This Delightful Mountain City In Tennessee Is Full Of Scenic Parks And Trails

While Nashville, Tennessee's iconic music capital known for its culture and cuisine, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, one of the best U.S. national parks for hiking, take most of the attention (and rightfully so), there are other destinations in the state that deserve some appreciation. Nestled in Washington County at the southern region of the Appalachian Mountains is Johnson City, a destination worth adding to your Tennessee bucket list. This delightful city offers scenic trails for hiking and biking with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. After all, that's what you'd expect from an Appalachian destination. Parks are also scattered throughout the city, ensuring authentic outdoor experiences during your stay.

Founded in 1856, Johnson City was initially known as Johnson's Tank when Henry Johnson built a depot and businesses along the junction of the proposed East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad. The site served as a watering station where trains sourced water for their steam engines. As the railroad grew, the name changed to Johnson's Depot when trains began boarding passengers at the site. The town briefly adopted the name Haynesville during the Civil War before reverting to its original name. In 1869, the town was officially chartered as Johnson City, with Henry Johnson becoming its first mayor.

Johnson City is part of Tennessee's Tri-Cities, a trio of towns (Kingsport, Bristol, and Johnson City) that form a triangle at the northeast border of Tennessee and Virginia. To reach this fascinating Tennessee gem, travelers can take a quick 30-minute drive from Kingsport or a 35-minute drive from Bristol. Meanwhile, Knoxville is about an hour and a half away. For those flying in, Tri-Cities Airport (TRI) is just 25 minutes away.

With at least 25 parks and recreational facilities dotting the city, the list of activities here is genuinely endless. Winged Deer Park spans 200 acres and is open for softball, soccer, and disc golf on its 18-hole course. Less than 5 miles away is Rotary Park, which has a 4.7-star rating with nearly 1,500 reviews on Google (as of this writing). Locals and visitors alike love this spot for its splash pad, playground, and picnic areas, making it an ideal place to spend the day with your family.

Art lovers will enjoy walking through the 5-acre Founders Park, located in the heart of Johnson City. Life-size sculptures line the pathways, and the park hosts yoga classes and several art events throughout the year. The highlight of this park is the green space, which brings to mind Tennessee-born singer Dolly Parton's lyrics in "Tennessee Homesick Blues" about "the greenest state in the land of the free." You can easily spend an afternoon here taking in the sculptures, relaxing on the lawn, or catching a live event at the amphitheater.

For a nature-focused experience, visit Jacob's Nature Park and explore its easy hiking trails. The park also protects abundant wildlife, and you may spot frogs, salamanders, and a variety of birds along the trails. It's also a great place to walk your dog. Don't overlook Willow Springs Park, either, which features a playground, basketball and volleyball courts, a turtle pond, and off-grid trails that let you explore Johnson City's natural beauty beyond the beaten path.

While you might be thinking you've explored enough parks in Johnson City, the 725-acre Buffalo Mountain Park is a must-visit. Here, you'll explore natural landscapes, mountain ranges, and lush forests on the park's well-maintained trails. Bring binoculars to take in the sweeping views of Johnson City from the overlook. The 4.3-mile Buffalo Mountain Tip Top Trail via White Rock Loop and Fork Knob is a shaded path with benches along the way where you can relax and take in the views. Reaching the 1,131-foot elevation gain opens you up to stunning mountain overlooks that stretch across the horizon. Meanwhile, the 5.3-mile White Rock and Buffalo Mountain Loop is a strenuous hike, but it's the park's most popular route on AllTrails with more than 1,000 reviews. It's worth the effort, especially in early summer when the rhododendrons are in bloom. While the park has a trail for mountain bikers along Dry Creek Road, Tannery Knobs Mountain Bike Park offers wooded terrain for bikers of all levels, with trails ranging from beginner-friendly to challenging.

The 19.7-mile Tweetsie Trail is the heartbeat of Johnson City's hiking scene and widely loved by locals and visitors alike. The whole trail takes about seven hours to complete as it reaches the neighboring city of Elizabethton, but you can choose to take a shorter walk. One AllTrails reviewer shared, "Enjoyed hiking 6 miles on the Tweetsie trail. Plenty of signs along the way educating about the history of the trail and the area. We walked the first 3 miles to the scenic area and turned around." Visitors will also find interactive signs, birds, and stunning flowers along the way. Feel like exploring beyond Johnson City? Marion, an underrated North Carolina city and gateway to the Blue Ridge Mountains, is just a 90-minute drive away.