Kingsport, TN – Warriors Path State Park Mountain Bike Trails

Since tomorrow is a work day, we decided to stay close to home. We didn’t hike yesterday, and I’m assuming at this point that it was probably rainy the day before (on Saturday).

At Warriors Path State Park, you can can walk / hike / fish / paddle boat / picnic. But, we decided to head across the lake from the park. They have trails where you can either hop on a bike or take a hike.

Our plan was to take the 2 1/2 mile Whitetail Loop. But, we ended up getting lost on the trail. Not lost as in “oh my gosh, we can’t find our way back”. But, lost in “oh my gosh, which way do we go”. I have to admit that it’s a little hard to tell on some of the trail forks which way you should go, even though there are signs. The signs just aren’t real clear on which direction you should go. But, it ends up that it was bad me. I was using a trail map from a year or two ago. After we arrived home, I realized that the  online trail map had been updated since I last printed out a copy.

I was trying to type up and explain what trails we took and where were screwed up and what we ended up doing. But, it just ended up being too complicated because of ending up multiple times on incorrect trails.

Just enjoy a few photos from our excursion on this day.

Directions: From Bristol, TN, head South on I-81. Get off on Exit 63 (Airport Exit). When you exit, turn right onto Airport Pkwy. Travel approximately 1/2 mile and turn left onto Pearl Ln. Travel .7 miles and turn left onto Rocky Branch Rd. After approximately 1 1/2 miles, continue on Freeman Rd. In about 1/2 mile, you will end at the parking area.

Bristol, VA – Sugar Hollow Park / Sams Family Reunion

Because of my cousin Lisa Gregory Fenerty, we have started having an annual Sams family reunion. Her and her family come in during the summer, and we have our family reunion.

My Grandmother and Grandfather were George and Louise Sams. I can actually remember when my Grandfather died. I was about 6 and we lived in Miami, FL. I can remember my parents going to Tennessee to attend the funeral. Me and my sister stayed behind with my mom’s mother (Emma Griffin) who lived with us in Miami and took care of myself and my sister when mom and dad were at work. My Grandmother lived for many years after that. We drove from Miami to Tennessee every year and spent a couple of weeks at my Grandmothers. I can just smell those biscuits and gravy that she would make every morning. I can remember the family reunions that we would have at Underwood Park (which my Uncle Albert Buchanan owned) throughout the years. Us kids would play in the creeks and look for crawdads. Now, the young ones, when we have our family reunions are doing the same thing. Playing in the creeks. Not sure that they’re looking for crawdads, but they’re in the creeks as we were back in the 60’s / 70’s.

But, today we had our modern day family reunion. After lunch, Steve and I took a walk. We walked the Wetlands Trail, Black Forest Trail, and crossed the dam. The “dam” is not the type of dam that you are probably thinking of. There is no water. It’s just a dam type hill where you have green area / trees off to one side, and on the other, you have the ball fields / playgrounds.

I hope, especially family, enjoy these few pictures from today. You can run your cursor over each photo for a brief description.

Directions: From Bristol, TN, take I-81N to Virginia Exit 7. At the end of the ramp, turn left. It’s about 1/10 of a mile and you will turn right on Lee Hwy. Go about 1/2 mile and you will turn left into Sugar Hollow. Address: 3600 Lee Hwy., Bristol, VA.

Kingsport, TN – Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium

Today it was just a tad bit too warm to remain in the lower elevations. We got a really late start so decided to head over to Bays Mountain Park.

Before our hike, we had a picnic near the Visitors Center / Planetarium. We had a deer visit us at our picnic table. The deer at Bays Mountain are so used to humans that they will walk right up to you. Unfortunately, I only had my phone with me at the picnic table. When I downloaded my phone pictures, they were tiny. I wish I could have shown you the picture of the deer at Steve’s shoulder.

But after our picnic we took the Lakeside Trail and also visited Dolan Branch Falls, as we have in the past, that I have previously blogged about.

Here are a few photos from today’s walk. Even though I have blogged about these trails before these are different photos than from our last trip to the mountain.

Enjoy these new photos from Bays Mountain. As usual, run your cursors over each photo for a brief description.

Directions to Bays Mountain Park: From Bristol, TN, take I-81 South approximately 18 miles to Exit 57B. Take I-26 approximately 5 miles to Exit 3 (Meadowview Parkway). Turn left. Drive approximately 1 mile and take right fork (Reservoir Rd). Drive another mile and turn right onto Bays Mountain Park Rd. Not far up the road, the road will split. Go left to go into the park.  Address..853 Bays Mountain Park Rd, Kingsport, TN.

Blue Ridge Parkway – E B Jefress Park (Milepost 272)

Today we decided to head past Boone, NC on the Blue Ridge Parkway, to E. B. Jeffress Park. At this park, there are trails on each end of the park. On the north end, you have the trail to Cascade Falls. It’s a total of about 1.2 miles round trip. Then, on the south end of the park, you have the Tompkins Knob Trail. This trail takes you to the old Cool Springs Baptist Church, and Jessee Brown’s cabin. That trail is approximately 1 mile round trip.

Today was one of those days where according to weather websites, that it should have been shorts weather. But, we arrived and it was very cool and we were up in the clouds. We try to always be prepared, so we had proper / extra clothing and were able to stay warm.

The park has plenty of picnic tables. If I recall correctly, the restrooms actually have flushing toilets. We had our picnic and headed towards Cascade Falls. As you walk the trail, there is plenty of signage that tells you what type of trees that you are passing along the trail. You eventually reach the falls where I’ve read that it’s a 2,000 foot drop. There are 2 overlooks for the falls. You have quite a few steps to walk down / back up when you go to the overlooks.

When you get back to the official park,  you can then take the Tompkins Knob Trail to the church and cabin.

Here are some photos of both trails. Place your cursor over each photo for a brief description.

Directions: From Elizabethton, TN, take 19E approximately 31 miles into Newland, NC. Turn left on Hwy 221 and travel approximately 4 miles into Linville, NC. Take a right at the light where you see the sign that points you to Grandfather Mountain. At the next stop sign, take a left. You will eventually reach the Blue Ridge Parkway. Take a left onto Blue Ridge Parkway. Drive until you arrive at milepost 272.

Unicoi County, TN – Rocky Fork

This is the first time that we’ve been to Rocky Fork this year. We walked there several times last year. I state that Rocky Fork is in Unicoi County, TN. I wanted to say Erwin, TN, but not sure that Rocky Fork is officially part of Erwin. Officially, it’s probably outside of Erwin.

Rocky Fork is Tennessee’s newest state park as of about a month or two ago. I read that it is a haven for trout, salamanders, peregrine falcons, and a prime breeding habitat for black bears. We have not run across any black bears in our many visits there. YET! It’s going to be a great place for hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders. We’ve already run across mountain bikers, but not any horseback riders yet.

As you turn left on Rocky Fork Road, make sure that you take advantage of all of the pull-offs where you will see waterfalls and beautiful cascades before arriving at the official trailhead.

The part of the trail that we took is pretty much gravel and flat. You will see little waterfalls and beautiful cascades as you walk the trail. Today we weren’t able to see the high rock cliffs, but it’s because this is the first time that we’ve been to the trail when the leaves are on the trees. But, I can tell you that when you walk this trail when the leaves are off of the trees, as you are walking in on the trail, if you keep an eye out on the left hand side of the trail, and up high in the mountains, I swear it will look like there are abandoned rock castles. It’s a little eerie.

Today because of all of the rain that we’ve had, there were huge creeks across the trail that we’ve normally never experienced. We didn’t go as far as we normally do because of the water across the trail.

But, here are some photos from our walk on this trail. As usual, run your cursor over each photo for a brief description.

Directions: From Johnson City, TN, take I-26 towards North Carolina. You will get off at the Flag Pond exit, which is the last exit before you enter North Carolina. Turn left onto Higgins Creek Rd. After approximately 1/2 mile, you will arrive at Rt 23. Turn right and watch for Rocky Fork Road on your left. You’ll reach Rocky Fork Rd after a little over 2 miles. Go approximately 3/4 of a mile, and you will see a gravel parking area on your left.

Bristol, TN – Rooster Front to Steele’s Creek

Today we decided to do something local and close to home. It was the 4th of July, and we were having family up to the house for a cookout. We wanted to get out somewhere and get some exercise, so decided since we had just had some really hard rains, that we would check out Rooster Front to Steele’s Creek.

I know. I’ve already blogged this trail twice this year. The first time in January, I posted some winter photos. The second time in May I posted some spring photos. This time, I am posting a few photos from a walk after a very heavy rain.

If you’ve seen my previous posts from this trail, you will definitely see a difference in the water flow in the creek, and over the waterfall. The lake was pretty muddy. It was nice to run across my youngest son Jason as we were walking the trail. He came over to run. He was practicing for a running race the following weekend.

Hope you enjoy these few photos. Run your cursor over each for a brief description.

Directions to Rooster Front Park: I’ll make the starting point Bristol Motor Speedway. Head north on Volunteer parkway approximately 3.7 miles. Turn left on Vance Drive. Park will be on your left in approximately 7/10 of a mile.