holiday weekends; rates are generally cheaper in the off-season. Cabins have a fully equipped kitchen, woodstove, and television; pay phones are nearby. Linens and towels are provided. The group lodge is $230 a night for the first 33 people, and $6 for each extra person.
2. Hunter’S Point Golf Course
City: Lebanon, TN
Category: Golf
Telephone: (615) 444-7521
Address: 1500 Hunters Point Pike
Description: Hunter’s Point, a 6,212-yard, par 72 course, is flat, with water coming into play on about one-third of the 18 holes. Number 15, a 446-yard par 4, challenges you with water to the left and right of the green and trees to the left of the fairway. Greens fees are $24.95 on weekdays and $29.95 on weekends. Carts are included. Hunter’s Point has a pro shop, putting green, driving range, and a snack bar.
3. University Medical Center
City: Lebanon, TN
Category: Health Care
Telephone: (615) 444-8262
Address: 1411 Baddour Pkwy.
Description: The 257-bed University Medical Center is part of the Naples, Florida–based Health Management Associates system. Facilities include an Outpatient Center with a full range of diagnostic and treatment procedures, from CAT scans to MRI and cataract surgery to tonsillectomies. The Heart Center is a full-service diagnostic facility with capabilities ranging from nuclear cardiology to cardiac catheterization. The Orthopaedic Center performs procedures including total joint replacement as well as back, knee, and hip surgeries. The Emergency and Chest Pain Center features the latest in emergency-treatment technology and chest pain testing.
4. Lebanon Democrat
City: Lebanon, TN
Category: Media
Telephone: (615) 444-3952
Address: 402 North Cumberland
Description: Published since the late 1800s, the Lebanon Democrat reaches about 10,000 in Wilson County. It is published Mon through Sat. A monthly subscription is $8; 1 year is $77 for Wilson County residents.
5. Wilson Post
City: Lebanon, TN
Category: Media
Telephone: (615) 444-6008
Address: 216 Hartmann Dr.
Description: This community newspaper began publishing in 1980. It covers Wilson County and is distributed on Wed and Fri. A 1-year subscription is $28.
6. Cedars Of Lebanon State Park
City: Lebanon, TN
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (615) 443-2769
Address: 328 Cedar Forest Rd.
Description: This park, which is connected to the largest red cedar forest in the United States, is about 31 miles east of Nashville in Wilson County, 6 miles south of I-40 on US 231. Only about 900 of the total acres are used for recreation. The remaining 8,100 acres are operated as a natural area by the Parks Division and as a state forest by the Forestry Division. Numerous wildflowers and other native plants can be found in the open limestone glades, including 19 rare and endangered plants, such as the Tennessee coneflower, which is said to exist only in Middle Tennessee. Approximately 600,000 people visit this state park every year. It is named for the cedar forests in the biblical lands of Lebanon. The cedar trees here, however, are actually eastern juniper, a coniferous cousin of the fragrant-wooded cedar. By 1900 the junipers had been cut down, used for making pencils, cross-ties, and cedar oil. In the 1930s the area was replanted by the Civilian Conservation Corps.Accommodations include 117 campsites, 9 modern 2-bedroom cabins, 2 small 2-person cabins, and an 80-person-capacity group lodge with separate sleeping facilities. Among the other attractions are 11 picnic pavilions, an “Olympic-plus-size” swimming pool, 8 miles of hiking trails through the cedar forests and glades, and 6 miles of horseback-riding trails. The park offers horse rental and guided trail rides from Mar through Nov. The Merritt Nature Center (open Tues through Sat during the main season) is a popular spot, offering exhibits, plus a recreation director and a naturalist who conduct programs during the summer. Visitors can participate in such activities as guided tours, arts and crafts, and hayrides during the warm-weather months. The cabins, lodge, campground, and assembly hall are available by reservation year-round. If you’re interested in reserving the group lodge, make your plans well in advance. The park is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. year-round.
7. Cherokee Resort
City: Lebanon, TN
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (615) 444-2783
Address: 450 Cherokee Dock Rd.
Description: Cherokee Resort offers a marina with private and transit docking as well as a swimming pool and a 150-seat steak house restaurant with an additional 175-seat banquet room. Fuel and oil are available.