The Ultimate Guide to Cycling in Northeast Tennessee: Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol & More!
You may be heading this way to sip on some of the world’s finest whiskey, to enjoy some food that’ll knock your socks off, or take in the rich culture, including Bristol, the birthplace of country music, or Jonesborough, the oldest town in the state. But, you can take all this in while on the saddle of your bike, and we’ll highlight all the hotspots for cycling and mountain biking to ensure that when you set off for your adventure, all you’ll have to worry about is taking in the sights and sounds.
Ride ready on the Tweetsie Trail in Johnson City, TN. Photo Credit: Christopher Mitchell
I’ve long maintained that, when cycling is your primary mode of exploration, its perfection itself. You’re able to see more than if you were simply on two feet because of the distance you can cover, and you’re able to see more than if you were in a vehicle because you’re not simply zipping past scenery, you’re a part of it.
It’s a way to forge an intimate connection to a destination. You’re tethered to the places you visit because when you’re cycling long distances, and you naturally seek out a variety of landscapes, even if only to keep the ride interesting.
You might think to yourself, “well that all sounds well and good…but I’m not cyclist.”
I’d urge you to rethink that. You don’t need to cover 100 miles a day to be a cyclist, you simply need a bike, a little directional know how, and to ensure that you pack your curiosity alongside your water bottle. Cycling isn’t hierarchical by nature — a person fully decked out in cycling gear has as much right to be on the Tweetsie Trail in Johnson City as the family appreciating the views in decidedly less tight attire.
The goal of this article is simple, to aid you in seeing the excellent cycling opportunities present across Northeast Tennessee.
What Should You Have on Your Radar for Cycling and Biking in Northeast Tennessee?
What’s neat about cycling in Northeast Tennessee is the sheer variety of options for cyclists, both casual and veteran, as well as mountain bikers. I’ve also had the pleasure of doing a lot of cycling rides across this planet and it does feel like there’s a lot of positive momentum here in terms of further public, maintained trails, more hotspots for mountain bikers, and a general feeling that cycling ought to be an even more critical part of outdoor recreation in this region for locals and visitors alike.
I’m going to focus primarily on cycling in and around Johnson City, Kingsport, and Bristol, but will also offer to other ideas towards the end to make sure that you’ll have all you’ll need in terms of envisioning your own cycling adventure in this region.
*Please note that this article contains affiliate links. Simply put, this means we may receive a small commission for some of our honest recommendations in this article at no additional cost to you.
Biking & Cycling Options in Johnson City
My Trek Checkpoint ALR5 has fuelled so many of my cycling adventure across this globe, so I’ve long been a fan of visiting particularly impressive Trek shops to get whatever I need to make sure I can ride, my way. Andrew, the store manager at Trek Johnson City, was just about the most hospitable and knowledgeable fellow around, so we had all we needed and more — and this has to be one of the nicest Trek shops I’ve visited, period.
Andrew even joined Bri and I on a few rides in and around Jonhson City, and had no problem at all letting me pick his brain, largely so I could ensure that this article was as useful as possible.
Johnson City, like so much of this region, is known both for road cycling and mountain biking, so I’ll be reviewing options, regardless of what kind of riding your prefer. Needless to say, if I lived out in this area, I’d likely have a road, gravel, and mountain bike at the ready.
I’d start with the Tweetsie Trail, a “rails-to-trails project” that converted a former track of the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad into the perfect path for outdoor adventure for those living in (or visiting) this region. It’s a gradual tread of packed rock, which means it’s especially suitable for gravel riders, but we saw walkers, runners, mountain bikers, gravel bikes, and even some road bikes with thicker tires along its path. It’s about 10 miles in length.
Starting from Johnson City, then riding it to the trail’s end and back offers a very nice ride, and you’re contending with no vehicle traffic, which is always a delight for a cyclist. Fun fact — the name “Tweetsie” is actually a nod to the sound that the steam trains’s whistles used to make as they made their way between Johnson City and Elizebethton.
For reference - the Tweetsie Trail begins at 116 Van Brocklin Way in Johnson City. Consider grabbing a bite or a pint (or riding the kid’s pump track if you have kids in tow!), at Cranky’s Pump & Pints before or after you finish your ride.
Tannery Knobs Mountain Bike Park is a mountain biking mecca, and includes trails for all skill levels. We saw plenty of riders here tackling some of the tougher trails in full mountain biking attire and gear, but I also was able to ride a lot of the trails with just my trusty gravel bike, so it’s really a choose your own adventure sort of situation!
This is one of the better maintained and operated mountain bike parks that Bri and I have seen. You’re looking at 40 acres of heavily wooden terrain. There are off road biking trails, but there are also paved pump tracks as well, which are always fun. The views from the top are also stunning, and it’s also open to lovers of the outdoors who are all in on sports like trail running, and even hiking.
Not to mention, this world class park is only a short drive from the downtown core.
When you’re in Johnson City, you’ll likely also come across Winged Deer Park. It’s known for its softball and soccer fields, but there are also walking trails here, as well as mountain biking trails in the northwestern portion of the park.
Buffalo Mountain Park, which we also visited, is primarily known for its hiking, and rightfully so, but there are some limited biking opportunities there.
If you’re strictly a road rider, then consider the Roan Mountain Ride (essentially just taking US 19E towards Road Mountain State Park), but do note that, as you might imagine, you’ll be dealing with a fair bit of elevation as you get closer to Roan Mountain State Park.
Kingsport, Tennessee Cycling & Biking
In our quest to create a thorough article about cycling in Northeastern Tennessee, Bri and I headed next to Kingsport.
In the city centre, it’s all about the Kingsport Greenbelt. It’s a 9+ mile paved multi-use path that connects some neighbourhoods, the downtown core, and several parks that run along the Holston River. It’s relatively flat, which makes it perfect for newer cyclists or cycling families. You could do this trail on any bike of your choice, though we did it on gravel bikes (our trusty Treks), and enjoyed being able to go off-road if we saw a good opportunity.
You’ll want to have Bays Mountain Park on your radar. Cyclists don’t always think of Bays Mountain Park when they roll into Kingsport, but they should (and it’s only about 15 minutes outside of it). This 3,500-acre nature preserve, famous for its planetarium and wildlife programs, also hides some stellar cycling opportunities. While most people come here to hike, riders with a gravel bike or mountain bike can explore service roads and forested routes that climb steadily toward the park’s reservoir, which is lovely, we must say (as we hiked around its edges as well).
For those looking for more mountain biking, then Warriors’ Path State Park immediately in and around Kingsport, is a good choice. If you don’t have a mountain bike in tow, then you can stick to the paved path around Duck Island happily, but on the National Recreation Trail (roughly 12.5 miles of mountain bike trails), you’ll want to ensure you’re riding the saddle of a mountain bike.
A quick side-note here. You should always wear a helmet while cycling, but a local bike shop owner in Kingsport told me that it’d be worth me noting that, in state parks, cyclists under the age of 16 must wear an approved bicycle helmet.
What to Do on That Bike Saddle in & Around Bristol, Tennessee
Cycling or not, you need to pop by the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. Photo Credit: Christopher Mitchell
Welcome to the birthplace of country music, my friend. We’ll focus in this article on the cycling around here, but we would urge you to get off that bike at some point and visit the Birthplace of Country Music Museum while you’re here. You can’t ride every minute of every day, right
You’ll want to consider a little riding in Steele Creek Park. There are over 24 miles of trails here that make of the knob trail system. There are ample flat, easier trails, but also some more difficult ones on offer. You could conceivably take a leisurely bike in and around the lake if you were riding a road bike, but if you have a gravel bike or mountain bike, then you’re probably looking for punchier climbs (and drops), which can largely be found in and around the Lakeside Trail, across the lake from the playground, nature center, driving range and paddle boat setup.
If you’re looking for something a little different, there are some rides around South Holston Lake that have long been favourites of cyclists. You could drive out and complete the South Holston Dam Circuit, which is a ride you won’t find anywhere else. It’s a little over 5 miles, but you’ll get some epic views along the way. Here’s an example route.
Now, if you’re looking for something longer, then you might want to consider the 60 or so mile route that loops around north end of South Holston Lake and Holston Mountain through Damascus and Shady Valley (route here). That route can be completed with a gravel or road bike, whereas the first route you’re likely fine with any bike of your choice. Do note that with this South Holston Lake Damascus Route that you’d be spending roughly half the ride in Virginia as well.
What Else Should Should You Consider for Your Cycling Escapades?
Views from the Cades Cove Loop. Photo Credit: Christopher Mitchell
I loved tackling the Historic Jonesborough Out & Back Route, which is primarily road cycling, and is about 25 miles in length. It starts in Tennessee’s oldest town, Jonesborough, and works its way up to Horse Cove Gap within the mountains of the Cherokee National Forest.
It’s about an hour’s drive northwest of Johnson City, but if you happen to be coming from that direction on your way, Panther Creek State Park has around 8 miles in different trails, including everything from the Old Wagon Trail for beginners and families, to the Trout Lily Trail, which is a trail for experienced riders that was actually developed by the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club.
It’s not technically in Northeast Tennessee, but if you happen to be in and around Townsend, then we’d urge you to experience the wonder of the Smoky Mountains on the 11 miles loop road called Cades Cove Loop. It is breathtaking, and it’s worth noting that on Wednesday mornings between May and September, this loop is car free, which is a big deal, as sometimes it’s busy. Do note that there’s plenty of wildlife here, including bears, so be alert (though we saw plenty of cyclists out there on the roads). The Foothills Parkway also offers some pretty epic road climbs in this region as well.
Doe Mountain Recreation Area, near Mountain City, TN, has long been known as a headquarters for ATV riding, but there’s some multi-use trails that mountain bikers and cyclists are starting to take advantage of.
The Cherokee National Forest, which I mentioned briefly above, is roughly a 1.5 hours drive southeast of Johnson City, and has two extensive mountain bike trail systems, the Tanasi and the Chilhowee. The National Scenic Byway also runs through this park, so road riders can get some excellent mountain views from that route. Note that the National Scenic Byway actually extends about 43 miles, and runs through both the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests, respectively.
I’d also just note that you don’t have to necessarily be beholden to well tracked routes. Some of the nicest riding I did was simply by following some rural routes (great for both road and gravel cyclists) on the backroads of Sullivan, Carter, & Washington Counties. Using a tool like Ride with GPS can help with route planning if you’re doing it on the fly, but Strava also will show you popular routes in regions, and it’s fairly easy to replicate them. Strava will essentially show you a “heat map” of where others have ridden in the region, and that’s often a starting point for me when I’m trying to get off the beaten path a bit, but also making sure I’m focused on routes that local riders are enjoying.
Happy riding, my friends. Photo Credit: Christopher Mitchell
Suffice to say, you’ve got options when you’re thinking about cycling in this region. Mountain bikers, gravel riders, and road cyclists all have their place. Personally, the next time I come down here, I’ll likely do some more of the experienced mountain biking on offer, but I will say that, for the most part, having a sturdy, high quality gravel bike served its purpose very well.
The effort I’ve put into building this out for you speaks to my passion for cycling. I feel a connection to Northeast Tennessee now that I could never have built without the time I spent on its respective roads and trails, and I can only hope this encourages you to do much the same.
We want to humbly thank Northeast Tennessee & Tennessee Tourism for hosting us as media. All opinions expressed are completely our own.