Bowie Nature Park may be Fairview's best-known outdoor destination, but it is not the city's only place to find a trail, a fishing spot and a little quiet.

Tucked away at 7106 Black Pine Road is Veterans Memorial Park at Evergreen Lake, an approximately 11-acre city park centered around a small pond and walking trail. It is a much simpler park than Bowie, and that simplicity is its strength.

Veterans Memorial Park at Evergreen LakeOpen in Maps

What is there

Fairview's Parks Master Plan describes Veterans Memorial Park as just over 11 acres, with Evergreen Pond surrounded by a primarily flat natural-surface walking and running trail. Benches and picnic areas sit near flagpoles recognizing the branches of the United States military, and a gravel parking area provides space for roughly 30 vehicles.

A park that came from Dr. Evangeline Bowie

The park's story also connects back to Dr. Evangeline Bowie. The land that became part of the Evergreen Industrial Park was left to the City of Fairview as part of Bowie's estate following her death in 1992. The lake was already used by local fishermen, but for years the property was not formally treated as a city park.

That began changing as Fairview grew. In June 2012, the Board of Commissioners officially designated the Evergreen Lake property for use as a public park. The following year, the city named it Veterans Memorial Park at Evergreen Lake in honor of American veterans. Parks staff began clearing brush and improving the property for public use.

A short walk rather than a day out

The lake itself covers roughly 3.3 acres. An earlier city planning document measured the loop trail around it at approximately 0.44 mile, making the park particularly approachable for residents who want a short walk rather than a long trail outing.

That makes Veterans Memorial Park useful in a completely different way from Bowie. A visitor does not need to plan half a day there. It can be a place for a quick walk after dinner, a few laps around the water, a picnic or an hour spent fishing.

Fishing came first

Fishing has been part of the property's identity since before it officially became a park. A Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency survey conducted in 2013 documented bluegill, sunfish, bass and crappie in the lake, and catfish were subsequently stocked. The lake became a natural location for Fairview's fishing rodeo.