Long Hollow Pike is one of those roads that earns its keep. It runs east through Shackle Island, crosses Drake's Creek, passes Beech High School, and connects Hendersonville to Goodlettsville without sending you onto the interstate. In late October the tree canopy above it turns properly golden, and a Saturday loop here touches real Tennessee fall. A fair question before you plan one is which Hyundai SUV actually fits this kind of driving, and we field it often at Hallmark Hyundai Hendersonville. We won't hand you a vague answer. Below is a real plan, matched to three specific vehicles.
The short version runs like this. The 2026 Kona handles a solo or two-person day well. The Tucson Hybrid is the family errand runner that also makes the commute cheaper. The Palisade is what you bring when there are five or more people and a boat or camper in the picture. One tradeoff worth naming upfront is that the bigger the vehicle, the less you feel the road, and on a meandering two-lane pike like this one, that's a real thing to weigh.
What's the Route?
Four stops, roughly two hours of driving, anchored to Long Hollow Pike and the streets that branch from it. That's the whole plan. All distances are approximate from the Shackle Island intersection where Long Hollow Pike meets SR 258.
| Stop | Drive Time from Previous | What You're Doing | What to Pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy Park at Long Hollow | Starting point | Morning walk, kids playground, open space | Sneakers, coffee thermos, dog leash |
| Historic Rock Castle | ~10 min east on Long Hollow toward Hendersonville | Fall grounds tour, limestone mansion, lake views | Jacket, camera, walking shoes |
| Drakes Creek Park | ~8 min via Drakes Creek Road | Trail walk, picnic area, athletic fields | Lunch, blanket, sunscreen |
| Hallmark Hyundai Hendersonville | ~12 min via Vietnam Veterans Blvd | Swing by the lot, confirm your next move | Nothing required |
The Stops in Detail
Stop 1: Legacy Park at Long Hollow (3031 Long Hollow Pike)
Start here because it's the logical on-ramp to the whole corridor. Legacy Park sits on the Long Hollow Church campus and is open to the community seven days a week. The playground area is built for kids 12 and under with a fenced, cushioned surface. In October the open field behind the playground stays shaded enough to be comfortable by 9 a.m., which is when you want to get moving before the afternoon clouds roll in.
Loading two kids and a stroller into a small SUV, the 2026 Kona earns its keep right here. The EPA rates the base front-wheel-drive Kona at 31 mpg combined, and with 25.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, a folded stroller and a diaper bag fit without a game of Tetris. That's more cargo room than most subcompact SUVs in the class. One honest limit, if you've got three kids or you're meeting another family, five seats fill fast. That's when you look at the Tucson.
Stop 2: Historic Rock Castle (~10 Minutes East)
Rock Castle is a limestone mansion built in the late 1700s by General Daniel Smith, and it sits on the Cumberland River with views that change completely in fall. Guided tours run seasonally, and the grounds alone are worth the stop if tours aren't your pace. You're less than 10 minutes from Legacy Park.
The 2026 Tucson Hybrid makes the most sense here as your daily driver for this kind of mixed Saturday. The EPA rates the Tucson Hybrid Blue SE trim at 38 mpg combined. Run the numbers on a 25-mile Nashville commute plus a Saturday loop like this one, and the hybrid system pays for itself in fuel over time in a way the straight gas engine doesn't. The Tucson Hybrid also rides higher than the Kona, with 7.1 inches of ground clearance, which helps on the older subdivision streets and gravel pull-offs along Long Hollow Pike. It seats five, handles the same stroller load, and doesn't feel cramped on the highway stretches.
One tradeoff carries real weight. The Tucson Hybrid doesn't tow. If your fall Saturday involves pulling a boat to Old Hickory Lake after this loop, stop reading here and scroll to the Palisade section.
Timing note: Rock Castle's fall grounds hours change in November. Check ahead in late October since outdoor tours close earlier as daylight shortens. The light along Drake's Creek is best before noon.
Stop 3: Drakes Creek Park (Drakes Creek Road)
Drake's Creek itself is what shaped Shackle Island as a place, and Drakes Creek Park along its banks is one of the better family parks in Sumner County. Walking trails, athletic fields, a playground, and picnic tables. In October the trail canopy hits its peak, and the park doesn't get crowded on weekday mornings or weekend afternoons past 3 p.m.
- [ ] Pack a lunch (the picnic areas have tables but no concessions)
- [ ] Bring layers (trail shade drops the temp noticeably in October)
- [ ] Dog on a leash is welcome on the trails
- [ ] Check weather before you go (the fields turn muddy fast after overnight rain)
- [ ] Budget 60 to 90 minutes if kids are running the trails
The 2026 Palisade justifies its footprint at this stop. Hyundai rates the V6 Palisade at 5,000 pounds of towing capacity when properly equipped. Across the lineup, the Palisade Hybrid drops that to 4,000 pounds with the turbocharged hybrid powertrain. If your fall Saturday ends with a boat or a pop-up camper headed to Old Hickory Lake, that's the number that decides which Palisade trim you want. We pay attention to this pattern, because drivers on Long Hollow Pike with Old Hickory Lake access often ask which Palisade trim includes the factory tow hitch. (The XRT Pro and Ultimate Calligraphy come standard with the integrated hitch; the Preferred Trend is optional.) The Palisade also seats eight, so you can bring the full extended family to Drakes Creek Park without splitting into two vehicles.
Where the Palisade gives ground is on the two-lane sections of Long Hollow Pike where oncoming traffic sits close to the center line. It's a big vehicle on a road that was laid out in the 1800s. If you're doing this loop solo or with one passenger and no trailer, it's overkill, and we'll tell you so.
Stop 4: Swing by Our Lot
We're at 1198 W Main St, about 12 minutes from Drakes Creek Park via Vietnam Veterans Boulevard. No pitch here, just a practical note. If any of the vehicles in this plan are what you've been circling, seeing them in person on a Saturday afternoon is easier than scheduling a dedicated trip. The 2026 lineup is on the lot.
Tweak It to Your Crew
The plan above is a baseline, and you can adjust it by who's coming. Below is how we'd shape it.
Solo commuter or couple. Tighten the stops to Legacy Park and Rock Castle and skip Drakes Creek. The Kona's 31 mpg combined means a day like this barely registers on a tank. The smaller footprint is genuinely easier to park in the Rock Castle gravel lot.
Family with young kids. Run all four stops in order but start at 8:30 a.m. Drakes Creek Park is the reward at the end, not the midpoint. The Tucson Hybrid's rear seat (five across on the bench) and its 38 mpg EPA-estimated combined rating make it the practical call when you're doing this loop twice a month.
Group of six or more, or anyone with a trailer. The Palisade is the answer. Hyundai rates the base V6 at 287 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. That's enough to tow a single-axle utility trailer, a small fishing boat, or a lightweight popup camper without the engine working hard on the I-65 interchange entry ramp in Goodlettsville where Long Hollow Pike begins. The Palisade Hybrid is the right pick if you primarily need passenger room and efficiency and can live with 4,000 pounds of towing instead of 5,000.
Whatever the crew size, late October is the right time to do this loop. The leaves on Long Hollow Pike peak in the last week of October and first week of November. After that, the corridor is still beautiful, just differently so.
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