Explore the best rated trails in Elizabethton, TN. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Guest River Gorge Trail and Railroad Grade Road. With more than 20 trails covering 117 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
_140830_st.jpg)
_39900_st.jpg)
As of September 2015, the Tweetsie Trail in eastern Tennessee is now completed. The rail-trail follows the former ET&WNC (“Tweetsie”) Railroad right-of-way for 9.5 miles. It begins at Alabama Street...
Although it’s currently just a mile long, the Mendota Trail will one day stretch the entire length of the former Southern Railroad corridor between Mendota and Bristol, a total of 12.5 miles. At...
The Laurel Creek Trail takes travelers into the Cherokee National Forest in Johnson County. There is no shortage of scenery in this wildlife rich-haven, where rushing waters slice through serene...
The Beaver Creek Dam Trail gets its name from the circa-1905 Beaver Dam Railroad, which it follows through the southwestern Virginia town of Damascus. A highlight of the route is the trail's...
The Catawba River Greenway meanders, along with its river namesake, through the historic town of Morganton, North Carolina. The trail encompasses wooded areas, open meadows and the quaint commercial...
The Railroad Grade Road is a 10-mile road built on an old railroad grade that was once part of the Virginia-Carolina Railroad (Virginia Creeper). This part of the Virginia Creeper line was abandoned...
The Guest River Gorge Trail meanders along 300-million-year-old sandstone cliffs that plunge 400 feet to the pristine waters below. The deep gorge was created as the Guest River, now designated as a...
The Erwin Linear Trail (a.k.a. the Erwin Greenway) parallels I-26 along North Indian Creek and Nolichucky waterways for 4 miles. The trail is paved and mostly flat, coursing through the Cherokee...
The multi-use Yadkin River Trail accommodates pedestrians, bicyclists and joggers in the beautiful Happy Valley area of Caldwell County. The 2-mile trail is paved and includes a walking loop near the...
The City of Lenoir Greenway is a system of several loops and endpoints meandering through an urban landscape of parks and open areas, recreation centers, the library and wooded tracts. For more...
The Kingsport Greenbelt runs 8 miles along the Holston River and Reedy Creek through the city of Kingsport. It is touted as both a historic and fitness trail, passing by Civil War sites, historic...
The South Fork New River Greenway offers a winding, paved pathway through the town of Boone, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Brookshire Park is at the northern end of the trail...
Boone Greenway is a hidden gem in the town of Boone, and each step traveled takes to across different settings, with nature, history and culture all on display. The trail traverses the town, winding,...
_140830_sc.jpg)
The Peavine Trail runs for 1.5 miles from State Street in downtown Marion, North Carolina to just south of the First Christian Church on Rutherford Road. Construction of the crushed gravel and grass...
The paved, 3.62-mile Point Lookout Trail follows the Old NC 10/Highway 70 route through the Royal Gorge, once known at the Central Highway, through the Pisgah National Forest. The trail ascends more...
_39900_sc.jpg)
The Wes Davis Greenway follows a portion of abandoned rail line that once ran from Bluff City, TN, to Mendota, VA. The greenway crosses Beaver Creek at two points. This linear park features the...
The South Fork New River Greenway offers a winding, paved pathway through the town of Boone, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Brookshire Park is at the northern end of the trail...
The Virginia Creeper National Recreation Trail offers scenic wonders from dense forests, open fields and lush waterways to railroad relics and delightful small towns. Cyclists and equestrians love the...
The Kingsport Greenbelt runs 8 miles along the Holston River and Reedy Creek through the city of Kingsport. It is touted as both a historic and fitness trail, passing by Civil War sites, historic...
The Catawba River Greenway meanders, along with its river namesake, through the historic town of Morganton, North Carolina. The trail encompasses wooded areas, open meadows and the quaint commercial...
Virginia's Salt Trail runs for more than 8 miles between the small community of Saltville and the larger borough of Glade Spring. The trail is popular with equestrians and can get muddy and eroded in...
The paved, 3.62-mile Point Lookout Trail follows the Old NC 10/Highway 70 route through the Royal Gorge, once known at the Central Highway, through the Pisgah National Forest. The trail ascends more...
If you're looking for an easy trip, the Little Stony National Recreation Trail in Jefferson National Forest is the perfect alternative to the nearby Devils Fork Loop Trail. Devils Fork Loop is...
The Peavine Trail runs for 1.5 miles from State Street in downtown Marion, North Carolina to just south of the First Christian Church on Rutherford Road. Construction of the crushed gravel and grass...
The Wes Davis Greenway follows a portion of abandoned rail line that once ran from Bluff City, TN, to Mendota, VA. The greenway crosses Beaver Creek at two points. This linear park features the...
The City of Lenoir Greenway is a system of several loops and endpoints meandering through an urban landscape of parks and open areas, recreation centers, the library and wooded tracts. For more...
The Beaver Creek Dam Trail gets its name from the circa-1905 Beaver Dam Railroad, which it follows through the southwestern Virginia town of Damascus. A highlight of the route is the trail's...
The Erwin Linear Trail (a.k.a. the Erwin Greenway) parallels I-26 along North Indian Creek and Nolichucky waterways for 4 miles. The trail is paved and mostly flat, coursing through the Cherokee...
The Railroad Grade Road is a 10-mile road built on an old railroad grade that was once part of the Virginia-Carolina Railroad (Virginia Creeper). This part of the Virginia Creeper line was abandoned...
Cautionary Note: This trail is extremely challenging, with as many as 18 stream crossings (at the height of the winter thaw), a 1,200-foot elevation change and many opportunities to lose the trail....
The Guest River Gorge Trail meanders along 300-million-year-old sandstone cliffs that plunge 400 feet to the pristine waters below. The deep gorge was created as the Guest River, now designated as a...
As of September 2015, the Tweetsie Trail in eastern Tennessee is now completed. The rail-trail follows the former ET&WNC (“Tweetsie”) Railroad right-of-way for 9.5 miles. It begins at Alabama Street...
The Laurel Creek Trail takes travelers into the Cherokee National Forest in Johnson County. There is no shortage of scenery in this wildlife rich-haven, where rushing waters slice through serene...
The multi-use Yadkin River Trail accommodates pedestrians, bicyclists and joggers in the beautiful Happy Valley area of Caldwell County. The 2-mile trail is paved and includes a walking loop near the...
Boone Greenway is a hidden gem in the town of Boone, and each step traveled takes to across different settings, with nature, history and culture all on display. The trail traverses the town, winding,...
Although it’s currently just a mile long, the Mendota Trail will one day stretch the entire length of the former Southern Railroad corridor between Mendota and Bristol, a total of 12.5 miles. At...
Although it’s currently just a mile long, the Mendota Trail will one day stretch the entire length of the former Southern Railroad corridor between Mendota and Bristol, a total of 12.5 miles. At...
The Beaver Creek Dam Trail gets its name from the circa-1905 Beaver Dam Railroad, which it follows through the southwestern Virginia town of Damascus. A highlight of the route is the trail's...
The Virginia Creeper National Recreation Trail offers scenic wonders from dense forests, open fields and lush waterways to railroad relics and delightful small towns. Cyclists and equestrians love the...
Cautionary Note: This trail is extremely challenging, with as many as 18 stream crossings (at the height of the winter thaw), a 1,200-foot elevation change and many opportunities to lose the trail....
The Laurel Creek Trail takes travelers into the Cherokee National Forest in Johnson County. There is no shortage of scenery in this wildlife rich-haven, where rushing waters slice through serene...
The Guest River Gorge Trail meanders along 300-million-year-old sandstone cliffs that plunge 400 feet to the pristine waters below. The deep gorge was created as the Guest River, now designated as a...
The Catawba River Greenway meanders, along with its river namesake, through the historic town of Morganton, North Carolina. The trail encompasses wooded areas, open meadows and the quaint commercial...
As of September 2015, the Tweetsie Trail in eastern Tennessee is now completed. The rail-trail follows the former ET&WNC (“Tweetsie”) Railroad right-of-way for 9.5 miles. It begins at Alabama Street...
Virginia's Salt Trail runs for more than 8 miles between the small community of Saltville and the larger borough of Glade Spring. The trail is popular with equestrians and can get muddy and eroded in...
The South Fork New River Greenway offers a winding, paved pathway through the town of Boone, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Brookshire Park is at the northern end of the trail...
The Kingsport Greenbelt runs 8 miles along the Holston River and Reedy Creek through the city of Kingsport. It is touted as both a historic and fitness trail, passing by Civil War sites, historic...
If you're looking for an easy trip, the Little Stony National Recreation Trail in Jefferson National Forest is the perfect alternative to the nearby Devils Fork Loop Trail. Devils Fork Loop is...
The Wes Davis Greenway follows a portion of abandoned rail line that once ran from Bluff City, TN, to Mendota, VA. The greenway crosses Beaver Creek at two points. This linear park features the...
The Peavine Trail runs for 1.5 miles from State Street in downtown Marion, North Carolina to just south of the First Christian Church on Rutherford Road. Construction of the crushed gravel and grass...
The paved, 3.62-mile Point Lookout Trail follows the Old NC 10/Highway 70 route through the Royal Gorge, once known at the Central Highway, through the Pisgah National Forest. The trail ascends more...
The City of Lenoir Greenway is a system of several loops and endpoints meandering through an urban landscape of parks and open areas, recreation centers, the library and wooded tracts. For more...
Boone Greenway is a hidden gem in the town of Boone, and each step traveled takes to across different settings, with nature, history and culture all on display. The trail traverses the town, winding,...
The Railroad Grade Road is a 10-mile road built on an old railroad grade that was once part of the Virginia-Carolina Railroad (Virginia Creeper). This part of the Virginia Creeper line was abandoned...
The Erwin Linear Trail (a.k.a. the Erwin Greenway) parallels I-26 along North Indian Creek and Nolichucky waterways for 4 miles. The trail is paved and mostly flat, coursing through the Cherokee...
The multi-use Yadkin River Trail accommodates pedestrians, bicyclists and joggers in the beautiful Happy Valley area of Caldwell County. The 2-mile trail is paved and includes a walking loop near the...
My wife and I travel the country to ride rails to trails.
This trails has it all , scenery, friendly people and a nice wide
trail great for hybrid bikes. Elizabethton has a cover bridge and
a small town fill. Johnson City is the place to stay and downtown
is up and coming with restaurant and breweries. The trail even has a BBQ
restaurant on the trail. The trail could use restrooms is stead of
porta johns. Other then that you will enjoy the ride ! Lattie Dockery
Beautiful scenery. Wonderful condition. Not at all crowded (albeit at noon on a Monday in the middle of August). Very flat - which is great if that’s what your looking for. Definitely recommend for a quick but pleasant ride.
I have a somewhat different viewpoint from "The Better Half" review. I found the ride up from Damascus to Whitetop to be pretty strenuous, taking me nearly five hours to go the 18 miles (not 16). This includes numerous breaks, including the nearly life-saving one at Green Cove, which is about 3 or 4 miles from Whitetop. The ride down took only about an hour and 45 minutes, not including the break for a delicious burger at the Creeper Trail Cafe. After riding uphill for hours, the ride down was a blessed relief, though it can indeed be quite bumpy. Also could be quite dangerous. I'm sure there are some epic wipeouts. On my way up a large group of people were gathered around a teenage girl (who was wearing sandals!) on the ground with an injured leg who had apparently taken a spill. But the ride up is indeed where you can really appreciate the many spectacular views of the white water rivers. So many you may become blase' about them, particularly as you become more and more fatigued, because of course the trail gets steeper the further you go. On the way down, unless you stop, you barely take in the scenery. You're too focused on not having a wreck. I think it gives an indication on how challenging the ride up is that though many, many people were going down - often in large groups - when I went downhill I met not a single person - not ONE - who was going up. Don't be fooled into thinking it's not tough. And oddly, there are very few benches along the way for resting. Between Damascus and Abingdon, there are many benches.
This elevation chart is informative. http://www.vacreepertrail.us/images/elevations.jpg
First half gets 4 stars, second half gets 1.
Starting in Johnson City, the first 4 1/2 or 5 miles are good, with the kind of scenery and environment you want on a trail. But then you come out of the trees and the trail runs besides a very busy highway and you're surrounded by traffic and businesses and I believe it stays that way more or less for the rest of the trail. The second half would be good for locals commuting, but hardly my idea of an enjoyable recreational trail. Go five miles and then turn around.
We rode the trail from Abingdon to Straight Branch Trailhead and back on Monday and from Straight Branch to NC Border and back on Tuesday. This would be an easy one day one way ride and most likely doable forward and back over entire trail for riders who are in good shape.
The trail has immense natural beauty and the trestles are cool. We saw turkeys, deer, snakes, geese, herons or cranes, ducks and many other wild birds along the way.
The trail is basically downhill from Abingdon to the Holsten River crossing and then uphill from there. The grade from Damascus to Whitetop is much steeper but not overwhelming. I would be scared to try and attempt the return from Whitetop to Damascus on a weekend due the steeper grade which allows you to drift easily to 15-20 mph. It was a little challenging getting around the downhill bikers who were bused to the top from bike rental shops in Damascus. This section of could be dangerous for inexperienced bikers such as young children or older adults who are not bike savvy.
The trail was generally in good shape with a few rough spots. The trail was primarily crushed stone. The last 1.2 miles from Whitetop to the NC border is relatively unmaintained compared to rest of trail. Quite frankly it is an incentive to ride to NC border and would encourage better maintenance, also would be nice to get NC to continue with the development (thank you Damascus and Abingdon for your efforts). I also think a short shunt to Tennessee would be cool since it is so close.
We ate lunch at the Creeper Cafe and food was good and filling.
The diversity along the trail from farm fields to falling rivers and creeks was very nice. Need to watch out for the cows in a few locations we almost had a collision. Stopping for gates was annoying but understand the need and appreciate the willingness of property owners to allow the trail to be used on their property.
We parked at Stonebrook Pl, about the halfway point. Riding east takes you through scenic woods along Reedy Creek, ending at a small waterfall just before the trail goes up the hill to Exchange Place. Turning around and heading west to Rotherwood takes you through downtown, neighborhoods, and along the Holston River. While going through downtown, you are only 2 blocks from Pals. Stop and have a peanut butter chocolate milkshake. Then take a ride on the carousel next to Food City. About 15miles round trip, mostly shaded, flat, and paved. Be aware that the trail runs right along Reedy Creek, so if there was a heavy rain, the section east of Stonebrook will be under water for a day or two.
As most of the other reviews have said, the popular thing to do is park in Damascus and take a shuttle to the top, and then coast most of the 15 mi back to Damascus. A great family outing, but it does not involve much pedaling. On the other hand, going uphill from Damascus to Whitetop is a real thigh burner only for the athletic. So don't overlook the other half of the trail. Park in Alvarado (follow signs to the winery off US58, then about 1/2 mi past) and take the gradual ride uphill 8mi to Abingdon. Then when you turn around, it is an easier gradual downhill ride back to the car. Very scenic, crossing a large trestle, farmland and woods. You can also go Alvarado to Damascus, but it runs along a road much of the way and is not as scenic. The Creeper trail is not paved, but the small gravel is very easy for a hybrid bike.
Most of the reviews you read talk about the van ride from Damascus to White Top for the long coast down. I told my wife about this and she informed me we could ride our bikes up the trail then coast down. This statement was accompanied by mutterings of burning calories and staying healthy. So I said what any good husband says...."Yes Dear". We rode the 16 miles up from Damascus to White Top. It's not that difficult. Most of the ride is only 1% or 2% grade with the last 3 miles being the toughest at a 3% grade. The slower pace allows the rider to see the more beautiful parts of the river. We continued beyond White Top to the North Carolina border (An extra mile) before doing the long coast back to Damascus and a meal. We did not enjoy the ride down, too bumpy and constantly riding your brakes. The ride up is better.
We stayed in Abingdon so we decided we would start the creeper at its most westerly point and ride to Damascus, eat lunch, then return. My wife and I both enjoyed this section of the Creeper much more than the eastern half that most people ride. Beautiful long trestle bridges, scenic overlooks and the red bud trees in their full spring pink. Be prepared to stop and open some farm gates but the ride is great with roughly a 300 foot elevation change over 16 miles.
After biking 34 miles the first day and 32 miles the second, we finished back in Abingdon with enough time to visit the local winery and then dinner at a place called "The Tavern". It's a little up-scale and expensive but we enjoyed an excellent meal, and they don't mind if you are wearing your biking clothes.
The reason for a four-star rating of the Creeper is the crowding of fast downhill bikers on the eastern half making the trail less peaceful and a very high local tax in Abingdon on top of state tax leading to 12.5% tax on your purchases.
4.5 is a more fair rating.
Ran entire length , 8 miles.
Good, paved trail. Mostly flat, a couple small hills for some challenges.
Scenary is very nice, especially the bridges at beginning or end, depending on where you start.
A few sight seeing spots are a highlight as well.
So once again, if looking to get in a couple miles, this would be a good choice.
We spent two days in Abington for the trail. One day for each direction. We came down to White Top on day one to Abington and reversed our direction on day 2. We saw deer, wild turkey and rabbits early in the morning. A shading canopy made it most delightful. Most people ride down from White Top but the ride up is great too. It starts at one percent for a few miles, then two and finally three. With 45 bridges and all the historical and info markers, it is quite a ride. I recommend avoiding weekends as it gets very busy. Damascus is fun and thecrestaurants in Abington are exceptional. And there are NO fast food joints. Go and have a great time. Oh yea, no cell service so take a spare tube and the necessary tools for the trip.
We took a shuttle to Whitetop Station and planned on riding the entire trail then back to Damascus where we parked. The rain was so heavy there only made it back to Damascus where the young man at Damascus Adventure hosed our bikes and us down. It seems to me the trail between Whites and Damascus could use a little grading and more gravel on the surface. The re could be some pruning on the trees and shrubs too. I wish the weather would have cooperated but it is what it is. I would love to go back and try again. There were plenty of friendly people on the trail and on the shuttle.
Get Your 2018 RTC TrailNation Jersey!
Download the TrailLink mobile app and take TrailLink with you!
Donate and Get a FREE 2018 RTC Guidebook!
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Map Search
