Overton Park (Gay Cruising Area)

Overton Park, the big wooded park at the edge of Midtown, has a long-standing reputation as an outdoor gay cruising spot, with activity concentrated in the Old Forest trails and quieter parking areas after dark. By day it is a busy, family-friendly park with a golf course, the Memphis Zoo, an art college and open lawns, so ordinary discretion applies in the evenings. Cruising here is informal rather than organised; use standard nighttime caution, keep to public areas, and note that park hours and patrols vary. Tennessee has no statewide LGBTQ+ protections, so common sense is advised.